I am glad to say that «Clayman» is everything that Dark Tranquillity’s «Haven» is not. This disc is bursting at the seams with razor-laced riffs that would make Dave Murray and Adrian Smith proud, not to mention a bit jealous. As always, Anders Friden’s patented bellowing kicks the aggression up a notch, while Jesper Stromblad shows that his bottomless well of inspiring guitar melodies is no where near depletion. While previous albums have always shown Stromblad in fine form, their inherent weakness was in the lackluster rhythm guitar parts. It appears that second guitarist Bjorn Gelotte has either experienced a re-awakening, or the band has directed more of an effort toward writing solid backing tracks for Jesper to wail away over. As an added bonus, many tracks (i.e. «Pinball Map») show Gelotte doubling Stromblad’s parts, giving the songs a thicker, more overwhelming presence. «Clayman» is exactly what In Flames needed to get them back on the map after the set-back they experienced with «Colony», and it delivers in spades. The most notable difference is in the area of production, which was flat to the point of near impotence on the aforementioned «Colony». This time around, every instrument cuts through the mix nicely, with Friden’s voice adding a frightening dimension that has never been fully realized until now.

To say that every track on «Clayman» is a raging ball of fury would be misleading at best. Several of these songs contribute a less «over the top» aspect that balances things out nicely. The first three tracks (»Bullet Ride», «Pinball Map», and «Only For The Weak») are the barn-burners of the lot, while «Satellites And Astronauts» hints at a more aesthetic side to the In Flames repertoire. Further expanding the diversity is «Brush The Dust Away», which shows a cleaner, more melancholy vocal style than the band has employed in the past. With a mere three months remaining in the year, I can say with certainty that Clayman will finish in my top five metal albums of 2000.

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