The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Siggi Bemm at Woodhouse Studios. It features Tiamat's long-time lineup of Johan Edlund (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Anders Iwers (bass, vocals), and Lars Sköld (drums), with the addition of Roger Öjersson (lead guitar, keyboards, mandolin, vocals).
Musical Content
The musical style is closer to the softer gothic rock of Prey (2003) than to the melodic death metal pieces of its predecessor Amanethes (2008). There are prominent ballads featuring acoustic instruments (for example, The Sun Also Rises and Messinian Letter) and a strong classic-rock influence is also apparent on the album, demonstrated in titles like Before Another Wilbury Dies (referring to Traveling Wilburys) or the Bruce Springsteen cover. It also includes a re-recording of a track originally slated for Edlund's more rock-oriented side project Lucyfire, Thunder & Lightning.
Bonus Material
The album includes four bonus tracks. Two are covers: Born to Die (originally by Lana Del Rey) and Paradise (originally by Bruce Springsteen). The second of these is notable for featuring Iwers on lead vocals rather than Edlund. The other two bonus tracks are live performances of Divided and Prey (both from the album Prey) , recorded at Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland, 6 December 2010.
Other Features and Fun Facts
Some tracks on the album feature spoken-word fragments by David Mortimer-Hawkins, who can also be heard in Spine on the album Judas Christ. Thunder & Lightning features a solo by Greek guitarist Gus G. (Firewind).
The album artwork was designed by Johan Edlund.
The Scarred People
Tiamat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On see-through wings of white
Over the seven seas careened
In beauty yet unseen
A withered rose in bloom
A blooming rose of doom
Scattered all around
For the heavens to abound
And like the sweetest cream
With lovliness extreme
Emily went to play
On that sacred day
One love in red who loves darkness
One love in white who loves darkness
One love in black who loves darkness
One love supreme who loves darkness
One little butterfly who loves darkness
One tear to cry who loves darkness
One billion angles loves darkness
'Cause even God loves darkness
Emily went to play
When gold turned into clay
The morning drain the night
Of all beauty left in sight
And soaked in reality
Of not much more to see
She disappeared into the haze
In her own peculiar ways
And like the sweetest cream
With lovliness extremee
Emily went to play
On that sacred day
"The Scarred People" is a song by Tiamat that tells the story of Emily, a character shrouded in mystery. Emily is a symbol of purity, beauty, and otherworldliness. She has see-through wings of white and she flies over the seven seas in beauty yet unseen. Emily is also a contrast of a withered rose in bloom, a blooming rose of doom scattered all around for the heavens to abound. The song’s lyrics suggest that beauty is not just about the appearance, but also about the imperfections that make people unique.
The lyrics suggest that there are different kinds of love that exist, including love of darkness. There are one love in red, white, and black who all love darkness. Additionally, there is one supreme love who loves darkness, one little butterfly who loves darkness, and one tear to cry who loves darkness. Finally, even God is said to love darkness. This interpretation of love is quite unusual and suggests that there are things that exist beyond the realm of understanding.
Emily is said to have disappeared into the haze in her own peculiar ways when gold turned into clay and the morning drained the night of all beauty left in sight. The song ends with the repeated line, "Emily went to play on that sacred day," suggesting that her story will continue even after she has left. Overall, this song is a beautiful and melancholic tribute to the beauty and contradictions of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Emily took to flight
Emily left and moved on
On see-through wings of white
Her departure was peaceful and pure
Over the seven seas careened
She traveled far and wide
In beauty yet unseen
Her beauty was not fully appreciated
A withered rose in bloom
Beauty in decay
A blooming rose of doom
Beauty leading to destruction
Scattered all around
Her influence was widespread
For the heavens to abound
Her legacy lives on in the world above
And like the sweetest cream
Her essence was pleasing
With lovliness extreme
Her beauty was intense
Emily went to play
She found joy in leaving
One love in red who loves darkness
Love can lead to darkness
One love in white who loves darkness
Even pure things can be stained by darkness
One love in black who loves darkness
Darkness can be attractive
One love supreme who loves darkness
The ultimate power loves darkness
One little butterfly who loves darkness
Even small things can find beauty in darkness
One tear to cry who loves darkness
Sadness and darkness can be intertwined
One billion angles loves darkness
Even angels can be drawn to darkness
'Cause even God loves darkness
The most powerful force in the universe finds value in darkness
When gold turned into clay
Something once valuable has become worthless
The morning drain the night
The new day takes away the beauty of the night
Of all beauty left in sight
All beauty has faded away
And soaked in reality
The truth has become clear
Of not much more to see
There is nothing left to see
She disappeared into the haze
She vanished into obscurity
In her own peculiar ways
She left in a unique and unconventional manner
Emily went to play
She found joy in leaving
And like the sweetest cream
Her essence was pleasing
With lovliness extreme
Her beauty was intense
Emily went to play
She found joy in leaving
On that sacred day
The day of her departure was significant
Contributed by Leah H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.