Not many bands can boast the release of 5 consecutive albums that are consistent in quality songwriting and musicianship, each making its own niche in Metal greatness while possessing an individual voice all its own without straying from its essence. In Flames can. From the 1994 debut Lunar Strain to the 5th and latest masterwork, Clayman, In Flames have grown into one of the most succsesful and finest bands in the Metal scene today. They are a band that seemingly could not write a bad song if they tried.

Starting off with one of the best riffs I've ever heard, "Bulletride" opens the album, with Anders Friden switching from clean to harsh vocals and sounding even more impressive than before. Some have voiced their dislike for the experimentation of clean vocals by Anders, but I feel this brings another dimension to the In Flames sound and opens doors of opportunity within the songwriting. "Pinball Map" is the best song this band had ever written and one of the best songs I've ever heard. Along with Borknagar's "The Presence Is Ominous", "Pinball Map" is definetly one of the best songs of the year. The song moves at an uptempo pace with Anders' harsh vocals ripping through some of the best guitarwork I've heard from Jesper Stromblad. "Only For The Weak" is a slower, more restrained piece, sounding as if it may have been written for radio as it is the most straight forward and least exciting song on the album. Not a bad song by any means, just not to the standards of the rest of the album. Other highlights are "Square Nothing" , the title track, "Brush The Dust Away" and "Another Day In Quicksand". The quality of songwriting from track to track is amazing, with every song having its own effective impact. 11 songs and not a filler in the bunch.

Although last year's Colony was an amazing album in its own right, it is 1997's Whoracle that I held as being In Flames' best offering. However, with the release of Clayman, In Flames have created an album that not only exceeds their past works, but raises the standards for Metal in general.

This review is credited to:
palewake