Artist: TIAMAT
Album: "CHURCH OF TIAMAT (DVD)"

Year: 2006
Media type: DVD

TIAMAT are one of those select few bands that more or less re-invent themselves from album to album and at times also take quite a few risks with more or less radical style changes, which on the one hand put off fans on the other hand but also cement them closer. Since their beginnings as obscure Black Metal band with the controversial and childish name TREBLINKA in 1987 they went through several evolutions during the following eight full albums through Death Metal, Atmospheric Metal, almost psychedelic sounds and Gothic Metal to some sort of atmospheric Gothic Rock/Metal sound, so you can see, this band just cannot be nailed down to a certain style.

These days bands throw out a DVD after a meagre two CDs already, so it really was about time that this band, named after an ancient Babylonian/Sumerian deity, followed suit and with “The Church Of Tiamat” this wish apparently was order to them, presenting us with a collection of a full live show from Cracow, an extensive interview and several live and video clips, so the quantity is there, how about the quality?

There, too, there is absolutely nothing to criticize! Let’s start with the concert in Cracow’s Krzemionki TV Studios, which offers us 15 songs altogether, covering compositions from “Clouds” up to their so far last album “Prey” and the sound and video quality is astonishingly phenomenal! Crystal clear, powerful, but still live (I mean the sound, of course), showing a band that is in exceptionally fine form. No matter if taking the quieter moments of their middle period or the more powerful sound of a “The Sleeping Beauty“ or “In A Dream“ (both off “Clouds”), TIAMAT build a very intense atmosphere despite the very clear light show, which their studio albums already call their own, I had never managed to see the band live, but watching this DVD is almost as good as standing right in front of the stage!

And the bonus material also is absolutely worth it, the long interview with Johan Edlund and Anders Iwers (which is very serious all the way through, but Mr Edlund never was the funniest man on earth) ventures far into the band’s past and brings the fan some insight into the myserious world of the Swedes, while the live clips (among others from the first ever TIAMAT gig in 1990) and videos (including the ingenious clip for “Whatever That Hurts”) form a very nice framework.

All in all a very good DVD which should satisfy any TIAMAT fans and for newcomers also offers a good insight into the evolution of this exceptional band, both thumbs way up!

TRACKLIST:

01 Vote For Love
02 Children Of The Underworld
03 Cain
04 Brighter Than The sun
05 To Have And Have Not
06 Whatever That Hurts
07 I Am In Love With Myself
08 In A Dream
09 Wings Of Heaven
10 Cold Seed
11 Clovenhoof
12 As Long As You Are Mine
13 Love Is As Good As Soma
14 The Sleeping Beauty
15 Gaia

Playing Time: 162 min.

Bonus Features:

Where The Serpents Ever Dwell (Stockholm 1990)
Whatever That Hurts (Wildhoney Promo 1995)
Gaia (Wildhoney Promo 1995)
Undressed (Hagen 1995)
The Ar (Hagen 1995)
Alteration X 10 (Deeper Kind Of Slumber Recording Session 19)
Cold Seed (Deeper Kind Of Slumber Promo 1997)
Brighter Than The Sun (Skeleton Skeletron Promo 1999)
Vote For Love (Judas Christ Promo 2002)
Phantasma De Luxe (Pratteln 2002)
Angel Holograms (Pratteln 2002)
Cain (Prey Promo 2003)
Do You Dream Of Me (Animated Video By Eugen Erhan 2003)
Interview
Discography
Gallery

LINE-UP:

Edlund, Johan: Guitars & Vocals
Iwers, Anders: Bass
Skold, Lars: Drums
Brandstrom, Martin: Keys
Akesson, Fredrik: Lead Guitars

also the following appear on bonus feature:
Thullberg, Jorgen: Bass
Petersson, Thomas: Lead Guitars
Ekstrand, Niklas: Drums
Hagel, Johnny: Bass
Sahlgren, Magnus: Lead Guitars
Danielson, Par Anders: Keys