IN FLAMES Clayman Re-recorded 2020

[Ilias7]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8SPo19pTqi/?igshid=eh9m3k6zgylz

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8SPo19pTqi/?igshid=eh9m3k6zgylz

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8PQbJ-nYMc/?igshid=tqn869xlf2ae

https://www.instagram.com/p/B8FgR5UnH4c/?igshid=iuibj5p1t2lm

The boys are back in LA. They are in Howard Benson's studio. Mike Plotnikoff is there. Anders is recording vocals. They are using the hashtags #inflames and #oldguysrule. Everything points to a new album being released probably by the end of this year (just a guess).

Long time no see, guys. I have some things going on in my life right now, but I will try to reply this thread as much as I can.

 

[A88]

No way it's going to be this year. Maybe en EP or something...

What do you guys think about the new Sylosis album?

 

[krofius]

There's 0% chance they are releasing an album this year. Probably just a song or something, doesn't even have to one they are releasing, might be for some other project for someone else, who knows. But you can just check their tour schedule and you already know they're not recording an album this year. Plus there's no way there's been any time for Björn to write a bunch of material since they just came home from tour.

 

[ciko_gfb]

Wow, they're recording already? Thats cool. Although I think they recorded I the Mask at 2018 and released it 2019 so thats normal I guess. Another new thread boys, here we go!

 

[krofius]

https://www.facebook.com/howardbens...0061431851833/733594277165210/?type=3&theater
If you read Howard's reply to some dude it seems it's just one song.

 

[DE4life]

I don't think IF have released an album in two consecutive years since Colony/Clayman 20 years ago, so I'd be surprised if anything is released before 2022. Their schedule now is more like one album every three years or so.

 

[ThePhobiac]

Finally, the unreleased song from the ASOP sessions rears its head...

Nah, it’s gonna be Everlost Pt. III.

 

[Jester Slave]

Finally, the unreleased song from the ASOP sessions rears its head...

Nah, it’s gonna be Everlost Pt. III.

That would be great, because the odd numbered Everlost parts are great.

 

[Vermyn]

Well it seemed like the last album release was pushed back 2-3 months wasn’t it? If so, then the time frame between battles and I, the mask are much closer to 2 years. New album this year I doubt, but a song or two with new album spring next year sounds more likely. I wouldn’t be surprised if they covered a Megadeth song for the upcoming tour.

 

[galvanized]

Clayman Pt II

20 years since its release. Time for a reprise.

 

[A88]

I heard they gonna do another TJR...

 

[DE4life]

Speaking of TJR, check out these batshit insane reviews from Encylopedia Metallum:

https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/In_Flames/The_Jester_Race/187/super_bum/70897

Yet, it is a mystery why no one has contested this album’s worth as a metal album, period. It is difficult to consider this metal at all, much less power metal, and certainly not death metal.

It seems as though In Flames spent all of their energies and efforts for the sole purpose of producing Moonshield. On the rest of the album, it just seems like they half-assed it. The brilliant wanderings prevalent on Moonshield are absent on every single other song. Instead, they are replaced with wimpy riffs whose melodies resemble that of commercial jingles. Every riff contains a happy bouncy feel; the kind of feel one experiences when listening to a pop album. In fact, it is safer to categorize The Jester Race as a pop/rock album, rather than a metal album.

Another attribute which makes this more of a pop/rock album than anything is the rather stale songwriting. All the do is layer riff after riff of sheer ineptitude. They are more bent on formulating hooks than any feasible songwriting. To make matters worse, these hooks are not very well supported. They’re overly consonant and devoid of any interesting contrast. The melodies are more prone to drive the listener up the wall with sappy sentimentality.

Why is this album praised? Why is it even considered metal? It is just a collection of bouncy riffs and malformed melodies which are miserable attempts at emulating Iron Maiden. The only time In Flames has been successful at emulating Iron Maiden is on Colony. That’s right, Colony is better. In fact, it is actually quite enjoyable. The Jester Race is not.

https://www.metal-archives.com/reviews/In_Flames/The_Jester_Race/187/Lord_Of_Diamonds/491990

This is not a melodic death metal album. By no means. In fact, it's almost more feasible to classify this album as an alt-rock album, for a lot of it. The opening track, "Moonshield", is pure alt-rock, with some Iron Maiden-inspired harmonic runs over power chord chugs and next to no double kicking. The lengthy clean guitar sections are, as Nathan Explosion might say, "totally lame and not metal". It even has the half-time "alternative groove". Only someone with no knowledge of metal genres whatsoever would refer to this opening track as melodic death metal. (As such, it's the only song from In Flames' 90s era that is considered worthy to be played on current set-lists.)

The pointless and poorly-arranged instrumental, "Jester's Dance", follows in the same musical path. The title track does the same thing, too: alt-rock that is not unlike modern In Flames tracks such as "Stay With Me" (from their most recent effort, "I, The Mask"). Actually, now that I think about it, the intro for "The Jester's Dance" sounds disturbingly similar to the intro for "Stay With Me". There's a far-fetched something for you to hate on, former In Flames fans! Self-plagiarism!

Any musical content that is not awkward thrash or alt-rock is melodic groove metal. There is little to no difference between the style of much of the material on this album and the style of more modern In Flames alt-rock efforts. The only significant difference is that it doesn't follow the "Five Finger Death Punch" arrangement pattern. I mean, it's still pretty poorly arranged ("Artifacts of the Black Rain", "Graveland", and "Dead Eternity" all have abrupt, awkward endings), but at least it's not as formulaic as later efforts.

There is a difference between making cool harmonies work and ABUSING harmonies! It seems like nearly every single fucking riff from this album employs harmonies in some way, and after a while it sounds more like a gimmick than an artistic statement. It gets so sickeningly melodic, you begin to wonder if In Flames was trying to make a pop record. Seriously, the melodies/harmonies get so thick sometimes, it becomes hard to remember what track you're listening to. It's obviously meant to be catchy, but it's not. It's boring. And, of course, there are the numerous moments when the quad-tracked guitars have a chord chug going and a harmonic melody over the top - the groundwork of metalcore. And everybody knows that In Flames helped to invent metalcore...

It's like Five Finger Death Punch pop vocal melodies meet guitar parts. I think, even if this could be considered a death metal record, it would be WAY too melodic at this point to pass for even melodic death metal.

Not only are his vocals turned down a bit too low in the mix, he has an almost-constant whiny quality to his growl. And it sounds like he's hyperventilating after he delivers each line. At times, it sounds like he's crying very loudly, instead of trying to summon a death metal voice. Hey... maybe that's it! Maybe he's crying because he can't summon a good death metal voice! Perhaps this would lead to him screaming and wailing more conspicuously on later albums. Oh, speaking of later albums, there's not a single shred of clean vocals on this album. Former In Flames fans like to complain about Anders' Auto-Tune-ridden clean voice as well, claiming that it's out of place, but Anders' "death growl" is just as out of place here, among the constant harmonies of Jesper Stromblad. It would have fit this album better if Anders had just done cleans the whole way through.

This album is easily the worst of the 90s In Flames efforts. And yet it generates glowing reviews from both first-time listeners and seasoned veterans, many of which hate modern In Flames. The same people who would say that "I, the Mask" is a return to form when compared to "Battles" need to open their ears and see that In Flames didn't change their musical style that much if you compare this album to later efforts.

If you want "true metal" In Flames, you won't find it in the 90s incarnation of the band, because most of their 90s stuff is exactly as I have described. This is not a melodic death metal album, and again, anyone who says it is needs to seriously rethink their definition of melodic death metal. This album is considered melodic death metal in the same way that Pearl Jam is considered grunge. It just has the label. I’m not writing this because I’m an In Flames apologist. I’m writing it because it makes me really mad when I see people longing for the days of The Jester Race.

First review must have been written by @Jester Slave , come on bro, admit it.

Second review is just hilarious. It's like a parody of what an elitist metal dickhead would write if he had to review a classic MDM album. So ridiculous that it can't be taken seriously. The fact Lord of Diamonds spent so long writing this is a testament to the boring life he must lead. Seriously, bro, get out more.

 

[galvanized]

Total troll post. Took 25 years for someone to build up enough Cheeto dust on their dick to post that drivel.

 

[A88]

"There is a difference between making cool harmonies work and ABUSING harmonies!"

Ahem... No.

 

[galvanized]

Any intel on the new song? I’m hoping for another energetic electronic collab like Self vs Self. Hard to believe that was 10 years ago.

 

[DE4life]

Livin' La Vida Loca cover apparently. Not a metal cover either, just a cover.

 

[Riamu]

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9egScLpcJv/?igshid=dwy9noprzdob

Interesting..? Maybe an old photo

 

[galvanized]

We Will Remember (Brazilian Wax Remix)

 

[ThePhobiac]

I like that chiptune version of I, the Mask they released on Spotify. It's well-made (also makes learning the guitar parts easier).

"Through My Eyes" showed up on my commute shuffle today. Not going to lie, I still dig it. Give that shit some Come Clarity production and I'm pretty sold on it. That's the problem with a lot of newer IF for me. Give everything from ASOP onward some good CC production -- or, better, Fredrik Nordstrom -- and I can get behind the vast majority of it, rather than feel like I'm getting watered down versions of songs I otherwise really like. The guitar tone on Siren Charms is like sliding into a fucking jacuzzi for me, but the shitty drum sound just fucks it all up.

Like, I was always pretty meh on "The End." Then I heard it live a few months ago. Totally different energy. It was great. It has no power on the album itself. Imagine if Roberto Laghi produced Colony, or if Howard Benson produced The Jester Race. Shit drives me up the wall to this day. Somebody save me...

 

[galvanized]

Good catch on this. Seems like this Arcade album is the new album. What do you guys think?

From this article https://staging.blabbermouth.net/news/in-flames-releases-arcade-version-of-i-the-mask-album/

In other news, IN FLAMES has announced a limited-edition Jesterhead figurine, available March 20. The figurine features the band's longtime mascot and highlight of the album's artwork, the Jesterhead.

That would explain the figurine in Benson’s picture.