Swedish-American heavy metal powerhouse In Flames has officially completed the recording sessions for their highly anticipated fifteenth studio album.
To track the milestone record, the band returned to the Los Angeles studio of Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson, renowned for his extensive work with iconic acts like Motörhead, Body Count, and Sepultura. The group also teamed up once again with engineer Mike Plotnikoff. In Flames and Howard Benson have maintained a steady and successful collaborative relationship since the release of their twelfth full-length album, 2016’s Battles.
On Tuesday, March 17, In Flames frontman Anders Fridén took to his personal Instagram account to share a series of behind-the-scenes photos from the studio, accompanied by the following message to mark the occasion: “Laughs, frustrations, genius ideas, fabulous decisions, friendships, amazing drums, bass and guitar with a little vocals sprinkled on top… it’s done. In flames 15, here we come…. #inflames”.
The forthcoming follow-up to 2023’s critically acclaimed Foregone is expected to mark the studio debut of drummer Jon Rice, who has been anchoring the band’s live lineup since May 2025. Jon Rice is highly respected in the extreme metal community for his previous stints behind the kit with Behemoth, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, The Red Chord, Job For A Cowboy, and Scorpion Child.
The recording process was initially teased on February 3, when In Flames guitarist Björn Gelotte posted a brief studio video to the band’s social media accounts. He simply captioned the clip “XV”—the Roman numeral for 15. On that same day, Mike Plotnikoff shared a photograph of the drum kit belonging to Jon Rice, including the caption: “Drums have begun @inflames @bgelotte @andersfridn @jon.charn.rice @howardbenson @joerickardproductions @decarli_editor @iansthunder @sunsetsoundrecorders #sunsetsound #studio2 #makinghits”.
Last May, In Flames officially parted ways with Tanner Wayne, their drummer of seven years. Previously recognized for his work with Underminded, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, and Chiodos, Tanner Wayne originally joined the fold just in time for the band’s summer 2018 tour. He stepped in to replace Joe Rickard, who handled drumming duties on Battles, and made his live debut with the group on July 4, 2018, in Brno, Czech Republic.
Looking ahead to their live schedule, In Flames is scheduled to play several U.S. club shows this May, routed around their massive festival appearances at Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple. On select dates of the upcoming run, they will be joined by supporting acts Thrown, Distant, and Upon Stone. The band is currently continuing to tour in support of Foregone, which arrived in February 2023 via Nuclear Blast.
In Flames – May 2026 U.S. Tour Dates
- May 09 – Little Rock, AR – The Hall **
- May 10 – Kansas City, MO – VooDoo At Harrah’s Kansas City **
- May 12 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave ^
- May 13 – East Moline, IL – The Rust Belt ^
- May 14 – Indianapolis, IN – Egyptian Room at Old National Centre ^
- May 15 – London, ON – London Music Hall ^
- May 16 – Albany, NY – Empire Live ^
** with Upon Stone only
^ with Thrown and Distant
