Born to Die

This one is an oddity. Released in 2013 only on limited 7’’ vinyl for Bengans record store day, this single contains two songs. Both are covers – and fairly improbable ones, too, considering which artists are being covered here. Side A contains an interpretation of Lana Del Rey’s song "Born to Die" that was released one year prior on her eponymous album. The song on side B covers instead Bruce Springsteen’s 2002 song "Paradise". Both songs can actually be found on the deluxe edition of Tiamat’s last full-length to date, 2012’s The Scarred People.

The Lana Del Rey’s cover is pretty decent. The original version is already a fairly dark and moody affair, so it lends itself well to Tiamat’s gothic treatment. The Swedes replace the quirky electronica and orchestrations of the original with a forlorn Hammond and suitably distorted guitars om the chorus, to give it an extra bite. Meanwhile, Edlund croons away with his slightly treated low voice, in perfect The Sisters of Mercy’s style. While Tiamat have written much better songs in this sort of “goth club” style, the song makes for a credible goth tune after all.

Things don’t go equally well when Edlund has to fill some big shoes on the cover of the Boss’ "Paradise". Tiamat here take us back to the A Deeper Kind of Slumber mellowness, with a drony synth providing a somber but dreamy backdrop to Edlund’ singing. The experiment might have even been worthwhile, but Edlund is the weak link here. His vocals appear tentative and unnatural, as he tries to push himself out of his croony comfort zone to imitate Springsteen's unique style.

Nevertheless, both tracks manage to capture well the spirit of the originals, while adding the unmistakable Tiamat’s identity to them. This release remains, however, little more than a curio that should appeal to collectors only, especially given that both songs are available on The Scarred People too.