ALBUM REVIEW: Clayman 20th Anniversary Edition – In Flames

There’s not much more that can be said about the power and influence of Swedish melodeath pioneers IN FLAMES’ early career. 1996’s The Jester Race, through 2000’s Clayman were some of the most pivotal records in establishing the classic Gothenburg melodic death metal sound, and countless metalcore and melodic metal bands to follow would look to these records as a blueprint to build their own sound.

After Clayman, IN FLAMES themselves would begin to follow a different trajectory which would see them evolve into a more alt metal sound that began to divide older fans, while drawing in new ones. This is where the band lies currently as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of Clayman with a new release that features the original recordings remastered by the legendary Ted Jensen, along with a brand new instrumental track and four re-recordings of Clayman’s most popular tracks with the band’s new lineup. And regardless of the backlash that has already been visible following the pre-release of some of these re-recorded tracks, this release should make all IN FLAMES fans, whether followers of the original melodeath period or newcomers that appreciate the softened alt metal stylings of latter day IN FLAMES, happy for different reasons.

That former group of fans can take great heart that the original tracks on this album all sound fantastic in their re-recorded form. Ted Jensen did a spectacular job accentuating sound of the original by adding clarity to each instrumental part, while giving the low end a much needed boost and adding some much needed heft to the tracks. The sound of the original Clayman was one of a knife, with guitars and vocals cutting sharply and precisely. That is only heightened on this re-release, and classic rippers like Pinball Map, Only For the Weak, and Suburban Me soar even higher this time around. In fact, one of the only shortcomings of the remastered sound is a fault found on the original recordings; that being vocalist Anders Friden’s voice being buried down a bit in the mix, which is a shame since he’s in top form on this record. But the experience of hearing the album again in such thickness and clarity is one of remembering just how great a record it is. Square Nothing still is an awesome guitar showcase and Satellites and Astronauts puts every instrument on display and with its marching tempo and its play with dynamics. All in all, a classic record made to sound even better is absolutely a win for any IN FLAMES fan.

The new instrumental on the album, Themes and Variations in D Minor, is a darkly urgent classical chamber piece written by Johannes Bergion, who played cello on the band’s Sounds of a Playground Fading album. It’s a nice little coda to the classic album, and a pleasant track to spice things up. However, it’s a surety that the re-recorded tracks will be what raise the most eyebrows, especially with how drastic an evolution that IN FLAMES has been though since the record’s initial release. There’s no beating around the bush here; there is a bit of magic lost from the originals on the re-recorded tracks. If the original record’s guitars cut like a knife, these guitars feel like a hammer, or at least a blunted knife. With the tracks having been produced by Howard Benson, the tone feels right in line with a lot of his other work in the alt-metal and hard rock world. Though to some ears it will certainly feel that the bite is taken out of the tracks instrumentally, to those who have come to embrace IN FLAMES’ new direction wholeheartedly, these re-records fit right in nicely.

Certain tracks work better than others, with Pinball Map being the most successful. It still keeps its blistering pace, but it was always a song that begged the question of what it would sound like if the clean chorus was brought to the forefront. Here, it features great vocal harmonies from Anders, which sound like they would be right at home on I, The Mask. Only For The Weak both benefits and suffers. The track loses its instrumental edge as well, but the clean vocals that now pervade the track on the re-record serve it well, as the original track also had such a strong melodic line instrumentally, it feels natural to explore it in a new way. The title track’s re-record is perhaps the best encapsulation of modern day IN FLAMES, with its chorus again feeling pulled right from the band’s latter day catalogue and its synth opening falling in line with their current melodic direction. Bullet Ride suffers the most, with its sharpness and huge riffs being softened in both tone and in playing. There are some awkward clean vocals that don’t work nearly as well here either, making it the weakest of the re-records by far.

Despite the online outrage, the 20th anniversary edition of Clayman is most certainly worth celebrating for the quality of the remastered original tracks alone. For old school fans, it will be a treat to rediscover a classic album in even better condition than when first found. And for new school fans, a few of the re-recorded tracks are sure to please with their sense of heightened melody; a mainstay staple of IN FLAMES over the last decade. Instead of sowing negativity and backlash, this re-release should be seen as a perfect bridge to bring all generations of IN FLAMES fans together. In that avenue, it certainly serves its purpose.

Rating: 7/10

Clayman 20th Anniversary Edition is set for release on August 28th via Nuclear Blast Records.

For more information on IN FLAMES like their official page on Facebook.