The latest gothic metal masterpiece from Sweden
Just a quick review of this, as it’s been out for a while. Tiamat write and produce some of the best heavy, gothic music available today. On Amanethes, their long-awaited ninth album, they blend together their earlier, gruffer sound with that of their previous two albums, Judas Christ (2002) and Prey (2003). From the moment “The Temple of the Crescent Moon” kicks off, you know you’re in for something special.
The mix of heavy, dark and melodic elements proves to be excellent, offering songs for most tastes in gothic and metal. Certain songs (e.g. “Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again”) nod more towards their later work, while others (e.g. “Raining Dead Angels”) have more in common with their earlier, heavier work. Johan Edlund’s vocals are more varied on Amanethes, re-introducing the harsher style of the band’s earlier work, alongside his superb ‘clean’ vocals.
The pace of the music is pretty varied, though predominantly unhurried. “Will They Come?”, for example, has a slow, funereal melody, reminiscent of much of the Judas Christ album.
I find myself preferring Judas Christ and Prey, though I admit this might have more to do with familiarity, rather than Amanethes being of lower quality. After five years, those two albums have become very familiar. No doubt, given time, I will come to like Amanethes as much.
Overall, this is a very welcome return for Tiamat, one of the most underrated metal bands working today. Anyone with a taste for dark, gothic, gruffly melodic music should own (at least) Tiamat’s three latest albums.
Discography: Sumerian Cry (1990), The Astral Sleep (1991), Clouds (1992), Wildhoney (1994), A Deeper Kind of Slumber (1997), Skeleton Skeletron (1999), Judas Christ (2002) and Prey (2003)
For Fans of: Moonspell, Sentenced, Fall of the Leafe, Poisonblack, Samael, My Dying Bride, Type O Negative
