Search - In Flames :: Clayman

4.5 stars - the beginning of the new In Flames sound

Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 05/10/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"2000's Clayman followed on the heels of a series of absolutely perfect melodic death metal albums by In Flames: Colony, Whoracle, and The Jester Race. While Clayman was very much a Swedish melodic death metal album, it was obvious the band had updated the sound a bit to include some more modern elements. It wasn't a radical departure from their signature sound (like later releases Reroute to Remain or Soundtrack to Your Escape), but you can see that In Flames was moving beyond the established formula.



The band definitely shook things up with this album, and I happen to think it paid off. They managed to revitalize their sound to avoid becoming stagnant. Of course, it helps that Clayman is still very melodic and no less heavy than previous In Flames albums. There are some nu-metal elements creeping in, and this is where Anders Friden started to change his vocal style. That could turn off fans of the older In Flames sound, but I had no problem with it because the songs are so freaking good.



Looking back, Clayman is clearly the bridge between the classic and modern In Flames sounds (honestly, they seem like two entirely different bands). It's still a great album, and one of my favorites from the band.



Edition Notes: Nuclear Blast issued a Deluxe Edition of Clayman in 2005, adding a pair of bonus tracks - covers of No Fun At All's "Strong and Smart" and Treat's "World of Promises" - as well as some additional multimedia content (no videos, though)."