Tiamat - The Scarred People (2012)

2012 has been a great year for Gothic metal. Bands like Katatonia, Woods of Ypres and Gojira (Gojira is not completely Gothic but they have their tendencies to slip into the genre) have released some of the best albums in their carriers. But for some reason I totally missed out on another great Gothic release. "The Scarred People" by the Swedish band Tiamat was released in late October, a busy time in music every year. During that time I listened to new releases by Cradle of Filth, Parkway Drive, Kamelot, Cauldron and Geoff Tate (all albums also reviewed on this blog) but totally missed this great release from one of Sweden's finest metal bands. Well that is what late December and early January is for, looking back on the albums you have missed during the past year.

Anyhow, during the bands 23 year long carrier Tiamat has gone from being one of the bands that founded black metal to a more Gothic style of metal. Personally I am more fond of the later version of the band mostly because the music is more well composed and more emotional. It may not be very unique but the band is doing their music with such finesse that it works just great.

"The Scarred People" starts off in a great pace with the title track. A great epic that sets the bar very high for the coming songs. The mood and darkness is just delicious. A feeling that is preserved through the entire album. But something that not every song has is the same pace. Most of the songs in "The Scarred People" are cool, slow songs which is more Gothic but there may be one too many of them here. Fortunately, most of these songs are actually quite enjoyable like the bonus tracks "Born To Die" and "Paradise".

It is the more mid-paced songs that is stealing the show in this record. Besides the title track I also love "Love Terrorists" (note: I do not love terrorists) and "Thunder & Lightning". There is a groove in these songs that I am digging. But there is not all good on "The Scarred People". I got a hard time remembering most of the songs on this album mostly because they are either very anonymous or they are just plainly mediocre songs. Such a shame that there are quite a few songs like that cause this album had a huge potential.

Overall I like "The Scarred People" but it is not the strongest album from 2012 in the genre. It is a uneven album where the highs are like mount Everest and the lows are about half the depth of Grand Canyon. But I do not think the band should be dissapointed with this album. It is still an enjoyable album and the band is solid in their work. But I think they could have done a little better with this release.

Songs worthy of recognition: The Scarred People, Paradise, Love Terrorists

Rating: 7,5/10 Winter Dawns