Tiamat
A Deeper Kind Of Slumber
Century Media

Death? No, Tiamat may have started out on the more melodic side of the death genre, but musically they are now gazing into a more subdued universe. Johan Edlund's rasping voice is now sounding more like a widescreen Technicolor version of Richard Butler (Psychedelic Furs), and the only traces of death we find in the gloomy and often spaced-out lyrics. Musically, A Deeper Kind Of Slumber has been compared to the latest Pink Floyd records, which is understandable from one point of view, but while this record may possess some of the same vast, moody production, Tiamat is not a close musical relative to Pink Floyd. Besides, they don't rely on guitar solos, and they do occasionally rock, like on Cold Seed, which stands out as a catchy song among a row of surprisingly calm and minimalistic compositions.

After the opening track (Cold Seed), things slow down, and stays down. The use of instruments like flute and oboe, adds some colour to the basically dark, melancholic feel that is present throughout the record, but can not hide the fact that it balances between being soothingly beautiful, and plain boring (if not depressing). Depending on your mental state, you may find this balancing act successful, but I'm sure some will claim that Tiamat from time to time fall off the tightrope, head-first into a great moan. And while I do enjoy listening to several of the songs on this record, others could make me scream for a bucketfull of Prozac.

Copyright © 1997 Knut Tore Breivik