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"Wildhoney" is downright fantastic.
It's one of those rare albums of contemporary music that are compositions in themselves, not just a somewhat random array of songs. Furthermore, it has it all: Both variety and unity of style, a naturally comfortable flow, interesting contrasts, ... Read review
It's one of those rare albums of contemporary music that are compositions in themselves, not just a somewhat random array of songs. Furthermore, it has it all: Both variety and unity of style, a naturally comfortable flow, interesting contrasts, musical and lyrical depth, an unflawed consistency of quality pieces, and while truly sounding best when listened ... ...songs. You will find songs to listen to with your mother, lover, friends, and on your own, cuddled up in your bed in the morn, in a darkened room in the middle of the night, sitting on the porch in summer or driving through snow in winter, on your headphones riding the bus, or (very rarely, I'm afraid) even in small independent clubs where they actually still know about good music.
Unlike other works by TIAMAT,
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"Wildhoney" is downright fantastic.
It's one of those rare albums of contemporary music that are compositions in themselves, not just a somewhat random array of songs. Furthermore, it has it all: Both variety and unity of style, a naturally comfortable flow, interesting contrasts, musical and lyrical depth, an unflawed consistency of quality pieces, and while truly sounding best when listened to in one continuous session, they also succeed as standalone songs. You will find songs to listen to with your mother, lover, friends, and on your own, cuddled up in your bed in the morn, in a darkened room in the middle of the night, sitting on the porch in summer or driving through snow in winter, on your headphones riding the bus, or (very rarely, I'm afraid) even in small independent clubs where they actually still know about good music.
Unlike other works by TIAMAT,
"Wildhoney" is timeless. Before its release the band played a harsh kind of metal, afterwards an electronic kind of rock. Being one of those once-in-a-lifetime pieces of art, the songwriting on "Wildhoney" is almost classical. Sometimes dark, and sometimes light, it has an overall richness, a depth of emotion to it, which lends it a very romantic feel. However, there are also psychodelic and progressive streaks and influences on this album, while at times it is rather ambient, even folksy with parts being played on the acoustic guitar. There is a wide range of moods featured on this album; and a wide range of modes, too: Some parts are really dense, while others are open, some follow a rather song-orientated pattern while others seem totally free. But all of them are bound together by what I prefer to call magic for lack of a better word.
The beauty of this music cannot be captured in words,
for any attempt to do so would be, in effect, like shooting butterflies with a shotgun; so I'll only give you a brief sketch of randomly selected impressions: The breathing animal nature of 'Whatever that hurts', the sublime choir of instruments and solemn song of 'The Ar', the concerto of lurking shadows, creeping bugs and filtering rays of light in '25th Floor', the procession of measured cymbal crashs, free variation of piano licks and intense guitar solo in 'Gaia', the energetically charged buzz of 'Visionaire', the awakening of tentative feelings in the aftermath of a cleansing rain in 'Kaleidoscope', the devoted languor and burning calm of 'Do You Dream Of Me?', the sizzling cool and placid playfulness of synths in 'Planets', and a shivery thin thread of dripping jazz running through 'A Pocket Size Sun'.
Recommendable to anyone,
"Wildhoney" is still an album for the few. Clearly not all of it will appeal to anyone at once. This is due to the sheer variety and lushness of sounds that can be encountered by listening to it. To really understand its beauty you have to listen closely, at least for the first few dozen times until the songs have become ingrained in your mind. At least with me, it worked like this. By now, the music has almost become a part of me, and listening to it again feels like coming home, really. When you intend to give it a first listen, you should be open, free of any expectations, and just let the music fill you and carry you away. It might be an experience altering your perception of music altogether.
