Tiamat
Anders Iwers – Bass
1. First and foremost, how does it feel to be back off a 5 year hiatus?
Anders-It’s absolutely amazing! First and foremost, the fact that the album actually saw the light of day after all the stuff that went on, is a victory in itself. And it seems to be pretty well received too, in Sweden we even got five-star reviews, which is not common for us, so we are proud and happy!
2. How does it feel to be working with Nuclear Blast Records after having been with Century Media for so long?
A-So far, it’s good, we haven’t been on the label for a very long time yet, so it’s a little uncertain, you know, who to call for this, who do I tell this too. It was easier on CM, but that’s only cause we’ve been there since the dawn of time, hell, we were there longer than most employees would stay! But I have high hopes of a bright future.
3. On a more personal level, who are some of your influences as a bass player?
A- Well, that’s hard to answer, since I started out as a guitar player, I had my musical taste and influences pretty much formed when I made the switch to bass. But when I look at what I play, I tend to think bands more than players, as influences, but, if you must know, I would say somewhere in between Cliff Williams, Cliff Burton and DeeDee Ramone, that’s where you’ll find me! I play less notes than most Metal players, I’m more interested in grooves and locking in with the drummer, making the other guys’ jobs easier, and when I do play a little melody, I think I’m Paul McCartney…:-) I also work a lot with my picking hand, that’s where the nuances are. When we start a song in rehearsal, I play a lot more busy stuff, and that tends to simplify itself with each take.
4. Being an amateur bass player myself, I have to ask, what made you want to be a bass player?
A- Actually, truth be told, I started on bass in Tiamat because that was the vacant position. I had my eye on the lead guitar for a while, but when the chance presented itself when we did “skeleton” I had somehow turned into a bass player, and said no. I now know what every bass player knows, that it’s the most important instrument in a Rock band, and also, by far the coolest!
5. Going back to the band in general, there are quite a few genres Tiamat could be listed in. Is there a certain one you would “label” the band in or is there one you would rather be called?
A- Genre-labeling is mostly there to make journalists’ jobs easier, I do sincerely believe that there are only two labels that matters that you can put on music, and that’s “good” and “bad” music. I think we belong in the first category. That being said, you can call us whatever you see fit, as long as you can also say it to my face 
We had a Swedish “journalist” calling us names, being very tough online, but two can play that game, as he found out
6. During the writing process, how do you stay in a darker mindset to really get into the song and write your part?
A-That’s never been a problem, or even something I think about. I think we can put our stamp on any piece of music, if we would play a Creedence or a Skynyrd cover, it would sound very Tiamat. That can be good thing, or just that we are not technically competent to play any other way, you decide!
7. Do you feel a more personal connection with Tiamat’s style or is it just a style you enjoy playing no matter what’s going on in your life?
A-Yeah, it’s a deeply personal connection. But when we play, I try not to think at all, the music seems to benefit from instincts, rather than preconceived ideas of what to do.
8. How would you compare Amanethes to other albums and EPs Tiamat has released?
A- I wouldn’t really. I think it stands on its own. I guess though that it wouldn’t have sounded the way it does if we didn’t make all those albums over the years, we have probably learned from them all. I can say that if we would have sounded like this in ‘92 we would have gone home to masturbate in pure happiness, this was how we wanted to sound, but couldn’t!
9. What are your overall thoughts on the final product of Amanethes?
A- I am extremely proud of how it turned out. This album, it would probably have been easier to just split up than to go through the process it took to make it, but we are just way to stubborn to even consider that! So, I know it’s a cliché, and all musicians say this, but I can honestly say that we could not have made a better Tiamat album right now.
10. What does the future hold in store for Tiamat?
A- Hopefully touring, touring and touring. It may even take us to the States, where we haven’t been since Bush the elder ran the place! I hope we get to flog this horse until it, or us, drops dead!
Sonic Syndicate – Only Inhuman [Tour Edition]
Nuclear Blast Records
(4/5)
Swedish Metalcore is still making an impact as Sonic Syndicate released the Tour Edition of their second full length album Only Inhuman! Two things I have to point out about this band that I think are interesting are the use of two vocalists (Richard Sjunnesson and Roland Johansson) and the fact that Richard is the brother of both guitarists (Roger and Robin Sjunnesson). Together, the four of these guys join with bassist Karin Axelsson and drummer John Bengtsson to create an amazing Metalcore sound whether it be live or on an album! As far as the album side of the band is concerned, Only Inhuman is definitely an awesome album that should grace every Metalcore fan’s collection. Out of the 12 tracks (the 12th being a bonus track for the Tour Edition) on the album, I certainly would have to recommend all of them as being great ones to listen to, but there are a few I would promote a bit more than the others. The ones I most recommend looking at are “Blue Eyed Fiend” (Track 2), “Double Agent 616″ (Track 4), “Enclave” (Track 5), “All About Us” (Track 9), and “Freelancer” (Track 12) if you have the Tour Edition. These five songs provide a great range of styles and sounds you’ll get in listening to Sonic Syndicate material. Again, for the overall final product of the album, this is a great album to add to your collection if you are a Metalcore fan. These six individuals are all very talented and I certainly can’t wait for the next album to come out!
Scar Symmetry – Holographic Universe
Nuclear Blast Records
(4/5)
Scar Symmetry can be called a band of many talents, and their newest full length release entitled Holographic Universe helps defend that statement. Whether you want to call this album a Metalcore album, a Melodic Death metal album, or a Progressive Death metal album, everyone should realize that Scar Symmetry has some major skills! Between Christian Älvestam’s beautiful clean vocals and brutal death growls and the sick guitar skills between guitarists Jonas Kjellgren and Per Nilsson, the melodic aspects of this album are absolutely spot on. However awesome these three guys are, the overall heaviness and pure musical sound would not be complete without the help of bassist Kenneth Seil and drummer Henrik Ohlsson (who also writes lyrics for the band). Putting all these skills together have made a difficult decision as far as picking favorite songs, but the one I would most recommend is the title track “Holographic Universe” (Track 10). This track happens to be the longest track on the album at a time of 9:05 and I think it truly shows the wide range of talent these five guys posess. It takes you through futuristic synth effects, Meshuggah style heavy guitar and duble bass, and some massively brutal Metal. One cool aspect Scar Symmetry implements into the track is the Progressive sound just before battering you with heaviness and blistering guitar solos once again. Overall, this is a great track to catch a fairly large sized glimpse of Scar Symmetry’s true power. Other than “Holographic Universe”, I recommend listening to “Artificial Sun Projection” (Track 4), “Fear Catalyst” (Track 7), and “Prism And Gate” (Track 9). All of the tracks have their unique greatnesses, but these are a few of my favorite songs. All in all, I say Holographic Universe is definitely an album to add to your metal arsenal. The overall product is one that you will be listening to nonstop until the next album comes out!
Tiamat – Amanethes
Nuclear Blast Records
(4/5)
Tiamat is back from a five year hiatus and they have released an album that shows that they still mean business! Whether you want to call Tiamat Goth, Electronic, Folk, Experimental, or any other genre that can be found in their music, the one thing that can be agreed on by everyone is the darkness that isn’t hard to find in the music from beginning to end of Amanethes. Personally, I would categorize this band under Goth rock or Goth metal to properly cover every aspect put into the mix including clean guitars, keyboards, choir vocals, and even double bass drums. No matter what you call it, Amanethes turned out to be a great album! Led by the gruff vocals and guitar/keyboard work of Johan Edlund, Tiamat takes you on a musical journey through 14 tracks that all have their unique styles and aspects that make them all vital to Amanethes‘ magnitude. To mention a few favorite tracks of mine from the 14, I must say I like “The Temple of the Crescent Moon” (Track 1), “Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again” (Track 3), and “Lucienne” (Track 5). My most favorite is “Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again” for its slow and heavy guitar riff that backs up Johan Edlund’s deep and lulling voice. Together, the two elements create a very “dream-like state” effect and are accented by the keyboards in the background. Overall, the track is an excellent one. “Lucienne” has a very similar affect, making it my, close, second choice for favorite track. Overall, Amanethes is a great, very dark album that has sparked my interest in this style of music. If you are a fan of Goth rock and darker styles of music, definitely go and pick up a copy of this album!
