IN FLAMES Clayman Re-recorded 2020

[DE4life]

ASOP would 100% be improved HUGELY with totally redone production. There's so much good stuff instrumentally on that album, but it sounds weak and unimpressive due to that awful guitar tone and mix. The vocals couldn't be saved with new production so would mostly have to be redone, but instrumentally there's no question ASOP would be held in much higher regard if it was properly remastered. I'd definitely be down for that.

SC/Battles, honestly I don't think it would make much difference. SC's songs are just... weird. It sounds like an Anders/Bjorn side project rather than In Flames. The songs on Battles meanwhile are so cookie-cutter and bland that even though better production might beef a few of them up, it wouldn't add intrinsic value to the composition of the songs themselves. I don't think it would make much difference.

ITM... maybe. I don't really have a big problem with the production on this album however a sharper guitar tone and more powerful mix would definitely make songs like Voices, the title track, Burn and Deep Inside rock a little harder.

 

[ciko_gfb]

Am I the only one who loves the intro? It feels nostalgic somehow, I love it.

I agree that guitar a bit "powerless" compared to original version but the vocals are better for sure. Loving the new chorus, feels more melodic and suits the song. I like the bass around 1:27, nice touch.

Solo is a deal breaker for me though, you can go either wah version or the harmonic version for it, doing both doesn't work for me.

Overall guitars feels not that great but passable, while vocals definitely improved for my taste. I love the original and I loved the new version as well.

 

[A88]

Wow, how surprising.

 

[A88]

As for guitar tone - the last time IF had a good guitar tone was pretty much on Clayman. So 20 years ago.

RTR was muddy and badly mixed, STYE was just painful and ugly, CC decent but fizzy and with too much treble, ASOP lifeless and plastic, SOAPF decent and clear but kind of weak and unimpressive, SC downgraded SOAPF, B just comical and radio friendly, ITM upgraded B with a little bit of previos albums.

I won't even comment on this epic fail.

It is really funny when a band with large amounts of time and money, fancy studios and producers constantly makes worse guitar sound than your average youtuber of today.

Similar thing could be said about the drums on last few albums.





FFS it's not that hard.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

Worst decision In Flames made was selling IF studios.that place was practically their home for their whole career in one form or another, R2R, STYE & CC aside.

 

[DE4life]

Wow, how surprising.

Ciko never fails to disappoint. Probably the only true IF Jedi left, as even Slave & Krofius are more dark side than light side these days. Phobiac is a total enigma.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

Boys. This summer is going to be a wild ride. Album is the normal 11 tracks, a track named "Themes and Variations in D-minor" and the rerecords of Clayman, Bullet, Pinball Map, and OFTW. Pinball and OFTW are going to get murdered. I'm genuinely curious to hear a new Bullet though, I don't think it'll be good, but i'm curious, especially about Anders' vocal performance.

https://releases.funkysouls.org/release/29332

 

[DE4life]

Ugh. Having heard how they fucked Clayman over I can only imagine how much shittier Bullet Ride, Pinball Map and OFTW will sound with Battles production.

At least they're staying the fuck away from the rest. I don't think I could handle hearing them butcher As The Future Repeats Today, Square Nothing, Satellites, Swim or Suburban Me.

 

[krofius]

Just listened to it...It was definitely unusual, the thing that made it the weirdest is the production. The drums especially, those has to be programmed. I like the vocals but the production is so weird, guitar tone is very weak, especially at the 2:20 solo part, it should be way more up front, and the tuning sounds weird (don't know shit about guitar tunings though). I would say the highlight is the vocals and the chorus. A nitpicky thing that annoyed me was he's pronouncing ''how come IT IS'' when he's saying ''how come ITS'' on the original. It actually bugged me out a bit.
With better production it would've been pretty good in my eyes, but it's like a battles + r2r combined production, it sounds modern but muddy as fuck

 

[DE4life]

Also what the fuck is "Themes and Variations in D-Minor" ??

 

[krofius]

Also what the fuck is "Themes and Variations in D-Minor" ??

Imagine if it's an unreleased song from the Clayman sessions? One could dream...Doesn't sound like a song title though.

 

[DE4life]

Imagine if it's an unreleased song from the Clayman sessions? One could dream...Doesn't sound like a song title though.

That would be awesome, and almost make the destruction of their older songs with these shitty "rerecordings" worth it. As you say though it doesn't sound like a song title, especially from that era.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

interesting things to point out on the song times given for the album. Only for the weak (4:53) Rerecorded (4:13). Bullet Ride (4:41) Rerecorded (4:37). Pinball Map (4:06) Rerecorded (4:19). Definitely seems each one is going to be reworked in some form. OFTW it's clear they dropped the Fade out intro for how they finish it live but my god i fear hearing the production on that and what they do with it. they dont play the guitar melody in the intro/chorus and in the verse, so i hope they haven't ditched them for just the synths. Pinball Map chorus could be interesting with Anders' voice nowadays. again I fear what they've done to the bridge in that song. Oh well. the new Clayman is worse and the production irks me yet i'll still listen to it now and then despite its many flaws, so i'm sure the others will be the same. Album will be a nice bit of memorobilia to have. The new art rocks, can't complain about that.

 

[DE4life]

but my god i fear hearing the production on that and what they do with it. they dont play the guitar melody in the intro/chorus and in the verse, so i hope they haven't ditched them for just the synths.

If the Clayman rerecording is anything to go by that's exactly what they'll do. It will sound like it does live with overabundance of synths rather than that sweet guitar sound, and maybe Anders yelling "JUMP JUMP JUMPDAFUCKUP MUTHAFUCKAS".

 

[krofius]

Yeah the art is fucking awesome, that's for sure. The original Clayman album cover is probably one of their absolute worst album covers, along with ASOP. It's probably the only 2 albums covers I dislike.

 

[TheJestersDoor]

If the Clayman rerecording is anything to go by that's exactly what they'll do. It will sound like it does live with overabundance of synths rather than that sweet guitar sound, and maybe Anders yelling "JUMP JUMP JUMPDAFUCKUP MUTHAFUCKAS".

I don't mind the synths being there, or even being louder/more obvious than the old version, I just want the guitars to still be there

 

[DE4life]

I don't mind the synths being there, or even being louder/more obvious than the old version, I just want the guitars to still be there

To be honest the loud synths in the live version of the song kind of annoy me, so I hope they at least tone it down to reasonable levels. I'm more worried about the solo in truth. Bjorn doesn't play it very well live and without Nordstrom there to tell him to cut out the wahhhhing I think it's going to be pretty bad. I can remember a Soilwork interview from years ago where they mention Nordstrom really hated the wah pedal and ordered them to cut that shit out on NBC so I guess that's why we've gotten way more of that crap since IF dumped him as a producer.

And yes I would agree with Krofi-kun that the artwork is better, as the original artwork was a bit uninspired (although the Jesterhead in the background of the original artwork still looks fucking cool). The only thing that bothers me about the new artwork is the eyes.



They kind of suck. Everything else looks good though.

 

[eochaid]

Beginning of the song is synths, because of course. Guitars come in, sounding thin and weak as you'd expect. More heavy synths in place of the guitars. Anders 'new' growls are a significant downgrade on the original and flow much worse than the original. The chorus is 'modernised' with more of dem synths and shit sounding guitars. The powerful punch of the original is gone, replaced by the Battles wafer-thin production we've all gotten used to. The solo sounds terrible when it comes in, a production disaster and of course Bjorn has to abuse the wah peddle because that's how he rolls. The part which starts "so afraid of what you might think" loses the guitars completely, then they come in half way through with this disgusting chugging sound which sounds awful. Synthy chorus again - then "i'm the sculpure made of clay" repeated three times with no scream at the end.

This is genuinely worse than I thought it would be. I pray they don't butcher any of the other songs in this manner. This is fucking painful to listen to. It just reminds me how much worse the band has become in the 20 years since the original was released. Ugh.

So, should I listen to it?

 

[TheJestersDoor]

Pre orders are up on the IF website. Themes and Variations in D minor is a new instrumental medley apparently, and it says its produced by Roberto Laghi, which is interesting, and probably a good thing.

For those musically minded In Flames traditionally tune to C, and either play C standard, or on EVERYTHING STYE onwards and on select older tracks, play in Drop A# which is the same thing but with the lowest string dropped lower. This means that this medley is, assuming the title is right, tuned half step higher than In Flames normally play

 

[TheJestersDoor]

Interestingly on the Clayman re-recorded video on In Flames' YouTube channel (it's not a music video, just the track. We'll get a video later on), jesper is named in credits for the song. Shouldn't be a surprise, but is still a relief to see.