Clayman


Clayman is the fifth studio album by Swedish heavy metal band In Flames, released via Nuclear Blast on 3 July 2000.

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."
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.

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" and "Only for the Weak".

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."
In 2005, Clayman was ranked No. 448 in Rock Hard magazine's book "The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time". In 2020, it was named one of the 20 best metal albums of 2000 by Metal Hammer magazine. 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.

Track listing

Apart from remastered versions of the original songs, the 20th Anniversary Edition features the following tracks:

Personnel

In Flames