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Tiamat - The Astral Sleep



7.7 | 212 votes |
Release date: 1 September 1991
Style: Death metal

Owners:

261 have it
13 want it
1 trades it


01. Neo Aeon (Intro)
02. Lady Temptress
03. Mountain Of Doom
04. Dead Boys' Choir
05. Sumerian Cry (Part III)
06. On Golden Wings
07. Ancient Entity
08. The Southernmost Voyage
09. Angels Far Beyond
10. I Am The King (...Of Dreams)
11. A Winter Shadow
12. The Seal (Outro)

Staff review by
Ivor
Rating:
9.0
A year has passed since the release of Tiamat's debut album 'Sumerian Cry'. This year saw the departure of guitarist Stefan Lagergren and drummer Andreas Holmberg whose places were taken by Thomas Petersson and Niklas Ekstrand respectively. The band, being dissatisfied with the distribution of the first album jumped to the Century Media label. A new label, a new album. A new album, a better album? Certainly! For Tiamat has taken a big step forward by adding a fine melodies to their sound and thus making music more complex.

Read more ››
published 27.01.2004 | Comments (4)

Here's a good New Year's resolution for you: listen to what the angels are whispering from far beyond, because they mean well with you. They want you to remember and rediscover an almost forgotten treasure, created long ago by an Ancient Entity. For thirty years, this dark and hidden gem framed by black, death and doom metal, has lain dormant, slumbering deep inside the Mountain Of Doom. But now it's time for you to heed the Sumerian Cry and to embark on The Southernmost Voyage, towards a Neo Aeon. Lady Temptress and her Dead Boys' Choir are already eagerly awaiting you there.

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Comments

Comments: 20   Visited by: 368 users
04.01.2012 - 20:30
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
So underrated it hurts me every time I listen to it.
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04.01.2012 - 20:51
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:30

So underrated it hurts me every time I listen to it.

I should try to listen to them again. It has been like.. pff I dunno, in my first years as "metalhead" that I tried to get into them but failed and never tried again. Just recently I heard some song from Wildhoney and I went "woa".
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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04.01.2012 - 20:54
Kenos
Account deleted
Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:30

So underrated it hurts me every time I listen to it.


It's been two or three years since I last listened to it. Perhaps next time I'm in Tiamat-mood I should spare myself the millionth listen of "Wildhoney" and give this album another chance.
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04.01.2012 - 20:54
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by X-Ray Rod on 04.01.2012 at 20:51

I should try to listen to them again. It has been like.. pff I dunno, in my first years as "metalhead" that I tried to get into them but failed and never tried again. Just recently I heard some song from Wildhoney and I went "woa".

Well Wildhoney sounds like a totally different band to this album. This is death metal with some very doomy overtones (odd since I never see it heralded in the galleries of doom death).
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04.01.2012 - 20:56
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:54

Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:30

So underrated it hurts me every time I listen to it.


It's been two or three years since I last listened to it. Perhaps next time I'm in Tiamat-mood I should spare myself the millionth listen of "Wildhoney" and give this album another chance.

Early Tiamat rarely seems to get much of a look in but I certainly prefer it (as much as A Deeper Kind of Slumber anyway. I heart that release.)
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04.01.2012 - 20:56
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:54

Written by X-Ray Rod on 04.01.2012 at 20:51

I should try to listen to them again. It has been like.. pff I dunno, in my first years as "metalhead" that I tried to get into them but failed and never tried again. Just recently I heard some song from Wildhoney and I went "woa".

Well Wildhoney sounds like a totally different band to this album. This is death metal with some very doomy overtones (odd since I never see it heralded in the galleries of doom death).


Oh I know that, their debut is pretty much death as well. No biggie on that since I recall the style of those cds quite well it's just that it was too much for my younger me.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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04.01.2012 - 20:57
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:54

Written by X-Ray Rod on 04.01.2012 at 20:51

I should try to listen to them again. It has been like.. pff I dunno, in my first years as "metalhead" that I tried to get into them but failed and never tried again. Just recently I heard some song from Wildhoney and I went "woa".

Well Wildhoney sounds like a totally different band to this album. This is death metal with some very doomy overtones (odd since I never see it heralded in the galleries of doom death).


It actually does get heralded as such by a lot of doom death fans, trust me.
imo this is still Tiamat's strongest release.
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Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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04.01.2012 - 20:58
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 04.01.2012 at 20:57


It actually does get heralded as such by a lot of doom death fans, trust me.
imo this is still Tiamat's strongest release.

That's good to hear then, it deserves the recognition.
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04.01.2012 - 21:02
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Guest on 04.01.2012 at 20:30
So underrated it hurts me every time I listen to it.

Go salt your wounds with the new Alcest.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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04.01.2012 - 21:03
!J.O.O.E.!
Account deleted
Written by Troy Killjoy on 04.01.2012 at 21:02

Go salt your wounds with the new Alcest.

I don't want to catch the gay though Troy.
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03.11.2016 - 20:46
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Another good one, now I hear a bit of doom touches, but its just a but, still DM to me, but another excellent classic, re wrote history
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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03.11.2016 - 22:30
Rating: 8
Redel

Very good album.
Not Tiamat's strongest release, since that would be the successor.
But songs like Lady temptress, Mountain of doom, On golden wings, and in particular Ancient entity are true juwels here.
I would agree on putting this in the death doom corner.
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15.11.2016 - 19:09
Mik
Account deleted
By far Tiamats best release and much better than Wildhoney. Seriously some of the best riffs created.
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03.12.2018 - 16:25
Rating: 10
Starvynth
i c deaf people
10/10 - fanboy alert?
Nope, last Tiamat album I bought was Wildhoney and I pretty much gave up on them after 1995. Will most probably never listen to any of their later releases. Sure, I did try to forever adore Tiamat, but I think they wrote far too much horrible crap later on, beginning that misery with A Deeper Kind Of Slumber.

On the other hand, THIS is a true masterpiece
"Lady Temptress" and "Ancient Entity" belong to the best songs of the 90's, to be topped only by the magnificent "Angels Far Beyond". Man, how much did I love that part: "angels are whispering... ...FROM FAR BEYOND !!!"
Still sends shivers down my spine...

Some people called it Dark Metal, some avantgarde DM, some just plain DM. I think they were wrong back then and they are still wrong ignoring this is closer to doom/death than to any other style.
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signatures = SPAM
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03.12.2018 - 16:55
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Starvynth on 03.12.2018 at 16:25

10/10 - fanboy alert?
Nope, last Tiamat album I bought was Wildhoney and I pretty much gave up on them after 1995. Will most probably never listen to any of their later releases. Sure, I did try to forever adore Tiamat, but I think they wrote far too much horrible crap later on, beginning that misery with A Deeper Kind Of Slumber.

On the other hand, THIS is a true masterpiece
"Lady Temptress" and "Ancient Entity" belong to the best songs of the 90's, to be topped only by the magnificent "Angels Far Beyond". Man, how much did I love that part: "angels are whispering... ...FROM FAR BEYOND !!!"
Still sends shivers down my spine...



Totally agreed. Qf 100% t. I am wondering how old you are. Can't be much younger than me, given the way you react to a lot of albums fro that era.

Quote:

Some people called it Dark Metal, some avantgarde DM, some just plain DM. I think they were wrong back then and they are still wrong ignoring this is closer to doom/death than to any other style.


Qf 100,000% t. I Always wondered the exact same thing, even though quite a few friends mine also regard this way closer to doom/death than any other style.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
03.12.2018 - 17:43
Rating: 10
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 03.12.2018 at 16:55

Totally agreed. Qf 100% t. I am wondering how old you are. Can't be much younger than me, given the way you react to a lot of albums fro that era.


Please don't ruin my disguise. I am here for one reason only: fishing for some hot and barely legal metal chicks with strong old fart aversion. Will react to lots of new metalcore, trendy Gothic, Nightwish, CoF and the like for this sake very soon.
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signatures = SPAM
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03.12.2018 - 21:54
Rating: 8
Redel

Written by Starvynth on 03.12.2018 at 17:43

Please don't ruin my disguise. I am here for one reason only: fishing for some hot and barely legal metal chicks with strong old fart aversion. Will react to lots of new metalcore, trendy Gothic, Nightwish, CoF and the like for this sake very soon.


Yeah I can confirm the necessity to be cautious with this Metal chick here.
He already contacted me via Personal Message.
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02.12.2019 - 10:12
JoHn Doe

Listening to this right now, after really long time, and it takes me back...
ah crap, i'm getting old...
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I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
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02.01.2022 - 22:02
nikarg

Written by Starvynth on 03.12.2018 at 16:25

10/10 - fanboy alert?
Nope, last Tiamat album I bought was Wildhoney and I pretty much gave up on them after 1995. Will most probably never listen to any of their later releases. Sure, I did try to forever adore Tiamat, but I think they wrote far too much horrible crap later on, beginning that misery with A Deeper Kind Of Slumber.

Following that recent staff pick of yours and this comment I am quoting, let me just say that I agree that The Astral Sleep is top-tier stuff. Wildhoney will always be my favourite but this comes right after. Tiamat had an impressive four-album streak, since their beginning. They re-invented themselves with every album and they did it successfully up until (and including) A Deeper Kind Of Slumber. I get the hate towards A Deeper Kind Of Slumber, even though I don't fully agree. But this is for another album thread.

TL;DR: The Astral Sleep is a superb mix of death and doom.
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03.01.2022 - 00:10
Rating: 10
Starvynth
i c deaf people
Written by nikarg on 02.01.2022 at 22:02

Following that recent staff pick of yours and this comment I am quoting, let me just say that I agree that The Astral Sleep is top-tier stuff. Wildhoney will always be my favourite but this comes right after. Tiamat had an impressive four-album streak, since their beginning.

The debut and Slumber don't mean much to me, but even if it was just an impressive three-album streak for me, it's still mind-blowing how they managed to create a series of timeless and genre-crossing classics in such a short time without ever repeating themselves.
I believe Johan Edlund simply had a magic touch for gloomy and poignant but catchy compositions, and he was bold enough to try things out that no one had tried before. Whatever he did with Tiamat in the early 90's immediately got me excited, Wildhoney and Clouds included. But The Astral Sleep has a special place in my heart because it was my first Tiamat album and there was absolutely nothing quite like that in 1991.
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signatures = SPAM
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