Clayman

Not a big fan of In Flames but this album caught my attention, their good era.I must admit i loved this album and recommend it to others.

Bought for sons Xmas very pleased with it

Very good

More or less the sound is a repetition of some albums of the band.The voice is quite different, the riffing is very similar to Colony.

InFlames, if you are unfamiliar with them, are a 'melodic death metal' band from Sweden (of course). In terms of sound they're alot like ArchEnemy & are clearly a major influence on modern metal bands like Trivium... and in the metal scene they've got quite a reputation for a reason.'Clayman', along with its predecessor 'Colony', sums up InFlames the best in my opinion. Combining melody with big riffs, strong choruses and angry vocals, InFlames have a distinct sound which is surprisingly accessible.Opening two tracks 'Bullet Ride' & 'Pinball Map' are straight forward classic InFlames and if you don't like those, you don't like InFlames! 'Clayman' also has its more diverse and subdued moments like 'Only For The Weak' and 'Square Nothing', only to lead into the brilliantly pounding riff of 'Brush The Dust Away' and the unforgettable 'Swim'. And the same story continues throughout this great album without a weak track in sight.'Colony' & this are my two favourite InFlames albums & no fan should be without either.5 stars

This is the album where In Flames started to go, although I hate to say it, slightly commercial. But, with this album it will either be one you love or you hate. For me, I see it as one of the better In Flames albums, up there with The Jester Race. I've seen others say this is the worst album In Flames have ever produced, thus the mixed opinions about it.Maybe my opinion is forced by this being the first In Flames album I heard. The track "Only For The Weak" was the first I head, and it stunned me. At this time I hadn't really heard any melodic death metal before, and it blew me away. Other hard-hitting tunes such as "Pinball Map" and "Bullet Ride" also blew me away. After I heard this I went straight out and bought The Tokyo Showdown, but that's a different story altogether.The main standout track for me is "Only For The Weak," and if you've ever been in a mosh pit during this song you'll know why. The power of this song is amazing, and you just don't want it to stop once it has started."Bullet Ride" also gives a good kick, along with "Pinball Map." But, I think the main sleeper on this album is "Satelittes And Astronauts" with its light-ish introduction, but it kicks in and comes out to be another great In Flames song.Now, some of the In Flames fans who were brought up with The Jester Race and Colony etc. may not like this album as much, if at all, because it's the bands' first real change (their second is in Reroute To Remain, where they use synth and clean vocals.) But, welcome any change my friends, as this comes out as a great album, and to listen to it after hearing the first In Flames albums you have to have an open mind, and a willingness to listen to the music, not just judge it straight away.

In Flames are one of those bands who do something truly unique. In this case, it's producing heavy metal music which has amazing, memorable choruses+riffs, extremely melodic lead guitar, interesting song structures, whilst still using a very 'metal' metal voice. The singer's voice is switches from strangled black-metal-ish screaming to deathly bellows and quite a lot in between. His clean vocals aren't so great but there's only a few very brief moments where they surface in this album (unfortunately one is on the first track!).This is so much more than almost any band is doing today. Original, inspired, catchy yet heavy, cheesy in some places- but that's why we love it, right?A truly unique metal talent, this band. This album, while not being perfect, almost every track on there is just SO enjoyable, and I LOVE the frontman's vocals- strangled screaming with a 'voice' that comes through, lending a very versatile tone to the effects he can acheive with it.

From the crackling intro of Bullet Ride to the final note of Another Day in Quicksand this is an excellent album.The musicianship is sharp and concise which is especially remarkable considering that melodic death metal is amongst the most physically demanding genres on its musicians.Best songs are probably:the incredibly pounding Brush the Dust Away with its amazing double bass;the title track, Clayman;the slower and subtler Satellites and Astronauts;the relentless Pinball Map.An awesome album. One of my personal favourites.