In Flames's Reviews
Clayman (Average Rating: 8.92 out of 10)
Beautiful melodic screaming heavy metal (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
Neil Page
from Folkestone, Kent United Kingdom
Hail In Flames and their stunning opus 'Clayman'! The Cd that opened my ears to this fabulous band....this is a triumph of songwriting with its titanic melodic thrashing riffs, screaming bestial feral vocals and huge, huge anthemic choruses ...this is a landmark album in the metal genre and easily makes much of what has gone before it redundant.....anyone recall Sounds' Geoff Barton describing an early Diamond Head song as containing more brilliant riffs than the entire Black Sabbath catalogue ? Well, just try listening to 'Heaven & Hell' after 'Clayman' and you get a decent idea of what he was trying to convey....With this, album five into their career, the Gothenburg death-metallers have further refined their unique sound... The entire album is fast, dynamic and breathtakingly exciting. The songs have as much melody as the best 'classic' metal, the duelling twin leads soaring harmonically over the piledriving thrashing riffs. But this is hardly mainstream and it beggars belief that some fans have accused the band of selling out...this was no attempt to leap for the bright lights of MTV ! ...The opening trio "Bulletride", "Pinball Map" and "Only for the Weak" are surely already classics..."Bulletride" features a bar riff progression that absolutely slaughters after the quiet verse and Anders Friden's throat
ripping sandpaper-edged vocal wails over the thrashing instrumentation like a banshee. "Pinball Map" is similarly volume fuelled and frenetically paced mayhem with searing, slaying guitars, a shatteringly melodic chorus and clean vocal. With its anthemic melody "Only for the Weak" is probably how Bon Jovi would sound if they were a million times heavier. There's even a synth and drum loop passage for added texture that take nothing from the heaviness of the track. Lyrically the themes are personal, painful introspection..." I can't tolerate your sadness, because its me you're drowning.." "Square nothing" opens with gentle arpeggios and whispered vocals full of menace, " for all the times you left me bleeding..", before the coruscating riff jack-hammers in with brain-damaging intensity... "Satellites and astronauts" is similarly structured with its acoustic passages, stunningly plaintive vocal and synth effects. "Swim" reprises the sci-fi epics of previous albums. Musically another highlight, with its beautiful single-note intro motif over crashing riffs and supremely melodic vibrato-infused bridge. With "Suburban Me" and title track "Clayman" complex structures and memorable melodies are again married perfectly. In Flames, the band, have well and truly nailed the essential ingredients in the fine art of building a classic. Apparently there is a limited edition bonus in the shape of a cover of Treat's "World of Promises." Now that I really would like to hear !
Buy this album on Amazon at $14.99
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