Chris Broderick says he has more artistic freedom in In Flames than he did in Megadeth.
In an interview for the ‘My 3 Questions To’ series by Jonathan Montenegro, Broderick talked about his experiences in both bands.
Broderick joined In Flames in early 2019, replacing Niclas Engelin. He said that Anders Fridén and Björn Gelotte give him a lot more freedom to pursue his musical interests. Fridén and Gelotte still shape the band’s sound, but they allow Broderick to contribute his ideas and even support him if he wants to work on solo projects:
“I think they definitely give me a lot more freedom because I can pursue them in my own ways. I think, though, at the end of the day, they’re going to always write an album that is In Flames. And so they’re going to be the ones really kind of scrutinizing what that will be. And I understand that to no end because they are one of the original bands of that sort of Swedish sound, and nothing I could do could really create that. I would love to add to it, and they’ve already allowed me to do that, and I love that. At the same time, they’re, like, ‘Oh, if you wanted to go and write a solo album or anything like that,’ I have the opportunity to do that as well.”
Broderick’s Time in Megadeth was Different
Broderick left Megadeth on November 25, 2014, citing ‘artistic and musical differences.’ He explained that his departure was more about his ability to express his own musical choices rather than disagreements over the band’s direction. He acknowledged that Dave Mustaine was the main decision-maker:
“I knew that Mustaine was captain of the ship going in. But there comes a time where you’re like, ‘I’ve done this and it’s great but I’m a musician and artist at heart and I need to express myself that way. So I need to have that outlet for myself and not just do it in support of another person.’
It wasn’t a democratic or an equal band in terms of the decision-making process. And again, I was fine with that at the time. It was awesome for my career and it was great playing for all those fans but at some point, when do you decide you’re gonna be a musician and really create your own music, or are you just going to record what somebody else wants?”
Broderick constantly weighed the positives and negatives. The tipping point came in late 2014 when he realized his heart wasn’t in the band’s new CD project due to a lack of artistic input. He decided it was the right time to leave and pursue his own musical path.
You can watch the rest of the interview below.