Clayman
2000 studio album by In Flames
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Clayman is the fifth studio album by Swedish melodic death metal band In Flames, released via Nuclear Blast on 3 July 2000.
| Clayman | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 3 July 2000[1] | |||
| Recorded | 31 January–? 2000[2] | |||
| Studio | Studio Fredman, Gothenburg | |||
| Genre | Melodic death metal[3] | |||
| Length | 43:44 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer |
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| In Flames chronology | ||||
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Music and lyrics
Clayman is the final In Flames album to feature their original melodic death metal sound. According to Andy O'Connor of Spin: "Clayman represents a sweet spot between their deathier, more complicated beginnings and their commercial aspirations."[4]
The album's lyrics explore themes such as depression and internal struggles. The band tuned their guitars to drop A# on the songs Pinball Map and ...As the Future Repeats Today.[citation needed]
Artwork
The album's cover art is based on Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man drawing. The Jester Head appears in the background, both on the cover, and in the album booklet itself. Music videos were produced for the songs "Pinball Map" (directed by Tamara Jordan) and "Only for the Weak".[citation needed]
Reception and legacy
Matt Kantor of AllMusic gave the album four stars out of five and said: "With some of their best writing yet, they continue to tighten up a sound that could please fans of everyone from Queensrÿche to Arch Enemy to maybe even Satyricon. With their blend of speed, melody, and pensive aggression, In Flames is indeed hard to pin down. Clayman at its core, though, is invigorating, well-executed metal that, dare it be said, is a fun listen; this probably isn't far from what the band intends."[7]
In 2005, Clayman was ranked No. 448 in Rock Hard magazine's book "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time".[8] In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer magazine.[9] In 2020, "Bullet Ride", "Pinball Map", "Only for the Weak", and the title track were re-recorded for a 20th-anniversary edition of the album. Fan responses to the re-recordings have been mixed.[10]
Track listing
All lyrics are written by Anders Fridén; all music is composed by Jesper Strömblad and Björn Gelotte.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bullet Ride" | 4:42 |
| 2. | "Pinball Map" | 4:08 |
| 3. | "Only for the Weak" | 4:55 |
| 4. | "...As the Future Repeats Today" | 3:27 |
| 5. | "Square Nothing" | 3:57 |
| 6. | "Clayman" | 3:28 |
| 7. | "Satellites and Astronauts" | 5:00 |
| 8. | "Brush the Dust Away" | 3:17 |
| 9. | "Swim" | 3:14 |
| 10. | "Suburban Me" (featuring Christopher Amott) | 3:35 |
| 11. | "Another Day in Quicksand" | 3:56 |
| Total length: | 43:44 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Strong and Smart" (No Fun at All cover, also in 2000 Japanese edition) | 2:22 |
| 13. | "World of Promises" (Treat cover) | 3:49 |
| Total length: | 49:55 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Only for the Weak" (Live version) | 4:51 |
| 13. | "Pinball Map" (Live version) | 4:30 |
| 14. | "Strong and Smart" (No Fun at All cover) | 2:22 |
| Total length: | 55:27 | |
Apart from remastered versions of the original songs, the 20th Anniversary Edition features the following tracks:
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Themes and Variations in D-Minor" (instrumental) | 5:10 |
| 13. | "Only for the Weak" (Re-recorded) | 4:13 |
| 14. | "Bullet Ride" (Re-recorded) | 4:37 |
| 15. | "Pinball Map" (Re-recorded) | 4:19 |
| 16. | "Clayman" (Re-recorded) | 3:37 |
| Total length: | 21:56 | |
Personnel
In Flames
- Anders Fridén – vocals
- Björn Gelotte – guitar
- Jesper Strömblad – guitar
- Peter Iwers – bass
- Daniel Svensson – drums
Additional personnel
- Charlie Storm – programming, synthesizer
- Christopher Amott (Arch Enemy) – guitar solo on "Suburban Me"
- Fredrik Nordström – additional programming, synthesizer, recording, production
- In Flames – recording, production
- Axel Hermann – artwork, layout
- Tobias Lundgren – photography
Charts
| Chart (2020) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[11] | 48 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] | 16 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[13] | 69 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[14] | 26 |