IN FLAMES Clayman Re-recorded 2020

[eochaid]

What I don't like about their guitars from some time ago is how they are clearly recorded on a computer.

And I don't mean don't use a computer, what I mean is try to make it sound as if they've been recorded with a real analogic equipment.

 

[DE4life]

FB crew are also displeased with this latest release.





Two brutal comments there

 

[eochaid]

Not all.of them. Some people are asking for a full re recording.

The more I think of it the less I see the sense on this. How many bands are doing re recordings of their classics? Not many that I know or follow.

If I have to make a list that would make:

1. In Flames...

...

...

...

I think that's all.

 

[DE4life]

Sonata Arctica rerecorded their debut album Ecliptica for its 15th Anniversary. It didn't sound anywhere near as good as the original though which, similar to Clayman, already sounded perfect when it was released and didn't need to be rerecorded by a band who had left that sound behind a long time ago. The Keyboardist said this about the rerecording after it was released:

"I think we all play much better these days than 10 or 15 years ago, so of course that affected the new recording as well; however, part of the charm with the original Ecliptica is that it wasn't played with a click track so the tempos go up and down and also there's an element of danger - the guys were young and their playing wasn't as tight as it is now. I think that kinda youthful enthusiasm is something that is missing from the new one and, of course, it's impossible to recreate that kind of feel."

You can apply the same to this Clayman rerecording project, I think. Although it's debateable whether IF are better musicians now than they were when Clayman was released.

 

[DE4life]

Like/Dislike ratio not great on YT.

Compare to Trigger:



Or even the normal version of Clayman:

 

[Jester Slave]

I feel like I don't want to listen to it. Mainly, it shouldn't but that's how I am, because it would ruin, for me, the original album for some time. It shouldn't but that's how I am.

Just listen to it. It's 3 minutes, and you never have to listen to it again. Even if 1000 people are telling you it is garbage, you should still check it out. There is no pride in not listening to it.

 

[eochaid]

Just listen to it. It's 3 minutes, and you never have to listen to it again. Even if 1000 people are telling you it is garbage, you should still check it out. There is no pride in not listening to it.

What if I become really angry about it?

I prefer to avoid that.

 

[krofius]

I read the news report on Blabbermouth, pretty interesting. The 4 re-recorded tracks will be released digitally July 24th. And it's not just a re-release, it's remastered by Ted Jensen (which is good news to me). I'm almost more interested in how the remaster will sound, who knows, might sound better. I'm still interested in hearing the other 3 re-recorded tracks, especially OFTW.
But hearing the production quality of Clayman they will probably have the same sounding guitars & drums sadly.
At least In Flames usually deliver on instrumentals, we'll see. I rather have some music to check out compared to nothing until the next album, even if I probably won't like it that much in the end.

Also de4life, do you not remember Through Oblivion? It was like 50/50 for a couple weeks

 

[Jester Slave]

Yay, remaster! I could never got into the whole Clayman-sound. Yes, the instrumentals were great, but the atmosphere was meh.

What if I become really angry about it?

I prefer to avoid that.

I suppose this will be the topic for the next few months, especially when the new tracks hit. It's hard to talk about something you never actually heard.

 

[DE4life]

The "Clayman sound" is pretty much perfect MDM production, but as you don't really like MDM I guess I can understand you disliking it. There is no need for it to be remastered, but considering they've already reissued Clayman once it makes sense for them to throw some kind of gimmick in there to make it worth buying again. Gotta milk dem JesterHeads, IFWT, etc.

 

[Jester Slave]

The "Clayman sound" is pretty much perfect MDM production, but as you don't really like MDM I guess I can understand you disliking it. There is no need for it to be remastered, but considering they've already reissued Clayman once it makes sense for them to throw some kind of gimmick in there to make it worth buying again. Gotta milk dem JesterHeads, IFWT, etc.

I prefer Whoracle or Colony, though Colony is probably too clean. So Whoracle.

Clayman is like... stuffed up, beefed up.

 

[DE4life]

I think the pirate copy you picked up on the Hungarian market was ripped in .wma format or something.

 

[galvanized]

Colony and Whoracle are better IMO, but still love Clayman.


Just listened to this with an open mind. Cranked the volume with headphones.

What bugged me most was the guitar tone in the picked chord at the end of each chorus: 0:54-0:57. Sounded harsh.

and then the little classic IF fluoride 0:59-1:03 bugged me a lot too. Too dry, not enough sustain, sounded harsh.

those little details were some of the Main highlights of the song for me in the past.

This is not my favorite song, but it seemed almost more repetitive sounding here than I had noticed previously.

All this demonstrates is that they can still play. Some really cool live recordings would have done the same thing, maybe better.

 

[galvanized]

I prefer Whoracle or Colony, though Colony is probably too clean. So Whoracle.

Clayman is like... stuffed up, beefed up.

Colony and Whoracle are better IMO, but still love Clayman.

Wow, didn’t expect for you to have the exact same opinion Slave. Interesting. You still hate TJR though, right?

 

[Jester Slave]

I think the pirate copy you picked up on the Hungarian market was ripped in .wma format or something.

Listened to it on Spotify as well. Clayman has a suffocating sound. Couldn't quite describe it. Initially I said muddy; not R2R muddy, Clayman muddy. It's just too much. Compare it to Whoracle.

Wow, didn’t expect for you to have the exact same opinion Slave. Interesting. You still hate TJR though, right?

I don't hate TJR. I think it sounds like dogshit, and I hate the vocals for the most part, but there are many good songs in it. But the production and sound is awful, weak, amateurish. Understandable, they did not have the budget back then.

 

[DE4life]

Whoracle is raw and the drums in particular are not mixed well at all. No idea where you're getting the 'suffocating' vibe from when it comes to Clayman. The production is crystal clear.

 

[ciko_gfb]

As I listened the new version of Clayman, it grew on me. I already liked the song but now I sing along with chorus. Such a great way to make a chorus even better. Really looking forward for the other re-records.

 

[DE4life]

You trying to make me mad bro?

 

[miniroch]

I've been listening to it for a while now, so my opinion is kind of stable now. Or stable-ish, at least.

First of all, I'm all in for re-recording after years, for two reasons mainly.
One, they never let me down with "modern" song versions live.

Artifacts of the Black Rain - 8 years on, absolutely love that paced version with "modern" vocals:


Jotun, 7 years later - same story:


Also, nowadays Moonshield is a big highlight in their live shows, not as changed as previously mentioned tracks, but still doesn't same like it used to, especially when considering vocals.

Second reason - I find it fun to see how the band changed, evolved, what's their approach to the old hits nowadays. I was hoping they would get a little bit experimental, rather than just replaying the entire song, because we already got original Clayman, so no point in doing exactly same thing.

And yeah, they did get experimental. With that fat fuck Benson ruining the whole thing. I mean, seriously, how you can fuck up the power of this track? You have the most astonishing melodies ever written by human hand and still you decide to put them aside so it can be easily fit as one of Hatebreed's pointless background music? Why those programmed, pointless, nasty drums are on top of the chorus? And on top of all, there comes the solo. Louder than anything else, so anyone is sure that this is the moment - big solo time. The original is so smooth, it flows like a river. This mix make it sound like a reversed waterfall.

The worst part is, I don't hate it. I found some of the vocal parts superb, can't really hear any of the frustrating autotune, so it's probably used wisely, just as it should be. Perhaps they could use a little bit of variance, which they did in the original, but I'm absolutely fine with them. I also dig the chorus, it's not that raw, but still powerfully delivered, without any nonsense whining.

In the end, you can't erase those unique lyrics or throw away the astonishing melodies that are there, even if you drown them in the river of programmed drums and fucked up mixing. Cut loose the american bastard and IF might still be a thing.

 

[JesterSlaveSucks]

it sounds like the jester slave build a time machine and went back to a year 2000 and killed frederic nardstrum and became PRODUCER for cleymen lmao