Formation and Lunar Strain (1990–1995)

In Flames was founded in 1990 by drummer Jesper Strömblad as a side project from his then-current death metal band, Ceremonial Oath, in which he was the bassist. His purpose was to write songs with a more melodic musical direction, something which he was not allowed to do in Ceremonial Oath. In 1993, Strömblad decided to quit Ceremonial Oath due to these musical differences and began focusing more on In Flames. That same year, Strömblad recruited Glenn Ljungström on guitar and Johan Larsson on bass to form the first official In Flames line-up.

The trio recorded a demo in August 1993 and sent it to Wrong Again Records. In order to increase their chances of getting signed to the label, the group lied and said they had thirteen songs already recorded, when in fact they only had three. The owner of the label enjoyed the music, and immediately signed them to the label.

After being signed, work on the band's debut album began. The album, titled Lunar Strain, was recorded in Studio Fredman and released in August 1994. Since the band did not have a vocalist yet, Strömblad asked Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity to provide session vocals. Many other session musicians participated in the recording as well, including guitarists Anders Iwers, Karl Näslund, and Oscar Dronjak (the latter of which provided backing vocals), vocalist Jennica Johansson, and violinist Ylva Wåhlstedt.

Legacy

In Flames are widely considered one of the pioneers of the melodic death metal sound, and have influenced many bands. They have been especially influential on metalcore, with bands such as Darkest Hour, As I Lay Dying, Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold, All That Remains and Still Remains naming them as a source of inspiration. They have also influenced a number of subsequent melodic death metal bands, including Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, and Blood Stain Child. Nita Strauss has also listed In Flames as an inspiration in her playing and love of music.