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
Prey
Tiamat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The night is ours once again
How many years,
How many million tears before it's only you and me?
When light issues from her deceiving beams,
Even Eve goes up the tree
And eats the forbidden fruit
No love without a prey
Our evil is inherited from our innocence
Our paradise is but a faded picture on the wall
And life's the archangel,
With blackened wings
But in the night
The throne is ours
In Tiamat's song Prey, the lyrics depict a dark and intense love between two individuals. The opening lines of the song, "Time stands still with you, The night is ours once again," sets the tone for the intensity of the emotions that the singer has for their lover. The lyrics" How many years, How many million tears before it's only you and me?" hints at the idea that the love shared by the two has been a long and emotional journey.
The lines "When light issues from her deceiving beams, Even Eve goes up the tree And eats the forbidden fruit" is a biblical reference to the story of Adam and Eve's temptation, suggesting that even the most innocent and pure can be tempted to sin. The next line "No love without a prey" suggests that the love between the two is based on a power dynamic and the idea of the hunt, where the singer is the predator and their lover the prey. The idea that "Our evil is inherited from our innocence" suggests that the love shared by the two is not pure and innocent but instead, it's born out of something dark and disturbing.
Moreover, the line "Our paradise is but a faded picture on the wall" suggests that their relationship has a history of good times but now that's all in the past, and the relationship is fading. The lines "And life's the archangel, With blackened wings, But in the night, The throne is ours" seems to suggest that their love is only something to be experienced in the dark and the daylight is where they need to hide their dark love. In essence, the song's lyrics suggest an intense love affair that is born out of something dark, disturbing, and predatory.
Line by Line Meaning
Time stands still with you
I feel like time slows down when I'm with you
The night is ours once again
We have control over the darkness and can do what we please
How many years,
I wonder how long we've been waiting for our chance
How many million tears before it's only you and me?
We've shed so many tears in our struggles, but eventually it'll just be us
When light issues from her deceiving beams,
Even when things seem bright and promising, there can still be deceit
Even Eve goes up the tree
Even the most innocent can fall into temptation
And eats the forbidden fruit
And give in to what they know is wrong
No love without a prey
We can't have love without sacrifice or giving into dark desires
Our evil is inherited from our innocence
Sometimes our good intentions can lead us down a darker path
Our paradise is but a faded picture on the wall
Our once perfect world is now just a memory
And life's the archangel,
Life can be both beautiful and dangerous
With blackened wings
Even something as pure as an angel can have darkness within them
But in the night
Under the cover of darkness
The throne is ours
We have power and control
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheDeathMetalHippy
I gave you my love
Though crystallized
I sent you a rose with nevermore
So many years
So many hours
And only thistles on my shore
For all that it's worth
The blood on my hands
Is the blood of divinities
And all that is lost
Sound or unsound
Only bonds between you and me
If I go will you follow
Me through the cracks and hollows
And I would be your Cain
If you would be here now
@Nekrist666
My favorite Tiamat album, pure Gothic beauty. 🖤
@jamiealan7509
I absolutely LOVE this band because it so beautifyl and romantic genius of a man who is going his own way. That alone is respectworthy and his art is always positive in a way most could never understand.
@h.p.lovecraft2762
Best TIAMAT album.
@tevaschwartz8549
Oui
@metalhead3472
also Wildhoney
@majdhaidar5216
I saw them live in Stockholm 2 days ago and they kicked ass ! they played Wings Of Heaven and Divided from this album , and it was amazing to meet Johan Edlund after the concert , what a nice humble man !!
@user-gs6ci9kq1i
Я херово знаю английский,но мне нравится эта музыка.Тиамат-это Pink Floyd поколения конца века .
@hatchahi
Many will consider this a blasphemy, but to me it's the best Tiamat album ever.
And 'Caine' was the song that made me discover Tiamat in the first place. Thanks to VTMB ofc....
@robinsonpeixoto8521
Each album is different .. and each is a masterpiece of gothic metal. I met tiamat over twenty years ago with the LP Wildhoney and since then my favorite bands became Tiamat and Anathema. Still I have LPs Clouds, Silent Enigma, Discouraged Ones, Icon, and so on .. good times.
@iamtenzin4409
Now you've done it!
I have to reinstall VTMB...again.