I think we discussed that before. Halo sounds nothing like DT to me other than vocals. Well, at least as far apart as two bands from the same place that more or less play the same style of music can get. But we both hear things differently, so I'm not saying you're wrong.
Personally, out of the OG Gothernburg bands, In Flames always came off to me as the least Death-y. Not to say they were bad or anything. I like them. I personally like old In Flames better than even old Dark Tranquillity. But I always thought In Flames were more upbeat. At the Gates are my favorite. Although I discovered and fell in love with In Flames and Dark Tranquillity way before than At the Gates.
To me, apex In Flames is Whoracle and Jester. But I think Colony was the last album where they still sounded like themselves. You could tell they were starting to toy with the idea of going more mainstream, though. Clayman, to me, was their Black Album. Both Colony and Clayman are absolute perfection as far as production goes, though.
For me what determines Halo sounding like DT is how restrained the guitars are for the sake of building a dark, minimalistic ambience.
Back in the day IF had melodies and full blown solos (on JR performed by DT's Fredrick Johansson I think). Halo still sounds more restrained to me, like they don't want to do solos but just big melodies. Which is nonsense because Niclas was doing them in Gardenian. "Self-proclaimed Messiah" has like a one minute intro solo. Niclas is a better guitarist than Bjorn is IMO, but spent years playing uninteresting riffs in mediocre songs--which is why I think Niclas left IF. Lack of creative control.
But after Jesper left Bjorn kind of blew up on the solos and wah. Each song had a real solo, not just an extended melody/bridge that covered where a solo would have been. But they stopped doing layered stuff like Zombie Inc. because Bjorn was writing everything and whoever the other guitarist of the week was was getting the stripped down parts. They should have let Niclas write more for a fuller two guitar experience and not just Bjorn and some guy doing rhythm. They're wasting Broderick now doing that but they won't let him do anything because Bjorn and whoever else is next won't be able to play it.
Neither DT nor IF nor ATG were Arch Enemy or Soilwork in the technical department, but with Halo I still hear restrained melodies trying to be carried by the vocal so they don't have to do anything more complicated than the bare minimum.
If Halo had OG IF riffs like "Upon an Oaken Throne," "Dead Eternity," or "December Flower," I'd say they were back. Even "Episode 666," which is kind of a lazier, less busy song. Even "Wayfarer" with its crazy synthesizer solo and thrash style riffs. But the things they are playing are just not as complex or interesting as they were in the 90s and early 00s.
That said, I want to see Halo improve, especially as DT seems to stagnate.
Long story short--they're not going to be at their best unless Jesper can get/stay clean, consistently tour, and play like he did in the 90s, which, according to Euge Valovirta, Jesper isn't 100% interested in because he's bored of their old style of melodic death metal.
But I know it will be a PITA to get dialed in.
