5

Weak As ...

Swedish band Tiamat started life as a death metal outfit but are about as far removed from that these days as it's possible to get! Today they sound very much like the Sisters of Mercy, with deep goth styled vocals and doom laden guitars. They get a decent sized crowd but from a couple of songs in they really struggle to hold onto them.

The songs are simple in structure but they do have something of a hypnotic, driven feel about them. They just don't go anywhere though and the suppressed nature of the songs doesn't make for a very entertaining stage show either. The crowd stand motionless throughout and really there's not alot else they could do in the face of this. The longer Tiamat play the more boring they become and they just start to fade into the background as punters all over the venue go to the bar, go out for a fag or just have a chin wag. There isn't another band playing all weekend that has as little life, onstage presence or energy as Tiamat and they seem hopelessly out of place on this bill. The muted crowd reaction as they leave would seem to suggest the majority of the crowd feel the same.