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
The Return Of The Son Of Nothing
Tiamat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The nomads settled for solid homes
The crusader returned to heathen
The snake searched for garden of Eden
The manikin went back in her cocoon
And NASA flew back to the moon
The great white returned to the coral reef
Everything was like before
And the pharaohs killed the first born son
Good lord Jesus Christ went back to his whore
The whore went back to Babylon
The pope went back on the dole
And Santa flew back to the northpole
Judas went back to Nazareth
And the president back in his jet
The raven flew back to Hades
And the she-males went back to the eighties
The dandy went back to Perth
And the dead went straight back to birth
The lyrics of 'The Return of the Son of Nothing' by Tiamat speak about returning to one's origins, one's roots or one's beginning. The song describes different people, animals and even mythical creatures returning to their respective places of origin. As the verses begin, it signifies the return of the warrior to Rome, the nomads settling down, and the crusader's return to heathen. The snake is on a quest to reach the Garden of Eden, while the manikin returns to her cocoon. NASA once flew to the moon, and they've achieved it again. The Great White returns to the coral reef, and the geisha steps up on a water lily leaf.
As the chorus strikes, it depicts that everything is as it was. The Pharaohs are killing the firstborn sons, and Lord Jesus Christ has returned to his whore. The whore has gone back to Babylon. The Pope returns to the dole, and Santa has flown back to the North Pole. The betrayed Judas returns to Nazareth, and the President is on his private jet returning. In the end, the lyrics state that the raven has flown back to Hades, the she-males return to the eighties, the dandy returns to Perth, and the dead return straight back to birth.
The song is all about the cyclical nature of everything and how, in the end, everything returns entirely to where it begins. The lyrics pose various thoughts as to the return of history or the world itself to its origin.
Line by Line Meaning
The warrior went back to Rome
The fighter returned to the seat of power and influence from where he came.
The nomads settled for solid homes
The wandering people found a permanent place to call their own and settled there.
The crusader returned to heathen
The religious soldier went back to fight against those deemed unholy or uncivilized.
The snake searched for garden of Eden
The serpent looked for the place of paradise and innocence as described in stories.
The manikin went back in her cocoon
The figurine returned to a safe and protective place where she can transform.
And NASA flew back to the moon
The space agency went back to explore the natural satellite orbiting around the Earth.
The great white returned to the coral reef
The predator went back to the underwater ecosystem where he usually hunts.
As the geisha stepped up on a water lily leaf
The Japanese entertainer gracefully walked across the delicate water plant in a breathtaking display.
Everything was like before
The world returned to its previous state of normalcy and familiarity.
And the pharaohs killed the first born son
The rulers in ancient Egypt carried out the cruel act of sacrificing the firstborn male of families.
Good lord Jesus Christ went back to his whore
The messiah figure returned to the woman regarded as immoral or impure by society.
The whore went back to Babylon
The prostitute or promiscuous woman returned to the legendary city known for luxury and pleasure-seeking.
The pope went back on the dole
The religious leader withdrew financial support from the less fortunate.
And Santa flew back to the northpole
The fictional gift-giver went back to his supposed location of residence and manufacturing.
Judas went back to Nazareth
The betrayer of Jesus returned to the town where the messiah figure grew up.
And the president back in his jet
The leader of a nation flew back to a luxury and fast mode of transportation.
The raven flew back to Hades
The black bird went back to the underworld of the dead and damned.
And the she-males went back to the eighties
The individuals identifying as both male and female returned to the decade known for gender experimentation and fluidity.
The dandy went back to Perth
The fashionable and refined man went back to the city in Western Australia where he may have originated from.
And the dead went straight back to birth
The departed returned to the state of being unborn and unformed.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
SynthZ
My favorite goth piece from Tiamat, so good.