Metal Scrap Records has announced a Deluxe remastered edition of Tiamat’s seminal third album, Clouds, due out in Europe/United Kingdom on April 5th, 2024 and USA and Japan editions on May 3rd. originally released in 1992 via Century Media Records was critically lauded at the time of its release. The new remaster also includes the 1994 live EP “The Sleeping Beauty – Live in Israel” mini-album (1994), recorded live in Tel Aviv, Israel in June 3rd 1993. Produced by Waldemar Sorychta (Moonspell, Rotting Christ, Lacuna Coil, Samael, Grip INC.), Clouds continued to build on the Death/Doom influences of their earlier albums. The first 50 copies include an exclusive Patch and are available with orders via Total Metal Shop only. Pre-orders are live at the links below. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Waldemar Sorychta
Two Classic Albums by The Gathering to See Vinyl Releases
Legendary Dutch metal/rock band The Gathering will release vinyl pressings of Mandylion and Nighttime Birds via Transcending Records, only in North American. Initially released via Century Media Records in 1995, Mandylion is The Gathering’s third studio offering and the first to feature the now-iconic vocals of Anneke van Giersbergen. The album was recorded and mixed at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany under the guidance of Siggi Bemm and Waldemar Sorychta and has since become a cult classic. Continue reading
Arcturon – Expect Us
A release that serves both as a bridge from 2013’s An Old Storm Brewing and also as a celebration of the tenth anniversary of Arcturon, Expect Us (both Supreme Chaos) sees the Swiss melo-deathsters take a step further into the melodic.
Despite an ascending introductory riff that nods to NWOAHM, Expect Us has at its’ core a celebration of all things mid-90’s Century Media with the groove of Samael (Passages/Eternal era), the uptempo drive of Love and Death Sentenced and the gothic splashes of Irreligious Moonspell.
Opener ‘Treasure’ is the gold off the EP, with its cousins not coming up to the same level, lacking its spunk. Vocalist Aljosha Gasser’s gruff delivery suits the more uptempo kick off, snarling like Taneli Jarva, but is a clashing juxtaposition with the more reflective gothic tracks that follow; the two lines of Jonas Renske-style vocals that appear out of the blue on ‘A Restless Soul’ suit the sound of the rest of the EP much more, and it’s a shame they are only used once.
The other issue with Escape Us is that, while well played and boasting a production that recaptures the gothic warmth that Waldemar Sorychta used to excel at, little sticks in the mind as, ‘Treasure’ aside, this is a fairly lukewarm offering.
Happy 10th birthday, though, Arcturon. Hopefully decade #2 will see them find that missing something.
6.0/10
STEVE TOVEY