January 2020 Feature Release - The Fallen Edition

The start of the New Year is upon us which of course means that we'll be nominating a brand new monthly feature release for each clan. This essentially means that we're asking you to rate, review & discuss our chosen features for no other reason than because we enjoy the process & banter. Ben & I will certainly be contributing & we look forward to hearing your thoughts too.   

This month's feature release for The Fallen is 1994's fourth album from Swedish gothic metallers Tiamat entitled "Wildhoney." This album saw a drastic change in sound for the band who had previously been pushing a death/doom sound so it raised a fair few eyebrows at the time. We'll be keen to hear which side of the equation you fall on.

I already did my review on its album page, but I'll just write a small summary here.

This album can be considered the transition point between the death-doom style of Clouds and the progressive psychedelia of the band's next album A Deeper Kind of Slumber, while keeping their signature gothic metal. The lyrics deal with occult, nature, and acid. Some songs have strong guitar work that is sometimes, edgier growling together with clean singing, and outstanding drumming. A few highlights I enjoy include; "Whatever That Hurts" which starts strong but tones down to the calm without losing its punch, "Gaia" a mesmerizing song with powerful keyboards and phenomenal lyrics, and the 8-minute finale "A Pocket Size Sun" which is probably the most melodic and most progressive song of the album. The song segues are so perfect that it sounds like a story with a different topic each chapter. Wildhoney is strongly recommended for gothic/doom metal listeners and progressive fans, and shall remain a gothic metal classic for many ages to come!

Tiamat is another one of those classic bands that has consistently slipped through my fingers over the years, until now of course. Wildhoney is the perfect mix of atmospheric and emotional but not overpowering synths, punchy guitar riffs, powerful drumming, and right in the pocket vocals that help to pull together that signature Gothic atmosphere. The album doesn't sound cheesy or over-theatrical like some Gothic Metal can, plus it's surprisingly progressive with its extended atmospheric sections in tracks like "Gaia" and "Planets". This is definitely an album that deserves more than one listen but my initial impressions are extremely strong, easily deserving a 4/5 from me. I very much prefer this style over any other earlier Gothic Metal I've heard thus far, so call me a fan. 

I finally got around to giving "Wildhoney" a revisit over the last couple of days & I have to say that I still fucking love it. It's just so classy & may be my favourite gothic metal release overall. I'd actually suggest that less the half of the runtime is actually metal with a variety of interesting influences (The Cure, Dead Can Dance, Pink Floyd, etc.) being utilized to create something genuinely original & thoroughly captivating. The guitar solos are the clear highlight. That lead tone is utterly sensational & the execution is quite stunning too.

4.5/5