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Sumerian Cry (1990)
Sumerian Cry is the first full-length album from Sweden's Tiamat, rising from the ashes of Treblinka. There is a bit of debate regarding the style of music presented on this album, which features tremolo riffs (which were common with Swedish death metal bands), blastbeats and a morbid vocal style. The inverted crosses, corpsepaint and spikes should also signal that the band was still striving to create black metal, in the same vein as Samael, Grotesque, etc. On the other hand, this was recorded in Sunlight Studio and that is very obvious. It has a very similar sound to the early albums from Entombed, Carnage/Dismember and even Soulside Journey by Darkthrone. However, as a point of reference, this album is much more primitive than Darkthrone's debut. This was a time when the lines between black and death metal were not always so well-defined. Whatever you wish to call this, it's a decent album.
Sumerian Cry was recorded during late October 1989, making Tiamat one of the first of the well known Swedish bands to record in Sunlight Studio. The guitars have the typical, heavy Swedish sound and Hellslaughter's vocals sound possessed. The sinister whispers also add to the darkened atmosphere. The songwriting is pretty primitive, but there are moments that foreshadow the band's more melodic and mature efforts. Unfortunately, one major thing holds this album back and that is the horrid drumming. This guy couldn't keep time if his life depended on it.
The album begins with a short synth/acoustic intro, before the crushing guitars come in and "In the Shrines of the Kingly Dead" is unleashed. This song really sets the tone for the whole album. As a matter of fact, one can notice that this album may have influenced others in the scene, as some of the ideas that were briefly touched upon were later borrowed and expanded upon by other bands, such as Edge of Sanity and even Marduk, on Dark Endless. "The Malicious Paradise" stands out as one of the best songs on here, as well as "Nocturnal Funeral" and "Altar Flame". Two-thirds of the way through this album, one would assume that it is a very solid effort and worthy of some praise...
However, I will warn everyone to avoid the song "Evilized". It had potential to be a decent black metal song, but there's some sort of jazz section (!!) halfway through. I don't know what the Hell happened there and it was most unexpected. The first time I listened to this, I actually thought the CD player had switched to 'radio' or something. Sadly, this was a harbinger of things to come. Why they had to taint such a good album is beyond me, but it's only a minute or so. Still, I recommend just skipping past this song, entirely.
They salvage the album with the godly "Where the Serpents Ever Dwell/Sumerian Cry pt. 2". This song is extremely slow and doom-laden. The riffs create a very dismal and somber atmosphere. This one song sits alongside "The Malicious Paradise" as the best songs on this album and, possibly, my favorite Tiamat songs.
I strongly recommend this L.P. for fans of late '80s/early '90s black and death metal such as Mayhem, Samael, Imperator and Grotesque. At its best, Sumerian Cry possesses a dark and morbid atmosphere though its worst points are almost like some kind of joke, so be warned.
Sumerian Cry was recorded during late October 1989, making Tiamat one of the first of the well known Swedish bands to record in Sunlight Studio. The guitars have the typical, heavy Swedish sound and Hellslaughter's vocals sound possessed. The sinister whispers also add to the darkened atmosphere. The songwriting is pretty primitive, but there are moments that foreshadow the band's more melodic and mature efforts. Unfortunately, one major thing holds this album back and that is the horrid drumming. This guy couldn't keep time if his life depended on it.
The album begins with a short synth/acoustic intro, before the crushing guitars come in and "In the Shrines of the Kingly Dead" is unleashed. This song really sets the tone for the whole album. As a matter of fact, one can notice that this album may have influenced others in the scene, as some of the ideas that were briefly touched upon were later borrowed and expanded upon by other bands, such as Edge of Sanity and even Marduk, on Dark Endless. "The Malicious Paradise" stands out as one of the best songs on here, as well as "Nocturnal Funeral" and "Altar Flame". Two-thirds of the way through this album, one would assume that it is a very solid effort and worthy of some praise...
However, I will warn everyone to avoid the song "Evilized". It had potential to be a decent black metal song, but there's some sort of jazz section (!!) halfway through. I don't know what the Hell happened there and it was most unexpected. The first time I listened to this, I actually thought the CD player had switched to 'radio' or something. Sadly, this was a harbinger of things to come. Why they had to taint such a good album is beyond me, but it's only a minute or so. Still, I recommend just skipping past this song, entirely.
They salvage the album with the godly "Where the Serpents Ever Dwell/Sumerian Cry pt. 2". This song is extremely slow and doom-laden. The riffs create a very dismal and somber atmosphere. This one song sits alongside "The Malicious Paradise" as the best songs on this album and, possibly, my favorite Tiamat songs.
I strongly recommend this L.P. for fans of late '80s/early '90s black and death metal such as Mayhem, Samael, Imperator and Grotesque. At its best, Sumerian Cry possesses a dark and morbid atmosphere though its worst points are almost like some kind of joke, so be warned.
(6 Sept. 2008)
The Astral Sleep (1991)
While Sumerian Cry was more of a direct continuation of Treblinka, The Astral Sleep is the first record with a more distant feeling. For their sophomore release, Tiamat chose to record outside of Sweden and the well-known confines of Sunlight Studio. Instead, the went to Dortmund, Germany to record at Woodhouse Studio (the same place where Unleashed recorded their debut album, earlier that year).
The location and producer were not the only things to change; Tiamat's style had undergone quite a progression. No longer did they play black/death metal. The music on this album is actually somewhat difficult to label. To even call it Swedish death metal would be pretty misleading. There are more traditional metal elements found here, as well as an atmospheric death/doom approach. Released in September 1991, The Astral Sleep would be one of the first albums to begin the process of so-called 'maturing' that many Swedish bands would later do.
Though they had already shown their true colours with the fruity section shoehorned into "Evilized", this is where the band showed their true colours. The production is too clear, the songwriting is too light and so many wimpy elements were brought in as they attempted to make this some atmospheric album. They at least got a competent drummer, for whatever that is worth. The best song on here is "Sumerian Cry Part III". "Ancient Entity" and "Lady Temptress" are alright, too. There are decent riffs throughout the album but this is just too melodic and lacks any real darkness.
Even in the Treblinka days, this band was never the best and felt like a case of wasted potential. On The Astral Sleep Tiamat demonstrated that they were ready to spearhead the wave of European bands wimping out in the name of musical maturity, similar to what Amorphis would do a few years later. That's usually what posers say when they've gotten over their brief infatuation with real black and death metal and want to make softer music. This isn't the worst album, but it's not recommended either.
The location and producer were not the only things to change; Tiamat's style had undergone quite a progression. No longer did they play black/death metal. The music on this album is actually somewhat difficult to label. To even call it Swedish death metal would be pretty misleading. There are more traditional metal elements found here, as well as an atmospheric death/doom approach. Released in September 1991, The Astral Sleep would be one of the first albums to begin the process of so-called 'maturing' that many Swedish bands would later do.
Though they had already shown their true colours with the fruity section shoehorned into "Evilized", this is where the band showed their true colours. The production is too clear, the songwriting is too light and so many wimpy elements were brought in as they attempted to make this some atmospheric album. They at least got a competent drummer, for whatever that is worth. The best song on here is "Sumerian Cry Part III". "Ancient Entity" and "Lady Temptress" are alright, too. There are decent riffs throughout the album but this is just too melodic and lacks any real darkness.
Even in the Treblinka days, this band was never the best and felt like a case of wasted potential. On The Astral Sleep Tiamat demonstrated that they were ready to spearhead the wave of European bands wimping out in the name of musical maturity, similar to what Amorphis would do a few years later. That's usually what posers say when they've gotten over their brief infatuation with real black and death metal and want to make softer music. This isn't the worst album, but it's not recommended either.
(11 July 2009)
Clouds (1992)
It is difficult to believe that this is the same group of musicians that recorded such things as The Sign of the Pentagram and Crawling in Vomits, back in their days as Treblinka. It is easy to follow this progression, through the previous two albums, however. By the mid-'90s, many black and death metal bands began experimenting with their sounds (often, to the dismay of their fans) and it seems that Tiamat was one of the first to do so. Released in September 1992, Clouds is a weird album that is somewhat difficult to define.
Long ago, I was introduced to this band (and many others) thanks to a mix tape from a European pen pal. For whatever reason, I got the impression that Tiamat may be a death/doom band like My Dying Bride or Katatonia, but when I tracked this album down I got something much different. There are doom elements and a gloomy feeling, to be sure, but there is hardly any trace of death metal here at all. As the album title may have suggested, Clouds is the point at which this band completely wimped out.
There are some decent ideas here that would have been much better with a different vocal style. Johan Edlund sounds terrible on this record. Either use harsh black/death vocals or maybe try to sing. Whatever this is just doesn't work. He reminds me of some deaf mute trying to speak. It's the single worst aspect of this album. No matter what they tried to do with this, he would have ruined it.
Long ago, I was introduced to this band (and many others) thanks to a mix tape from a European pen pal. For whatever reason, I got the impression that Tiamat may be a death/doom band like My Dying Bride or Katatonia, but when I tracked this album down I got something much different. There are doom elements and a gloomy feeling, to be sure, but there is hardly any trace of death metal here at all. As the album title may have suggested, Clouds is the point at which this band completely wimped out.
There are some decent ideas here that would have been much better with a different vocal style. Johan Edlund sounds terrible on this record. Either use harsh black/death vocals or maybe try to sing. Whatever this is just doesn't work. He reminds me of some deaf mute trying to speak. It's the single worst aspect of this album. No matter what they tried to do with this, he would have ruined it.
"The more I drink, the more I see,Rather than penning these words and using them for a rotten album you should have just followed through with this notion. Clouds is a worthless record that proves Tiamat to be a lame band that would have been better off breaking up after their haphazard debut. Avoid this trash.
That suicide could be the key"
(10 Aug. 2009)
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