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
On Golden Wings
Tiamat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You are just parts of it
If I would have been a big tree
Then you would have been the fruit on my boughs
But join me
We're all kings
Don't fear for your insanity
Fly on its wings
Fly on my wings in the darkest of night
Put those wings of gold to the fear of your dreams
And notice that what scares you is not always what it seems
In the end fruit always fall to the ground
And new flowers soon blossom
When watching you rise and fall
My limbs proudly extend above you
Okay, beneath my magnificent crown of tree
I am being stained by dead bark and wounded twigs
Yes, it makes black holes... but it opens doors
And that's what is giving me places for only a king to rule
The lyrics of Tiamat's song "On Golden Wings" describe a person who sees themselves as the center of their world, with others merely being parts of it. The metaphor used is that if the person were a big tree, others would be the fruit on their boughs. However, the lyrics urge others to join and fly with them, as everyone is a king and there is no need to fear insanity. The song encourages listeners to rely on the wings of the singer during battle and fight while not being afraid of their dreams. They urge people to put their trust in them and fly on the wings of gold in the darkest of night. The singer also mentions that what scares people is not always what it seems and encourages listeners to be brave.
The lyrics also mention how everything in life has its cycle. In the end, things fall to the ground, but new flowers soon blossom. The singer observes how their limbs are extending above others, but they are beneath the magnificent crown of the tree. They acknowledge that despite their successes, they are being stained by dead bark and wounded twigs, resulting in black holes that open doors to new opportunities. The singer views these experiences as a way to create places where only a king can rule.
Line by Line Meaning
People! This is my world
I am the ruler of my own world and everyone else is just a part of it.
You are just parts of it
Everyone else is simply a component of my world.
If I would have been a big tree
If I were a tree, you would be the fruit hanging from my branches.
Then you would have been the fruit on my boughs
You would be the ones I provide for and support if I were a tree.
But join me
Join me and we can all be kings.
We're all kings
Together, we are all rulers of our own destinies.
Don't fear for your insanity
Do not fear your own madness or unconventional ideas.
Fly on its wings
Embrace and rely on your own eccentricity.
Take my wings and rely on them in battle and fight
Trust in me and use my strength to fight your battles.
Fly on my wings in the darkest of night
Use my support to guide you through difficult times.
Put those wings of gold to the fear of your dreams
Use your greatest aspirations as motivation to achieve success.
And notice that what scares you is not always what it seems
Realize that your fears may not be based in reality.
In the end fruit always fall to the ground
Ultimately, everything comes to an end.
And new flowers soon blossom
However, new opportunities and growth arise from endings.
When watching you rise and fall
As I observe your successes and failures,
My limbs proudly extend above you
I offer my support and guidance, symbolized by my outstretched limbs.
Okay, beneath my magnificent crown of tree
Underneath my exterior appearance of strength and power,
I am being stained by dead bark and wounded twigs
I too have experienced pain and difficulty, despite my outward appearances.
Yes, it makes black holes... but it opens doors
These challenges may create problems, but they also lead to new opportunities.
And that's what is giving me places for only a king to rule
These obstacles are what make me a strong, capable ruler of my world.
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