A Sense of Purpose is the ninth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band In Flames, first released in Japan on 26 March 2008.

A Sense of Purpose is the final In Flames album with founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, at this point the last original member, as he quit in February 2010.

Similar to previous In Flames albums, A Sense of Purpose showcased the band's influence to combine many elements such as rich keyboard use and distinct melodies, with thrash and heavy metal sounds.

[10] A Sense of Purpose is the first studio album since Clayman to feature the band's icon, the "Jester Head", on the cover art.

Jason MacNeil of Allmusic gave the album a score of 4 stars out of 5, writing "In Flames continue to make their mark by being rooted in a strong metal or hard rock foundation but being musically and creatively inquisitive enough to seek out something more.

"[15] Popmatters' Adrien Begrand wrote "If there’s one fault that can be found on A Sense of Purpose, it’s that its pace can get redundant upon first listen... plus it lacks the huge arena-appealing hooks that Come Clarity had in spades..." Begrand concluded: "However, like Reroute to Remain, the album benefits greatly from patient listening, making it a worthy addition to the catalog and continuing one of the more impressive second-decade rebirths we’ve seen from a metal band.

"[16] In a more negative review, Sputnikmusic's Adam Thomas wrote "...A Sense of Purpose shows getting rid of what was intrinsically In Flames, the harmonies.