Napalm Records
2012
1. The Scarred People
2. Winter Dawn
3. 384EKteis
4. Radiant Star
5. The Sun Also Rises
6. Before Another Wilbury Dies
7. Love Terrorists
8. Messinian Letter
9. Thunder & Lightning
10. Tiznit
11. The Red Of The Morning Sun
Tiamat are a band I've been following for awhile. Really about as long as I've been listening to metal. I remember listening to A Deeper Kind Of Slumber & Skeleton Skeletron in high school so that's kind of my association with the band. I've always dug their more gothic days and not so much their more death/black oriented stuff. With that in mind, the last album was a disappointment for me as they got back to more harsh vocals, etc. Just didn't do it for me. Going into this one I had heard the single/title track and dug it though so I was optimistic that this might be more in line with what I want from the band.
After listening to this one through, I can definitely say Tiamat has come back strong. This is exactly the sort of Tiamat album I want. From start to finish this is dreary and just loaded with atmosphere. Basically, it's the sort of music I think this band excels at and it's nice to hear them doing what they do best. There's just a very good flow to all the songs and it all becomes one big soundscape of melancholy. There are some upbeat moments and I don't think it ever becomes too slow to the point of tedium, but it is most certainly more about atmosphere and feeling than heaviness, etc. Nothing wrong with that at all and I can see this finding a place in my sort of 'relaxation' albums. There are some pretty good upbeat rockers too though and the blend of a rocking pace and goth atmosphere is always something I like. Tracks like The Scarred People, Love Terrorists, and Thunder & Lightning find that nice balance and do end up being some of my favorites. On a different note, I do like the somewhat lighter, less gothic sounding ballad Messinian Letter quite a bit as well. Kind of an oddball, but a welcome one.
If I had one minor criticism of the album it would probably be that there are a lot of effects, etc and the sound gets a bit saturated at times. All in all, it's not a big deal though and works more often than not. The scope of the sound/production didn't take long to grow on me really. A little busy at times, but it also adds an element of depth to the music.
All in all, I couldn't be happier with The Scarred People. Tiamat sounds in fine form here and this album takes me back to those albums I dug in my high school days. The Scarred People is just a top form album with a band doing what they do best. Fans of Tiamat since they went more gothic should be pleased. I certainly am.
Highlights: The Scarred People, Love Terrorists, Messinian Letter, Thunder & Lightning
Rating - 4.0/5
2. Winter Dawn
3. 384EKteis
4. Radiant Star
5. The Sun Also Rises
6. Before Another Wilbury Dies
7. Love Terrorists
8. Messinian Letter
9. Thunder & Lightning
10. Tiznit
11. The Red Of The Morning Sun
Tiamat are a band I've been following for awhile. Really about as long as I've been listening to metal. I remember listening to A Deeper Kind Of Slumber & Skeleton Skeletron in high school so that's kind of my association with the band. I've always dug their more gothic days and not so much their more death/black oriented stuff. With that in mind, the last album was a disappointment for me as they got back to more harsh vocals, etc. Just didn't do it for me. Going into this one I had heard the single/title track and dug it though so I was optimistic that this might be more in line with what I want from the band.
After listening to this one through, I can definitely say Tiamat has come back strong. This is exactly the sort of Tiamat album I want. From start to finish this is dreary and just loaded with atmosphere. Basically, it's the sort of music I think this band excels at and it's nice to hear them doing what they do best. There's just a very good flow to all the songs and it all becomes one big soundscape of melancholy. There are some upbeat moments and I don't think it ever becomes too slow to the point of tedium, but it is most certainly more about atmosphere and feeling than heaviness, etc. Nothing wrong with that at all and I can see this finding a place in my sort of 'relaxation' albums. There are some pretty good upbeat rockers too though and the blend of a rocking pace and goth atmosphere is always something I like. Tracks like The Scarred People, Love Terrorists, and Thunder & Lightning find that nice balance and do end up being some of my favorites. On a different note, I do like the somewhat lighter, less gothic sounding ballad Messinian Letter quite a bit as well. Kind of an oddball, but a welcome one.
If I had one minor criticism of the album it would probably be that there are a lot of effects, etc and the sound gets a bit saturated at times. All in all, it's not a big deal though and works more often than not. The scope of the sound/production didn't take long to grow on me really. A little busy at times, but it also adds an element of depth to the music.
All in all, I couldn't be happier with The Scarred People. Tiamat sounds in fine form here and this album takes me back to those albums I dug in my high school days. The Scarred People is just a top form album with a band doing what they do best. Fans of Tiamat since they went more gothic should be pleased. I certainly am.
Highlights: The Scarred People, Love Terrorists, Messinian Letter, Thunder & Lightning
Rating - 4.0/5
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