Swedish metallers IN FLAMES have commenced the songwriting sessions for their next studio album, tentatively due in 2014.

IN FLAMES' tenth CD, "Sounds Of A Playground Fading" (Century Media), sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.

IN FLAMES' previous album, "A Sense of Purpose" (Koch) opened with 20,000 units to land at No. 28. This was slightly less than the opening tally of "Come Clarity" (Ferret), which shifted just under 24,000 copies in February 2006 to enter the chart at position No. 58.

"Sounds Of A Playground Fading" was the first IN FLAMES album to be recorded without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

IN FLAMES guitarist Niclas Engelin recently sat out a few of the band's shows. His temporary replacement for those gigs was Patrik Jensen from THE HAUNTED.