IN FLAMES Clayman Re-recorded 2020

[DE4life]

I decided to check the old faithful, YouTube, to see the opinion on Bullet Ride...











So yeah, I guess it isn't just us who thinks the cleans are horrendous

Also on the OFTW rerecording upload somebody just wrote "this sounds like depression"

 

[eochaid]

I agree with the guy who wrote about "being disconnected with the fanbase".

Nobody but cjko wanted something like this.

 

[DE4life]

I'm pretty sure Ciko is just trolling at this point. If not then he should seek medical help immediately, as his brain is badly malfunctioning.

 

[eochaid]

Too much fapping while listening to Anders.

 

[galvanized]

I’m heartened at least that most people seem to think BR is the least bad of the re-recoded tracks. The other tracks I won’t ever listen to again. But probably listen to the new BR for a few more days before I forget about it.

I did admit the BR clean vocals kind of sound like karaoke, a little off and awkward. Like someone didn’t practice it enough. But I will maintain they are the best of the 4 tracks and better than all the Battles-style vocals.

 

[DE4life]

Not exactly a high bar there bro honestly I much prefer the cleans on Battles. They are sterile and boring but they at least sound professional. BR RR vocals sound really unprofessional to me, like some yokel who sounds a bit like Anders 'sang' into the mic for the BR verses and then found a free autotune program and threw the vocals through the default filter.

I have no idea who the audience for these re-recordings is supposed to be - newer and older fans alike seem to be giving them largely negative responses. I guess it really is just a cash grab, possibly at the behest of the label rather than the band themselves, as Anders and Bjorn seem to have put as little effort as possible into this. The only person who seems to have given a shit about any of this is the guy who did the artwork - unfortunately said artwork will now be associated with this garbage.

All we have left to "look forward" to at this point is hearing how the remastering of the older tracks has been done. I fear the worst but it isn't Benson doing the remastering so there may be some hope.

 

[eochaid]

I've seen new fans saying that they like this re recording. Then the typical "move on if you don't like it". Also seen someone commenting that he's not too fond of the band but he likes this.

And some people saying this is superior to the original release.

 

[DE4life]

They are in the distinct minority though. You'll always have outliers like Ciko and Phobiac whose opinions are so far out there that they are impossible to understand

 

[eochaid]

I see...

 

[Jester Slave]

On a continuum, BR cleans closer to Siren Charms than Battles.

Well... I don't know what to say to that. That's like saying one planet is closer to some than another. Technically true, but they are still really fucking far away. Imo SC is nothing like this EP. SC has a beefy sound, like SOAPF, this EP is thin as ice. COmpare the cleans on Through Oblivion with this EP. Night and day.

I’m heartened at least that most people seem to think BR is the least bad of the re-recoded tracks. The other tracks I won’t ever listen to again. But probably listen to the new BR for a few more days before I forget about it.

I did admit the BR clean vocals kind of sound like karaoke, a little off and awkward. Like someone didn’t practice it enough. But I will maintain they are the best of the 4 tracks and better than all the Battles-style vocals.

I think Pinball Map is the best, but Clayman is the track that is "most improved". I really can't get into the original, and this one is easier to swallow. Maybe.

OFTW is the worst offender in terms of vocals. And I am really out of words if anyone prefers these cleans to Battles. And remember, we are talking about the vocal production and how it sounds. Don't confuse it with liking the melody of BR more than the whininess of Battles. That is besides the point now.

 

[galvanized]

BR RR vocals sound really unprofessional to me, like some yokel who sounds a bit like Anders 'sang' into the mic for the BR verses and then found a free autotune program and threw the vocals through the default filter.

The whole recording sounds amateur and unprofessional, that part is already a given. If I’m listening to these songs, I’m already listening to shitty music. Every aspect is shitty from the guitar tone to the mastering. Except for the artwork which was a great improvement. So that’s why I don’t want to get too technical with the deficiencies. I’ll take shitty singing with iffy production over shitty singing with evil commercial production any day....

perhaps you are right, the bar is set pretty low isn’t it?

 

[galvanized]

All we have left to "look forward" to at this point is hearing how the remastering of the older tracks has been done. I fear the worst but it isn't Benson doing the remastering so there may be some hope.

Did the re-master get done by the same person who mastered the new tracks?

If so, we are A B S O L U T E L Y F U C K E D

 

[DE4life]

Did the re-master get done by the same person who mastered the new tracks?

If so, we are A B S O L U T E L Y F U C K E D

Fortunately no.

»Clayman 20th Anniversary Edition« comes entirely remastered by Ted Jensen (PANTERA, DEFTONES, GOJIRA) and features all new artwork in a 16-page booklet, a brand-new instrumental medley plus 4 re-recorded versions of fan-favorites such as 'Only For The Weak' and 'Pinball Map'. Re-recorded songs were produced by Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, MOTÖRHEAD) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (GREEN DAY, ROB ZOMBIE)

I haven't heard any of Ted Jensen's work so I can't comment on his suitability for remastering, but he had nothing to do with the re-recordings. Apparently that was the work of Howard and Chris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Lord-Alge

 

[galvanized]

Fortunately no.



I haven't heard any of Ted Jensen's work so I can't comment on his suitability for remastering, but he had nothing to do with the re-recordings. Apparently that was the work of Howard and Chris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Lord-Alge

Looks like this dude is a total has-been. Mixed “Born in the USA” in the late 80s. Wow.

did you see this?

Chris and his brother Tom are known inside the music industry for crafting their mix with an abundant use of dynamic compression[5] for molding mixes that play well on small speakers and FM radio, thus somewhat contributing to the loudness war.

So now I see where Bjorn all of a sudden was talking about Clayman sounding good on “big systems”, “in the car”, etc. “at the time”. I guess Lord Algae convinced him that everyone listens to music with their iPhone in speakerphone mode and that’s how he should mix the album.

Yo, everyone do an experiment. Listen to the album on your phone with the speaker and tell me how much better it sounds. I bet it sounds amazing. BRB

 

[DE4life]

Sucks even worse because Anders vomit-inducing vocals are even more dominating. Seriously, those OFTW clean vocals... legit might be the worst singing I've ever heard in a supposedly serious musical effort.

 

[galvanized]

Bullet Ride sounds even better bro. Dem cleans

 

[eochaid]

I have listened to Clayman in two different home sound systems, in the car, with headphones and earphones and the sound is always perfect. But with sound system is fucking amazing.

But Bjorn has not so good memories because someone made him work hard for two weeks.

 

[galvanized]

Seriously though, if you listen to the original on your phone speaker actually it is unlistenable. The high range is wayyy too high. I get ear fatigue after 2 seconds. Try the old Pinball and the new Pinball. New Pinball a lot easier on the ears. I could last about 1min30sec before getting annoyed.

This is on a 4 year old iPhone with some definite wear and tear.

 

[eochaid]

Then buy a phone with a better speaker.

But seriously, if someone, ever, mixes music thinking on phone speakers, just kill that moron because he/she is a waste as a person.

 

[drawntoblack]

If you care about music enough to discuss it on forums yet actually consume it on laptop/smartphone speakers and $10 earbuds you probably need to rethink things in your life a little bit.