On July 3, 2000, Swedish melodic death metal pioneers IN FLAMES released their fifth studio album, Clayman, through Nuclear Blast. Recorded at Studio Fredman with producer Fredrik Nordström, the record refined the Gothenburg sound the band helped invent, balancing razor-sharp twin-guitar harmonies from Jesper Strömblad and Björn Gelotte against Anders Fridén's increasingly melodic vocal approach. Tracks like "Only for the Weak," "Pinball Map," and the title cut became live staples and cornerstones of the genre, pushing IN FLAMES toward wider international recognition. Clayman is widely regarded as the definitive statement of the band's classic era, the final chapter before their more experimental, accessible turn on later records. Its influence rippled across the metalcore and melodeath waves of the 2000s, and in 2020 the band re-recorded the album to mark its twentieth anniversary, cementing its enduring legacy.
