Tiamat - Prey [VINYL]

<p>Tiamat have been one of Sweden's oddities for the last two decades, ranging from synth-rock to gothic metal to death metal, there's something for pretty much any fan of dark music to enjoy.<br>However, 2003's Prey marks something of a return to form, sounding something like a cross between Wildhoney and Skeleton Skeletron.<br>Specifically, the album is fairly diverse, with a smattering of influences and styles, but the majority of the songs are gothic rock or gothic metal, with the remaining songs falling under either ballads or interludes.<br>Johan Edlund employs the deep, crooning, clean baritone delivery he's used since A Deeper Kind of Slumber, and it works remarkably well, creating a suffocatingly depressive atmosphere with his deep tone and the desperate, almost hopeless quality of his voice.<br>Occasionally, in lighter songs such as "Clovenhoof", and to a lesser extent, "Wings of Heaven", his croon takes more of a sultry tone, seductive rather than hopeless, although there's still a hint of desperation present.<br>His performance is also aided by vocalist Sonja Brandt on the songs "Divided" and "Carry Your Cross and I'll Carry Mine".<br>Her tone is light and clear, presenting a very innocent, sweet, and slightly sultry delivery, providing an interesting contrast to Edlund, and overall making an excellent addition to the album.<br>The duet on "Divided" is especially good, with a short dialogue passage that's deliciously evil and hopeless.<br>This album comes out in deluxe gatefold edition, in two colors (Gold / Red) 500 limited edition each.</p>