During the band's early years, In Flames had a varying group of musicians recording with them, including many session musicians. By the release of Colony (1999), the group had established a stable lineup. Their sixth studio album Reroute to Remain (2002) showed the band moving toward a newer style of music that moved further away from melodic death metal and closer to alternative metal. This decision was criticized by fans of the group's heavier metal sound; however, it increased the band's mainstream audience and bolstered their album sales. As of 2008, In Flames has sold over two million records worldwide.
Since the band's inception, In Flames have released thirteen studio albums, three EPs, and two live DVDs, their latest release being their thirteenth studio album I, the Mask in 2019. In Flames has been nominated for three Grammis Awards. They won two of these nominations; one for Soundtrack to Your Escape (2004) in the "Hard Rock/Metal of the Year" category, and one nomination for their following album Come Clarity (2006) in the same category.
Clad In Shadown
In Flames Lyrics
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Cut through the dawn
See through your inner wrath
Keys shan't open the doors
Behold my heart has stopped
My lungs are laid the final rest
And still I see and do I feel
To the land where legends never die
Take me to the twilight land tonight
Again and again and again in every night
The darkness climbs through my walls
Ever screaming silent to the corrupted ears
Never to any man I will spear
My speech it has no value
Eyes that have seen the sights
Bleed through the ages eternal
I ask no more
A life has just begun
Never will I see the sun
And do I miss it
No, my eyes are black
Emotions fled through eyelids closed
Throne of thorns
Clad in shadows
The lyrics of In Flames's song Clad In Shadow showcase a sense of darkness and desperation that suggests the singer is grappling with some profound existential issues. The opening line, "Reach for your razor, cut through the dawn," suggests a desire to escape from the light of day and into the shadowy realms of the subconscious. The next line, "See through your inner wrath, keys shan't open doors," further underscores this desire for introspection, suggesting that external trappings such as keys and doors are useless when it comes to accessing the innermost parts of the self.
The second stanza is even more dramatic in its depiction of a final departure from the physical world: "Behold my heart has stopped, my lungs are laid the final rest, and still I see and do I feel, yes, but to earthly eyes I am gone." The singer's thoughts and emotions continue to exist even after his physical body has ceased functioning, which suggests that there is some kind of enduring essence or soul that persists beyond biological death. The singer hopes to be taken to "the land where legends never die," which implies that he is seeking some kind of eternal existence beyond the earthly plane.
The final stanza repeats the idea that the singer's experiences and emotions transcend time and space, bleeding through the eternal ages even as his physical body decays. The last line of the song, "Throne of thorns, clad in shadows," invokes a sense of royal or divine power, with the singer's suffering and darkness taking on a majesty and nobility of their own.
Line by Line Meaning
Reach for your razor
Get ready for a fight or confrontation
Cut through the dawn
Overcome an obstacle in the earliest hours of the day
See through your inner wrath
Recognize and control your anger to avoid destruction
Keys shan't open the doors
A solution cannot be found through conventional means
Behold my heart has stopped
I am no longer alive
My lungs are laid the final rest
I have taken my last breath
And still I see and do I feel
My consciousness and emotions remain despite my physical death
Yes, but to earthly eyes I am gone
My existence cannot be perceived by those still living
To the land where legends never die
I have entered a realm where my legacy will endure
Take me to the twilight land tonight
I am ready to depart from this world and enter the next
Again and again and again in every night
Recurring experiences that bring about darkness
The darkness climbs through my walls
Negative energy seeps into my being
Ever screaming silent to the corrupted ears
The warning signs are ignored or misunderstood by those who are morally compromised
Never to any man I will spear
I will never physically harm another person
My speech it has no value
My words have no impact or influence
Eyes that have seen the sights
I have experienced things that others have not
Bleed through the ages eternal
The pain and trauma from my experiences will persist for eternity
I ask no more
I do not have any further desires
A life has just begun
Although my physical life has ended, my spiritual life has just commenced
Never will I see the sun
I will never experience life on Earth again
And do I miss it
I do not yearn for the life I once had
No, my eyes are black
My soul has been tarnished by negative experiences
Emotions fled through eyelids closed
I have become emotionally numb or desensitized
Throne of thorns
A position of power that is accompanied by great pain and suffering
Clad in shadows
I am consumed by darkness and negativity
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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