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In Flames: Clayman
29/04/07 || The Duff
This album, oddly enough, marked the beginning of the end for In Flames. A shame, really, because although they reduced their ferocity even further with “Clayman” (intelligently branded “Gayman” by critics), the combination of dangerously catchy melodic hooks, more straight-forward riffing and lush clean sections experienced on “Colony” was still very much the focus of their material on this here follow-up. As a result, this appears nothing short of a natural progression for the band. I guess with such an argument, I am also justifying their shift into madly accessible territory with “Reroute to Turngay” and “Soundtrack to Shit” (haha – you know I love ‘em really), well if I am, fuck you for pointing it out.
The opening track, “Bullet Ride”, starts off with a simple enough, ascending riff that retains a certain charm by adding a fair deal of power to Friden’s growls. His vocals are a fifty-fifty deal on the opener, half the time comprising the whispers found in small doses on the “Colony” album (although this time they have been given a boost in the final mix), and the other half consisting of the regular ol’ Anders screams we’re used to. In short, “Bullet Ride” sets the pace for the rest of “Clayman” in its presenting more commercial elements while integrating the catchy hooks and melodies by this point expected of the band, as well as the nowadays oft unheard of solos (Björn and Jesper really did know how to churn them out back in the day).
The next track is absolutely killer, in my books. Even though it contains a couple of chugging riffs the likes of which would later plague their next two releases (not including “Tokyo Showdown”), they are tastefully executed and blended in with your standard, trademark melody and speed riffing so identifiably Swedish.
I think that where trouble starts to form is with “Only For the Weak”. Fans seem to despise it for its excessively commercial approach. To be honest, when I first heard it, I couldn’t stop listening to the damn thing, and as such can only acknowledge it as one of my favourite tracks from the band. Yes, Anders does allow his vocals to sound somewhat whiney (nowhere near as horrific as what he unleashes nowadays, I might add), but the slow-paced leads combined with the infectious chorus is more than enough for me to overlook how aggravating one man with no penis can be.
“… As the Future Repeats Today” is another high-point to the album in that Anders actually sounds pissed off for a change; great riffs, great melodies and all the rest etc. etc. “Square Nothing” is a song that picks up more on where the band left things with “Ordinary Story” – a far more docile a track. Again, nothing is at fault (Anders vocally conveys his attitude problem successfully), and the clean introduction is very fitting and a step in the right direction for the band in terms of experimentation.
The title track is one of the weaker songs on the album, even though it is also one of the heaviest. Solid riffing that moves away from the melodic influence and concentrates more on straightforward metal, all with a catchy chorus to boot. “Satellites and Astronauts” treads the same territory as “Square Nothing”, although the distorted sections are a lot more drawn out; yes, this can be perceived as incredibly accessible music, but it’s all well written music with little to no trace of the desperately watered down shit they would later destroy their legacy with.
The rest of the album is of an equally solid standard. “Brush the Dust Away” is a speedy number that I can appreciate very much save the unfortunate lyrics (this album just doesn’t compare to “Colony” from a lyrical perspective). “Swim” is a joyfully poppy song that still has a place due to the decent, albeit slightly accessible riffing (see also “Suburban Me” – another weak cut), and “Another Day in Quicksand” ends things on a high note by being just generally fucken good.
There is nothing truly spectacular to be found on “Clayman”, but it is a consistently solid record that deserves honorable mention. It has somewhat lost its shine over the years, but I still defend it as being a worthy addition to the In Flames discography.
7 beginnings of the end out of 10.
- Information
- Released: 2000
- Label: Nuclear Blast
- Website: www.inflames.com
- Band
- Anders Friden: vocals
- Björn Gelotte: guitars
- Jesper Strömblad: guitars
- Daniel Svensson: drums
- Peter Iwers: bass
- Tracklist
- 01. Bullet Ride
- 02. Pinball Map
- 03. Only for the Weak
- 04. … As the Future Repeats Today
- 05. Square Nothing
- 06. Clay Man
- 07. Satellites and Astronauts
- 08. Brush the Dust Away
- 09. Swim
- 10. Suburban Me
- 11. Another Day in Quicksand
