Biography:
Initially, the band played straightforward black metal under the name Treblinka. After having recorded the album Sumerian Cry in 1989, vocalist/guitarist Johan Edlund and bassist Jörgen Thullberg parted ways with the other two founding members, and subsequently changed the name to Tiamat. The Sumerian Cry album, as recorded by Treblinka, was released as Tiamat's debut album in June 1990.
After the debut, Edlund's leadership would modify the band's style with influences ranging from Mercyful Fate, Candlemass, Pink Floyd and King Crimson, with Sumerian lyrical themes. German guitarist Waldemar Sorychta would produce and contribute instrumentation to many of the band's albums, as well as those by Tiamat's own tour and labelmates, including Moonspell, Rotting Christ, Lacuna Coil and Samael.
1994's critically acclaimed Wildhoney mixed raw vocals, slow guitar riffs and synthesizer sounds which sounded different from other extreme metal bands active at that time. An almost continuous forty-minute piece of music, Wildhoney was considered to be a landmark release within the progressive/doom metal genres and would lead to the band's appearances at the Dynamo and Wacken Open Air metal festivals in 1995. The group would play a second gig at Dynamo two years later.
Upon the release of A Deeper Kind of Slumber (1997), Edlund relocated from Sweden to Germany and declared himself the only permanent member of the band; all albums that would follow would cement the band into a more gothic rock sound, quite different from the extreme music they did in the years before, with recent albums showing a The Sisters of Mercy influence.
The band signed to Nuclear Blast Records in June 2007. Tiamat released their new album Amanethes April 18, 2008.
Lineup:
Johan Edlund - vocals, guitar (Treblinka, Expulsion, LucyFire, Dark Age, Ayreon)
Anders Iwers - bass (Desecrator, Ceremonial Oath, In Flames, Cemetary, Mercury Tide)
Lars Skjöld - drums (Jupiter Society)
Thomas Wyreson - guitar
Former members:
Andreas Holmberg - drums (Expulsion)
Stefan Lagergren - guitar (River's Edge, Expulsion, Mr Death, Treblinka, Judge And Jury, Tranquility)
Jörgen Thullberg - bass (Expulsion, Mr Death, Treblinka)
Niklas Ekstrand - drums (Face Down)
Kenneth Roos - keyboards
Johnny Hagel - bass (Sundown, Sorcerer)
Magnus Sahlgren - guitar (Celeborn, Dismember, Lake of Tears)
P.A. Danielsson - keyboards (Veni Domine)
Thomas Petersson - guitar
Fredrik Ĺkesson - guitar (Southpaw, Talisman, Krux, John Norum, Arch Enemy, Sabbtail, Opeth, Shock Tilt)
www.churchoftiamat.com
Mount Marilyn
Tiamat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In cattle blood of aery brow
Con that life's a dream not to affy
As embodied matter love will die
You twinkle still in Argentine
When I palmy doubt the rapid din
To force the mare, the pain I hide
Mazed I helmed this crater deem
Stranger than a stranger seems
Wished to shroud the sortance leer
And barely wink the eyes of fear
Splay the moon that foolish be
And let the sunshine raving me
Beyond the love I do behold
A ken I saw, a fane of gold
I'd seize in pounds our insane blend
And phantom laid a smile I send
Eke an ounce of purple fire and fairy eyes no longer twire
Would fain to stalk the colour fields
But tickle I shall stark lonely yield
Merely in drowning water clay
As anguish wears but shades of grey
To retain the chains of elder squire
I'd prune the funeral skies denier
Once in awhile he still appeals
To remind you all it's still for real
Breathing smoke and fire
But the face of evil that haunted us
Was never ever present thus
The cupid rainbow ties an orb
In which every demon shall absorb
Do you think I care?
Do you really think I care?
The lyrics of Tiamat's song "Mount Marilyn" are layered with symbolism and imagery, making it open to interpretation. In the first verse, the throne is personified as love that opens up in cattle blood. This could be a reference to sacrifice, as animal blood was often offered to appease or honor gods in ancient rituals. The line "As embodied matter love will die" suggests that even though love may feel tangible, it is ultimately fleeting and mortal.
The second verse describes a separation between the singer and their lover, with the latter "twinkling" in Argentina while the singer struggles with pain and doubt. The use of the word "palmy" to describe doubt could be a reference to palm reading, where lines on the hand are used to predict or reveal one's fate. The third verse continues this theme of uncertainty and fear, using the metaphor of a crater to represent the unknown.
The fourth verse provides a glimmer of hope, with the singer wishing to "splay the moon" and "let the sunshine rave" them, suggesting a desire for awakening or enlightenment. The mention of a "fane of gold" could represent a sacred or luminous structure, while "stalking the color fields" may symbolize a search for beauty and meaning in life. However, the last verse reveals a sense of resignation and apathy towards the world, with the singer asking if they really care about anything.
Overall, the song seems to explore themes of love, loss, and the search for meaning, using vivid and sometimes surreal imagery to convey these ideas.
Line by Line Meaning
The throne my love that opens now
The love and affection that is being shown is opened up like a throne
In cattle blood of aery brow
It is a reference to scarification where the person's blood is taken and rubbed back into the scar or mark. In other words, the love is very passionate
Con that life's a dream not to affy
Life should be taken as a dream and not to be taken too seriously
As embodied matter love will die
Love only exists in physical form and will eventually come to an end
You twinkle still in Argentine
The memory of the loved one still shines bright like a twinkle in the distance
When I palmy doubt the rapid din
When everything seems too chaotic and too fast, the person is plagued with doubts
To force the mare, the pain I hide
To push through the pain and hide it from view, like a horse who is forced into movement
As you're no longer by my side
The reason for the pain is because the loved one is no longer there
Mazed I helmed this crater deem
Feeling lost and confused by the situation that has created a large hole, both physically and emotionally
Stranger than a stranger seems
The situation seems more foreign and stranger than what one would expect
Wished to shroud the sortance leer
The person wished to hide the judgemental stares of others
And barely wink the eyes of fear
Trying not to show how fearful the situation really is
Splay the moon that foolish be
Wanting to make the moon look foolish by basking in the sunlight
And let the sunshine raving me
Letting the sunshine take over and clear away any negativity that is plaguing the person
Beyond the love I do behold
Going beyond the love that is currently being shown
A ken I saw, a fane of gold
Seeing something in the distance that is golden and perfect
I'd seize in pounds our insane blend
Taking advantage of the crazy mixture of love that is available
And phantom laid a smile I send
Sending a smile even though the person is not really there
Eke an ounce of purple fire and fairy eyes no longer twire
Trying to create sparks of lost love that no longer exists
Would fain to stalk the colour fields
Wanting to run and seek something better
But tickle I shall stark lonely yield
Knowing that the person will be left alone
Merely in drowning water clay
Being stuck in a difficult place, like drowning in quicksand
As anguish wears but shades of grey
The pain that is felt is never truly clear
To retain the chains of elder squire
To keep the chains of an older and more traditional way of life
I'd prune the funeral skies denier
Changing the attitude about a situation that once seemed dark and depressing
Once in awhile he still appeals
Sometimes the face of evil seems appealing
To remind you all it's still for real
To remind everyone that the situation is very much real
Breathing smoke and fire
Exhibiting intense emotions
But the face of evil that haunted us
The thing that used to scare us the most
Was never ever present thus
It was never there in the first place
The cupid rainbow ties an orb
An image of how love appears like a rainbow
In which every demon shall absorb
Love will absorb everything, including the bad parts
Do you think I care?
The person does not care how others perceive the situation
Do you really think I care?
Reiterating that the person does not care what others think
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
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