Russia’s Tiavara have a unique sound going for them. Something like System of a Down in a blender with Messhugah and progressive metal, the end result is their new album, Delusional Tales of Grand Intentions. Vocalist Artur Vardanyan is the standout performer on the album, switching from almost chanting vocals on “Faces” to a more emotional style on “Serenade of a Leech.”
Behind him, Tiavara summon bouncy grooves, blistering solos and even brief moments of dissonance. They’re a perfect foil to Vardanyan’s unique vocals, the whole combination coming out greater than the sum of its parts. You can listen Delusional Tales below and read a statement of intent from Tiavara.
“When we have conceived this album the idea was to take what we have done on When Sheep Dream of Paradise and bring it to the next level. We wanted our songs to be heavier, more extreme yet maintaining the groove and melodic component that we always strive for.
“In Delusional Tales of Grand Intentions we have further developed our vocal parts, ranging from faster paced almost chanting verses in the song “Faces” to more emotion driven storytelling passages of “When Silence Reigns” and “Serenade of a Leech” to underlying supporting extreme back vocals on “Celestial Dance”.
“Music on this album is arguably the most emotionally driven we’ve made so far. Ranging from sadness and anger fueling “Serenade of a Leech” to melancholy of “Among the Stars” and serenity behind “The Empty Sky”. The overall sound of the album turned out heavier just like we wanted.
“We feel that the title Delusional Tales of Grand Intentions is a good metaphor for the albums lyrics. We are trying to explore and deliver ideas that relate to everyone in one way or another, but we choose to do so in a purposefully exaggerated and poetic way. The main theme throughout the album is that of self confidence and a healthy mix of self reliance and trust in your close circle of friends and family. Even songs like “Among the Stars”, where we talk about how insignificant and small an individual life is on a scale of stellar events, are meant to deliver the idea that your life should matter to you first and foremost and it’s up to you to forge your happiness.”
