IN FLAMES Clayman Re-recorded 2020

It's bad for traditional standards. Not for modern people that listents to music thorugh their phone speakers.

In fact, for the next tour, instead of using amps they're going to use the audience phones via bluetooth for a better experience.
 
The longer it's out the more baffled I am by this EP. Who was the demographic? Why didn't they record it with Nordstrom so it could be a real 20 year difference comparison? Why is Howard Benson incapable of recording music with any power? Why did the band think it sounds good?

After I, The Mask I was positive about the future of the band, that they'd got somewhat back on track. If this is anything to go by then the band is entering a new era worse than anything before seen. I don't even hate the rerecords, parts of them I think are cool, the melody added to the "I feel so guilty" bit of OFTW, Bullet having the lead melody over the outro, and a couple of other little things. The problem is it just doesn't make sense existing. It's objectively worse than the old versions, not different enough to distinguish themselves as reimaginings, but not faithful enough to do the songs justice. Soo much clean singing and bad production for old fans to enjoy, watered down versions of MDM classics for new fans to shrug at.... The whole thing just doesn't make sense.

My hopes entirely rest on In Flames ditching Howard Benson for their next album, if they don't, I don't see how it can be good, or even add to I, The Mask's progress in any meaningful way.
 
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Sadly I doubt Benson is going anywhere. I'm sure Anders and Bjorn get off to some degree on being "in" with such a well-known producer, and getting to collab with various "names" in the American music scene. The only way Benson goes is if he decides he doesn't want to work with IF anymore, imo. It wouldn't surprise me if Benson was their final producer, as they probably aren't going to release that many more albums.
 
TheJestersDoor said:
Why didn't they record it with Nordstrom so it could be a real 20 year difference comparison?
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I'm not against re recordings when they make sense and add something to the original. This is not the case.

I'm strongly against remasters unless they're desperately needed. This is not the case (the same goes for the totally unnecessary Iron Maiden remasters collection). Is just a way for making money. Selling to the people the same thing with a few differences that, in some cases, will not even be appreciated by the ear. And is disrespectful for the people who put their effort in the original work.
 
My friend gave this EP a listen yesterday.

His comment: "Lol, there's a new fail every 10 seconds."

I honestly think that cover EP was better than this shit.
 
Uhm. I showed BR to my wife. Her comment was "how is he (Anders) off pitch using protools?" And those were the first two verses.

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DE4life said:
Sadly I doubt Benson is going anywhere. I'm sure Anders and Bjorn get off to some degree on being "in" with such a well-known producer, and getting to collab with various "names" in the American music scene. The only way Benson goes is if he decides he doesn't want to work with IF anymore, imo. It wouldn't surprise me if Benson was their final producer, as they probably aren't going to release that many more albums.
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They are weird about the producer thing. It’s like they are more focused on “clout” and “names” than actual results. It’s like people who can barely play three chords buying a $1000 guitar. Or people spending $500 for hiking clothes to do walks at their local park. Or people that build huge, clean garage gyms at their house and are still overweight. People so focused on the externals that they forget the purpose of what they are doing. People focused on image.

IF has been chasing this image thing for nearly 20 years now. First I thought it was just Anders but seems like the other guys too. Very shallow and superficial.

They are more interested in name dropping producers than writing and playing good music. Same as any Instagram “influencer”. They act like shallow socialites. Yeah, I’m pretty sure you can call them sell outs at this point.
 
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You cannot expect results from someone complaining about hard work. Inspiration is just a small part of every creative work.
 
In all seriousness, to me Anders sounds like he did on Passenger on this EP. I can't be mad about that. :D

With the exception of the Pinball Map chorus, which is pure Benson. Eh.

My conclusion is that If the production on these tracks were the same as the production on Clayman, I would like these better than the originals. The revisions to Pinball Map have me swooning. Never knew I needed that synth. As it is, it's a nice collection of alternate takes. I cannot stress enough how much actual singing adds to these songs for me. I don't do numeric rankings, but on its own I'd give the EP 3.5/5 stars.

4/5 for Variations and Pinball Map
3.5/5 for OFTW and Bullet Ride
3/5 for Clayman

Weak production continues to plague IF releases, smh. I'm sure if I examined this EP in microscopic detail I would find a ton of things to get mad about and I'd give it the 1/5 stars it deserves, but I already wasted all of my negative energy tearing Final Fantasy 7 Remake apart for being a desecration of the original. This EP is better than that game.

They should get a new producer.
 
You almost killed me with the "in all seriousness". Nice use of sarcasm here. Well done.
 
ThePhobiac said:
In all seriousness, to me Anders sounds like he did on Passenger on this EP. I can't be mad about that. :D
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I don't really see that at all. Passenger sounded pretty much like R2R did in terms of vocals. Raspy, overdriven, lo-fi. Clean vocals were intertwined with layers of background screams not to stand out too much, much like with In Flames back then.
This new EP is what happens when you get someone who literally cannot sing into a studio with a world class producer who can make anyone "sing", working on a genre of music that singer is desperately trying to shed off and detach himself from, with a producer who doesn't understand it.

There was no possible outcome where this wouldn't be a clusterfuck. And as the proverbial cherry on top of a steaming pile of shit, the band now has the excuse to ass rape these Clayman classics live with new rerecorded background tracks.
 
What I like:

-artwork
-the additional leads in BR
-As the Future Repeats Today wasn't selected for butcher
-the title track's re-recording wasn't all that bad actually, now that I've heard the rest.

What I don't like:

-everything else.

Colony and Clayman have arguably the best production out of all IF albums, so re-recording/re-mastering one of them was questionable from the get-go. I would've rather played all Clayman songs back-to-back live, recorded and released that. Just like they did with STYE before.

Sadly, I believe the songs were made "less metal" on purpose. In Flames want to be a radio friendly rock band now. And the other reason for the shitty production was probably just lack of concern.

On a completely unrelated note, I found some footage where you can, for once, really hear the bass. (I don't know if anyone here cares about the bass, but I do, as I play the instrument myself.)



btw, at 1:26 Anders grabs the front of his pants while singing "what is written in the soul". Is that really where the soul resides? :p
 
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