In Flames — Clayman

𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐏𝐓𝐒 - 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐁𝐔𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐊 & 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐋…

23 years ago today, In Flames took us on a “Bullet Ride” across the “Pinball Map”!

On this day (July 3) in 2000, In Flames released their fifth full-length studio album “Clayman” via Nuclear Blast.

Background:

In Flames recorded “Clayman” in the same studio as their previous releases, which was again co-produced by Fredrik Nordström. The album has a dark theme, with most of the lyrics dealing with depression and internal struggles. “Clayman” is the final In Flames album to feature their original Melodic Death Metal sound.

The band would later start to experiment with other styles on their next release, “Reroute to Remain”, gradually progressing with these more experimental elements across their future releases later into the 2000s.

("Bullet Ride" promo)

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".

After it’s release, In Flames toured with Dream Theater, Slipknot, and Testament. In August 2001, In Flames released “The Tokyo Showdown”, a live album recorded during the Japanese tour in November 2000.

Critical Reception:

In 2005, “Clayman” was ranked No. 448 in Rock Hard magazine's book "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time".

(Metal Maniacs Magazine, April 2001 Issue featuring "Clayman" in Critics Choice)

In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer magazine.

("Clayman", Metal Maniacs Critics Choice)

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.

Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

Click this link to listen to “Clayman” via Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/clayman/1497661695

Click this link to listen to “Clayman” via Spotify: Clayman https://open.spotify.com/album/1hVhTWO9hlpPr7T8ORczRd

Click this link to watch the official music video for “Pinball Map”: https://youtu.be/dZb5YVLNxZ0

Click this link to watch the official music video for “Only For the Weak”: https://youtu.be/qnLunQEcMn0

Click this link to follow In Flames on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inflames

Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells

In Flames — Clayman

Background:

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Links to Artists, Albums, and Music Videos:

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