Description
German pressed music cassette. Black cassette with white text. Limited 300 copies
After a wait of four year, The Scarred People presents Tiamat, and Swedish mastermind Johan Edlund, in absolute top form! Mainly based in hypnotic midtempo, the songs combine elements from the legendary first albums and the latest longplayers in the impressive Tiamat discography and offer brilliant Dark Gothic Metal full of emotion and melody. While Amanethes was a perfect album in my eyes musically, for some reason Johan’s vocals were a bit off – Tracks like Lucienne and Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again showed Johan’s voice cracked and shaky, trying to hit dramatic low notes that he probably shouldn’t have. It ended up sounding a bit corny. Still, I’ve come to enjoy the album as one of my favorites. I’m happy to report that Johan’s vocals on The Scarred People go back to the more smooth dark delivery he had on Skeleton Skeletron and Prey, though much lower in the mix this time around. Musically, the album seems to be a mix between the full-on goth/blues rock of Judas Christ and the slow, psychedelic somberness of A Deeper Kind of Slumber. I was so pleased that they went back to these styles because speaking personally, I became a fan of the band during the A Deeper Kind of Slumber years so this record is a return to form in my eyes. Tracks like Winter Dawn, Love Terrorists, and The Sun Also Rises just ooze atmosphere and melancholy. Lots of dark electronic undertones swirl against the increasingly Floydian guitars. As a matter of fact, the whole record is pretty much a mid-tempo atmospheric ride into Johan Edlund’s mind and the experiences he’s had over the last 4 years as he stated in a recent interview. The only upbeat rockers on this record are the former Lucyfire demo Thunder & Lightning, one of the album’s finest cuts, and the title track which oddly enough, is the weakest song on the record in my eyes (the chorus is ultimately not memorable). Messinian Letter is a full on heartfelt acoustic rock song that almost entirely echoes Heaven of High from Judas Christ and Meliae from Amanethes, though Meliae is still a superior song in my eyes. The album ends on the crushingly sad and powerful sounding The Red of The Morning Sun. Also tying the record to the Deeper Kind of Slumber days is the use of acoustic guitar passages (Tiznit) and connecting short guitar jams (Before Another Wildbury Dies) – both passable, unless listening to the record as a whole. The bonus songs are covers and live tracks. Born to Die is a cover of a 2011 track by Lana Del Ray (who?). Some indie pop song. Truthfully would have been better left off the record. The other bonus track Paradise is a cover of a Bruce Springsteen song from 2001. It’s not my cup of tea, but it’s the first Tiamat album where bassist Anders Iwers does lead vocals. It’s interesting to say the least. The live tracks are Cain and Divided from a 2010 show. All in all, unless you have been keeping track of the band these last 15 years, there will be little here to appreciate. Tiamat is an atmospheric goth rock act – that’s what they do best and The Scarred People proves this. Fans of the band will be pleased. Those still wishing for Wildhoney part 2 will continue to be in denial. Don’t miss this soon to be sleeper hit of 2012. Far superior to new works released by Katatonia or My Dying Bride. Essential Tiamat.
Track list:
1. The Scarred People
2. Winter Dawn
3. 384 – Kteis
4. Radiant Star
5. The Sun Also Rises
6. Before Another Wilbury Dies
7. Love Terrorists
8. Messinian Letter
9. Thunder And Lightning
10. Tiznit
11. Born To Die-Lana Del Rey cover
11. The Red Of The Morning Sun
12. Divided-live
13. Cain-live