Listening Experience of the Month (July 2000) - In Flames 'Clayman'

OK, where do I start? In Flames is one of those few bands you can always count on when looking for a good listening. On the other hand, they never seem to be able to cross the line between simply good and great music, and last year's 'Colony' only reinforced this rather sad statement. I guess the majority of you know that it was by no means a bad album, but it completely lacked any highlights, and I'm having a real trouble trying to remember any one of those tunes. I think I already mentioned that my favorite release by In Flames is their rather old "Subterranean' MCD, and after a while it started to look like they would never get close to the same level of songwriting as they had at that time. Thus I was not really expecting a whole lot from their brand new album 'Clayman' - just same good (but not great) old In Flames maybe? Wrong! This is, at last, the album that almost completely realizes all the potential that they hinted to throughout the years, but never quite captured to the fullest extent. This is, by no means, 'Subterranean-2', and it would be really weird if it were. No, it's rather all the same stuff we all heard on the previous recordings, but taken to the next level times ten. First six songs off this new album struck me harder than almost anything else did in the last few months, and, believe me, I've listened to a lots and lots of stuff during this period. While the opener 'Bullet Ride' only hints to some better things to come, tracks two and three simply devastate anybody bold enough to listen to them at the full volume. Very different in structure ('Pinball Map' is insanely fast and furious track, while 'Only for the Weak' follows calmer and slower path) they both are so groovy and memorable, you will sing along (or growl, or whistle - whatever your talent is) almost instantly. Next three songs (especially 'Square Nothing'

and the title track itself) only reinforce this feeling. Things get a little bit more predictable and traditional on the second part of the album, but the rest of the songs are still among the best compositions In Flames have ever written. Now, I hope I don't have to go into detail to describe their music, because if you don't know them already you should be really ashamed of yourself. Anyway, I will say a couple of words for those of you who may be new to the world of metal and eager to dig new bands. In Flames play melodic Death Metal at its best, mixing hard (not really brutal) and melodic parts quite nicely. Again, I would like to remind you that this site has a LINKS section where you can go and...well, you know what happens next. So, as I mentioned earlier, In Flames don't really deviate a great deal from their past works on this new album, but they do mix in few new details here, actually, just enough for things not to get too stagnant. Primarily I'm talking about some techno moments, which could be already heard on 'Colony', but were used a little bit braver this time. This is as far as music is concerned. Lyrics are again in the same In Flames style, that everybody is already so used to (I think Mikael Stanne helped them out again this time). You know, this 'Guess what I'm talking about' type, although I must admit that this time they are more comprehensible than their usual poetry. Topics mostly deal with personal misery and imperfect world we are living in. Rightfully so, indeed... Booklet is designed in the same way it's always done for In Flames: that is nothing really extraordinary, but everything is of a good quality. Artwork created by Iced Earth (and not only) man Axel Hermann is just OK, and not as impressive as that of Andreas Marshall's. I see this review is coming out shorter than what I usually have for you, but what else can I say? I'm kind of in loss for words (or speechless if you wish). Oh yeah, one more thing: The limited edition that I got comes with a bonus track ('World of Promises', which is a cover and can also be found on the Digital Dimension compilation. A very good track, by the way), In Flames screen saver :-) (which runs pretty slow on my system) and a 3-D cover, which is pretty cool. Buy or die? Maybe not. Buy or regret? Definitely! Andy.