In Flames - Clayman
Nuclear Blast - 2000
By Rodrigo
/images/covers/clayman.jpg
Every time a new In Flames album comes out I get giddy with excitement. They are one of my favorite bands due to the great music they play. Their infectious melodic metal music coupled with Anders Friedens high-pitched blaring voice makes for an excellent and enjoyable band for me. Clayman is their latest album and the first In Flames album to feature the exact same line-up from the previous album.
In truth, this album is the most accessible album for In Flames. The reason being is that there is even more melody in the music, extremely catchy choruses like in "Only for the Weak" and Anders sings more in his whisper-like clean voice. I have no complaints about the first two aspects, but when I hear In Flames I want Anders to belt it out. I do not mind if it is done once in a while (actually one of my favorite In Flames songs "Ordinary Story", found in the album Colony, features clean vocals). The song that starts this album into high gear "Bullet Ride" also has clean vocals and it is my favorite song of this album. It is powerful, crushing, heavy, and brutal featuring In Flames at their best. However, I can only listen to his clean style singing voice for a few songs. Without him belting it out, I feel as though he is artistically wasting away. Other songs that feature this sort of singing are "Square Nothing", "Satellites and Astronauts" and "Suburban Me". These songs would have been extremely better if Anders would have sung in his usual style because there are parts of them that I really dig. The parts of these songs where Anders is growling are very heavy and unrelenting and usually what I expect from In Flames.
But there are plenty of strong elements in this album. "Pinball Map" is definitely one of the heavier and more frantic paced songs of the album. It is a definite highlight of the album. I mentioned earlier that "Only for the Weak" has a catchy chorus. The music of this song might be simplistic but it is a very good song none-the-less. It does feature clean vocals but I have no complaints with this one just because it is an extremely strong song due to its main riff and cool solo. The title track is also a highlight of the album because of its sheer heaviness. " As the Future Repeats Today" and "Another Day in Quicksand" are two more of my favorite songs.
Overall, this album is a very solid effort despite the negatives I have. It is still an album that I truly enjoy. I do not skip any of the songs because each song has some very strong aspects. For those of you who were afraid to try In Flames before, this is the perfect album for you but be sure to check out their earlier works, like The Jester Race, because that is where they have been at their best.
Nuclear Blast - 2000
By Rodrigo
/images/covers/clayman.jpg
Every time a new In Flames album comes out I get giddy with excitement. They are one of my favorite bands due to the great music they play. Their infectious melodic metal music coupled with Anders Friedens high-pitched blaring voice makes for an excellent and enjoyable band for me. Clayman is their latest album and the first In Flames album to feature the exact same line-up from the previous album.
In truth, this album is the most accessible album for In Flames. The reason being is that there is even more melody in the music, extremely catchy choruses like in "Only for the Weak" and Anders sings more in his whisper-like clean voice. I have no complaints about the first two aspects, but when I hear In Flames I want Anders to belt it out. I do not mind if it is done once in a while (actually one of my favorite In Flames songs "Ordinary Story", found in the album Colony, features clean vocals). The song that starts this album into high gear "Bullet Ride" also has clean vocals and it is my favorite song of this album. It is powerful, crushing, heavy, and brutal featuring In Flames at their best. However, I can only listen to his clean style singing voice for a few songs. Without him belting it out, I feel as though he is artistically wasting away. Other songs that feature this sort of singing are "Square Nothing", "Satellites and Astronauts" and "Suburban Me". These songs would have been extremely better if Anders would have sung in his usual style because there are parts of them that I really dig. The parts of these songs where Anders is growling are very heavy and unrelenting and usually what I expect from In Flames.
But there are plenty of strong elements in this album. "Pinball Map" is definitely one of the heavier and more frantic paced songs of the album. It is a definite highlight of the album. I mentioned earlier that "Only for the Weak" has a catchy chorus. The music of this song might be simplistic but it is a very good song none-the-less. It does feature clean vocals but I have no complaints with this one just because it is an extremely strong song due to its main riff and cool solo. The title track is also a highlight of the album because of its sheer heaviness. " As the Future Repeats Today" and "Another Day in Quicksand" are two more of my favorite songs.
Overall, this album is a very solid effort despite the negatives I have. It is still an album that I truly enjoy. I do not skip any of the songs because each song has some very strong aspects. For those of you who were afraid to try In Flames before, this is the perfect album for you but be sure to check out their earlier works, like The Jester Race, because that is where they have been at their best.
