TIAMAT is without doubt one of the most interesting metal bands of our times.
Formed in 1989 as a Death Metal band, the Swedes never cared about any genre conventions, making the first albums ("Sumerian Cry", "The Astral Sleep" and "Clouds") very inventive and special. TIAMAT included keyboards, choirs, clean guitars and haunting melodies, giving the music some Gothic approach. In 1994, the band released a very courageous album: "Wildhoney". To this day, this record is a real classic with it's own unique atmosphere. Even though this really experimental album can hardly be labeled as metal, the band gained very much respect in the scene - leading to high chart positions (29) in Germany and other countries.
After three years of silence and the parting with bassist and co-writer Johnny Hagel, TIAMAT mastermind Johan Edlund created his very own vision with the groundbreaking album "A Deeper Kind Of Slumber". This record seemed like an up to date, modern version of PINK FLOYD including electronica, dub and trip hop, mixed with metal guitars and unique sound carpets. Some fans had their problems with this masterpiece, but they also had to admit that the album is sort of untouchable, because it's so mature and intelligent, that it leaves you stunned.
1999s "Skeleton Skeletron" (19 in Germany) was again an outstanding album with a style that nobody could expect: Straight (Gothic)-Rock with majestic and epic songs. The sound was more reduced, not filled with electronica, but still experimental and for sure fascinating and exciting. "Judas Christ" was even more reduced and to the point, including some dark folk and NICK CAVE influences to the really heavy rock-costume of the record. "Prey", released only one year later, took the style of "Judas Christ" even further and managed to include some old-school feeling to the songs, making it maybe their strongest record since "A Deeper Kind Of Slumber".
After "Prey", it became silent in the TIAMAT camp. But if you listen to "Amanethes", the newest effort of the band, it becomes evident, that these five years were really worth the wait.
"Amanethes", produced in Johan Edlund's studio The Mansion, mixed in Woodhouse Studios by Siggi Bemm, is really interesting, because TIAMAT managed to bulid a colossus streaking the whole history of the Band. This album has it..s "Clouds", enjoys "Wildhoney" and knows for sure "A Deeper Kind Of Slumber", but at the same time, the songs can rock like on "Skeleton Skeletron" or "Judas Christ". This album ist not a compromise, it..s the essence of TIAMAT – and it will for sure bring the band to another level and back in the minds of every metalhead
Sun May 03, 2009 3:06 am