finetune artist: Tiamat

Swedish extreme metal has rarely been as unpredictable as the music of Tiamat, which retains an obvious metallic edge but is otherwise difficult to classify. Formed by Johan Edlund (guitar/vocals), Stefan Lagergren (guitar), Jorgen Thullberg (bass) and Anders Holmberg (drums), the quartet originally named itself Treblinka. Two demo recordings, Crawling In Vomits and Sign Of The Pentagram, encouraged various labels to approach the band and a single, "Severe Abomination', appeared on the Mould In Hell label. The quartet then dropped their rather tasteless name in favour of that of the Sumerian goddess of chaos, and released 1990's Sumerian Cry through Metalcore. Edlund, joined by a new line-up comprising Thullberg, Thomas Petersson (guitar) and Niklas Ekstrand (drums), signed a new contract with Century Media and recorded The Astral Sleep. Tiamat evolved a much more proficient and experimental style, recording fascinating albums such as 1992's Clouds (augmented by keyboard player Kenneth Roos and new bass player Johnny Hagel), 1994's Wildhoney (featuring new drummer Lars Skold), and 1997"s A Deeper Kind Of Slumber (featuring new bass player Anders Iwers), all of which display a classical and jazz awareness. The band, now a trio comprising Edlund, Iwers and Skold, have worked at various stages with the experimental producer Waldemar Sorychta.

Listen to Tiamat at Finetune.

(2007) Commandments (Best Of + Bonus)
(2007) A Deeper Kind Of Slumber
(2007) Skeleton Skeletron
(2007) Prey
(2007) A Deeper Kind Of Slumber (Re-issue)
(2007) Wildhoney / Gaia EP
(2007) Judas Christ (U.S. Version With Bonus Track)
(1999) Skeleton, Skeletron
(1997) A Deeper Kind Of Slumber
(1994) Clouds
(1994) Wildhoney
(1991) The Astral Sleep

Btighter Than the Sun
Whatever That Hurts
Sympathy for the Devil
The Ar
Chruch of Tiamat