IN FLAMES Clayman Re-recorded 2020

[DE4life]

I think everything up to Powerplant is good/very good, after that there has been somewhat of a decline. Land of the Free II was a huge disappointment for me, even if it has its moments. What sometimes bothers me on the more recent albums is the lack of originality/outright plagiarism. For instance, Dirk Schlächter more or less stole the chorus from We Are The Champions for his "Time for Deliverance".

I think I only really followed GR up until No World Order, which was... 2001 maybe? With that said I did download LotF II, but there were only two songs I liked off it - To Mother Earth and Real World. Weirdly I really like those two, but didn't care for anything else on the album. I 100% haven't listened to anything past that point though. There were a number of disappointments in 2007 which really put me off power metal for a while. LotF Ii wasn't particularly good, Freedom Call's Dimensions was fucking awful, Sonata Arctica's Unia was a joke, Masterplan's MK II was a significant downgrade on their first album, Iced Earth's Framing Armageddeon didn't interest me, neither did Symphony X's Paradise Lost... so many disappointments from bands I loved in one year. Tough to take.

It wasn't all bad though. Altaria released Divine Invitation which was an awesome compilation album, Visions of Atlantis put out Trinity which is an amazing album, and Turisas produced The Varangian Way which I really liked. Dark Passion Play by Nightwish was good too, although I don't know if that counts as Power Metal.

So perhaps not quite as bad as I remember but still a lot of disappointments which definitely put me off the genre as a whole for a while.

 

[eochaid]

NOTB production is indeed excellent. They did a remastered version in 1998 but I'm not sure why - much like Clayman it isn't necessary to remaster something that already sounds great.

I guess is part the label and part Steve Harris, who's the main responsible of that awful production of the last albums

 

[DE4life]

I think the last Maiden album I heard was Dance of Death in 2003, which I remember as being pretty good.



You can't beat the classics though

 

[eochaid]

The problem of the last albums is the sound. Though the last one is not too bad but it should be far better.

 

[eochaid]

 

[Sierota]

The first thing that got my attention concerning metal was metallica's video for until it sleeps on mtv. I liked the song, but i really liked the video. I then systematically got every metallica album in reverse chronological order. My next bands i liked were stuff that was on the radio like black sabbath and sevendust.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

Some modern IF fans wouldn't even have been born when TJR was released. I was only 9 years old and probably would have shit my pants (in a bad way) at the time if I'd heard it

NOTB production is indeed excellent. They did a remastered version in 1998 but I'm not sure why - much like Clayman it isn't necessary to remaster something that already sounds great.

*waves*

 

[ThePhobiac]

High five mate, for me metal started with Immortal featured on 2002 Mortal Kombat The follow up album wasn't anywhere near the debut though, for which I still have some nostalgic feelings.
Anyway, I'm surprised how quickly it went from here to new grounds with oldschool MDM. I guess I am the highway, following Anders, not being afraid.

Nice! That song was a revelation to a non-metalhead like me back in the day. I prefer Unstable to the debut because it feels a bit more melodic and the songwriting feels a little more creative and mature. I still have a soft spot for those discs, not gonna lie.

 

[DE4life]

It's a good song, but I don't understand why everything sounds so... compressed? Do they really think it sounds better that way than it does on the older albums?

 

[eochaid]

It's a good song, but I don't understand why everything sounds so... compressed? Do they really think it sounds better that way than it does on the older albums?

Yes. They do. Why? I cannot understand. The main responsible for this sound is Steve Harris. They even released the headphones that he uses during the production of the album.

 

[DE4life]

It's a shame as the older albums sound much more powerful, which for me is an important part of listening to this kind of metal. Part of the reason I like the SOAPF production is that it's really wide and expansive and it gives off a very strong sound. Compare to ASOP, SC or Battles which all have a more compressed and less powerful output. It's hard for me to feel energised by a metal album if the production is compressed. I can still like the music but it doesn't give me the same feeling as an album which jumps out of the speakers with intensity.

 

[eochaid]

I agree. I think the main problem is what they're doing with the guitars, lowering their presence in the final mix. Is like he never learned from the mistakes made in he X factor.

One thing that I like in ITM is that every rythn guitar has its own differentiate place in the mix. What I dislike is that the solo guitar doesn't sound natural or realistic, more like something made in a computer.

 

[galvanized]

Best Iron Maiden production IMO is Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

So clear, can hear everything. Hard to beat those.

 

[DE4life]

Our boys playing OFTW & Behind Space in Gothenberg in 2001.

Is Bjorn wearing a Napster t shirt?

 

[DE4life]

Also the classic Moonshield 1999 vid where the cameraman decides to zoom in on some girl's boobs for nearly a minute what a bro.

 

[galvanized]

Also the classic Moonshield 1999 vid where the cameraman decides to zoom in on some girl's boobs for nearly a minute what a bro.

And Bjorn rocking the JNCOs. Or are those Bellbottoms?

 

[eochaid]

Best Iron Maiden production IMO is Powerslave and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son.

So clear, can hear everything. Hard to beat those.

Sorry but is Number of the Beast.

 

[DE4life]

Here's a tune to get you pumped for Monday morning folks, put your dancing shoes on

 

[DE4life]

I also just found this... budget Arch Enemy covers In Flames. Also the drummer is wearing a face mask two and a half years before it was necessary. Well prepared.

 

[galvanized]

I also just found this... budget Arch Enemy covers In Flames. Also the drummer is wearing a face mask two and a half years before it was necessary. Well prepared.

Sounded pretty good until I saw the drummer. You know how we Americans feel about masks. Why turn death metal political?