Tiamat "Clouds" (1992)

 

My metallic ventures of late have leaned towards nostalgia. This path however, id not previously indulged with. Uncovering this European scene of melodic Gothic Doom and gloom, unearthed parallels capture much of my attention as the tapestry of influence enriches. Yet to devise the matured atmospheres of Wildhoney, Clouds builds on the heals of Thrash Metal. Its weaker songs burdened by the tempo and intensity of the 80s scene, a hangover needing a cure. The dusky keys and tuneful melancholy struggles with reflexive sways into choppy aggro and sluggish groove.

Magic emerges when its macabre themes blossom. Funeral synths and grievous melodies paint its Gothic graveyard blues vividly. The record finds stride with songs like The Sleeping Beauty as its distortion guitars lean into the lurching terror Doom Metal. In other chapters the spell is broken by pivoting guitar solos. They wail dazzling flushes of theatric on the gallop of thrashing riffs and doubled drumming tempos.

To my ears, Clouds suffers its influences. Aching from within beautiful, inspired song writing emerging stiffly in its calm and dark temperaments. Stitched together through tropes not quite suited this vision, my ears can't help but linger on the disparities. One of which is Edlund's wretched poetic "cleanish vocal" readings and lightweight guttural growls, the latter of which surprisingly suited the dreary cumbersome tone.

In brief glimpses, its keys yawn similar to a favorite of mine, Always... I especially loved the arrangements utilizing cheap and effect Casio keyboard tones for its Gothic cast. I wouldn't consider Clouds great but It seems fitting that adoration can be bestowed if discovered in the right time. For me, that probably would of been in my youth when reveling over Cradle Of Filth's starkly Gothic take on Extreme Metal.

Rating: 6/10

Tiamat "Wildhoney" (1994)

 

Upon reading comments and critiques on Almost A Dance lay proclamations of a broader movement in Metal at the time, one that promised more of that niche, early The Gathering sound. If Wildhoney is anything to go on, it seems these musicians were expanding on the slow brooding gloom of Doom Metal with a contrasting lushness through symphonic melancholy. With a tinge of Gothic mystique, it seems between the crevasse of Metal's many sub genres, lies another calling my name. Hailing from Sweden at a time when the Melodic Death Metal scene was blossoming, Tiamat developed their initially Doom and Death Metal sound in this renewed Gothic, Symphonic direction. Wildhoney being their commercial peak and my entry point.

Delivering on exactly what I was looking for, the opening tracks lunge forth with broody grooves in slow tempos haunted by darkly effeminate vocals. Drawn out power chords lay foundations for the keys to chime and adorn the mysterious chemistry that once spellbound me on Always... . Soundscape alike tangents gets the imagination turning with shadowy horrors early on. A curiosity in Johan Edlund's challenging vocals hint at something more. His sway between wretched doom gutturals and earthly heathen "cleans" show an artsy side to the music. It gets its moment later on after a string of big atmospheric songs, sailing deep emotions, a swelling mix of loss and beauty.

After the rocking sway and colorful gleam of Visionaire, the music descends from peak to valley as interlude Kaleidoscope puts the break on all momentum and sets a new tone for its final songs. What wordings come by feel more poetic, performative, so to say. Do You Dream Of Me? leans into European cultural sounds. Planets dwells on mystery, pivoting from loneliness to wonder in its progression. Then we have A Pocket Size Sun. Performed as a tender poem on the loss of innocence, its whole framing feels so profoundly different from all that came before. The exchanges with an effeminate being highlights charm well but again, feels like a complete departure.

With every spin this record has always felt like it had more to offer. A third of the record is its final four songs and although they are instrumentally wondrous, the obvious shift leaves one feeling like not enough was explored early on. Perhaps that is just a burden of slow, doomy music. Tiamat navigate something beautiful here, finding the sweet spot between its dark gloomy distortion guitars and all the lush keys gathering around. On the journey, there is much to marvel at. Its ending though, somewhat derailed. If this style of Metal is your cup of tea, as I have discovered its mine, then Wildhoney is a gem to be adored! This one can only grow on me, I'm sure!

Rating: 8/10