Anathema fans...

[Bacchus]

I personally feel that Anathema after Darren left has never been that good. The one notable exception is "Eternity" which was an excellent album in all ways (even Darren said so). Unless I'm mistaken, it seems that most Anathema fans on this board like the later stuff ("Alternative 4", "Judgement", etc.) better. Subjectivity of opinion, I suppose. Maybe there is something in the newer Anathema that I don't get. To me all of it seems like petty, wrist-slashing teenage angst. Stuff like "Serenades" however is *MUCH* deeper. As I love to say, "Serenades" is like an ocean of sadness. And the crowning achievment is "Lovelorn Rhapsody"---possibly the saddest song ever written.

Just thought I'd express my sentiments. What does everyone else think?

"Adorning me, a lovelorn rhapsody..."

 

[Graveless Soul]

To be honest, I preferred them after Darren left. I never really liked his vocals. In my opinion, The Silent Enigma is the best stuff they've done. OK the production is awful, but it definately a "must have" if you want to get into the whole doom thing....

 

[yourdeadgroom]

Speaking of Darren, he's got a new band:

http://www.digitalmetal.com/news.asp?cid=1388

Anathema are one of only 2 bands of which I like every song they've ever done. I must say, I prefer the albums prior to, and including, Eternity (my favourite one). I do miss the epic approach they did (eg Kingdom- they take like 5 minutes to build the intro up. I love that sort of thing), but their new stuff is also cool. I don't generally like 'generic' songs (ie verse-chorus etc..) of the type the band do now, but they manage to pack so much emotion into it, it keeps me interested. Vinny's vocals are coming along nicely now (though I maybe prefer the rawer sound off Eternity). Darren was very cool, the half-death metal/ half-spoken/ half-sung approach (yes, I know that all adds up to 3 halves ). Duncan leaving may turn out to be a pretty defining moment in the bands life though. The last album was good, lets hope they can keep it going.

 

[S4R]

I love Anathema, Serenades is their best work, I enjoy The Silent Enigma almost as much, as for after Darren left, their is a decline in the emotion of the music, I can listen to Alternative 4, but Judement just does not touch me in any way. Thats my opinion. Peace brethren.

 

[Wolff]

I always felt that post-Darren Anathema was rather bland... with the exception of Eternity and The Silent Enigma. I felt that the two creative geniuses in that band were Darren White and Duncan Patterson. The first was kicked out because he "couldn't sing", the second because was deemed "mentally unstable" from the Cavanaughs.

I love Serenades/Crestfallen and there are two great 12 minute songs in Pentecost (My Kingdom, We the Gods). I love the epic approach, the very slow intro build-up followed by the crunching sound... not necessarily fast, but very tense and heavy.

Finally I can't understand how someone into Opeth can summarily dismiss Darren White vox as too harsh. Give it another listen.

And check out Blood Divine's first album. There are some great songs in there.

 

[Mikael is God]

new anathema cd is fucking beautiful!!!

 

[Leper Affinity]

Alternative 4 and Judgement are pretty abstract albums. They're not that easy to get into. Oh, and I in no way can find any "teenage angst" inside these.

As for their earlier stuff, I love Serenades and The Silent Enigma, but I still prefer their newer stuff by far.

 

[godmachine12]

All I heard was how good Eternity was, so I went and bought it. I got home, put it in the player and about got sick. I hated it. I thought it was total shit. Judgement absolutely blows that older shit away. The vocals are terrible on those older albums. Judgement is one of my favorite discs of all time. All the songs are amazing imo. Great album.

n/p: Amorphis-Am Universum

 

[Bacchus]

Originally posted by Leper Affinity
Alternative 4 and Judgement are pretty abstract albums. They're not that easy to get into. Oh, and I in no way can find any "teenage angst" inside these.

As for their earlier stuff, I love Serenades and The Silent Enigma, but I still prefer their newer stuff by far.

"Abstract" as in devoid of substance? Sorry, just couldn't resist that. No offence, but I do note from your profile that you are eighTEEN...

Case in point.

 

[D Mullholand]

Originally posted by Bacchus


"Abstract" as in devoid of substance? Sorry, just couldn't resist that. No offence, but I do note from your profile that you are eighTEEN...

Case in point.

Maturity cannot be measured by age only. Some people don't grow up even when they are 60. They don't grow up, they grow old. So your "eighteen" argument is as valid as measuring penises.

I also would like to add that I do not dislike Darren's vocals because they're "too extreme", the growling moments are actually ok, but the dude REALLY couldn't sing, and his whining vocals are a distraction to the music, which is rather ok.

I still prefer their later work.

--------------------------------
NP: Current 93 - Thunder Perfect Mind

 

[Bacchus]

Originally posted by D Mullholand


Maturity cannot be measured by age only. Some people don't grow up even when they are 60. They don't grow up, they grow old. So your "eighteen" argument is as valid as measuring penises.

I also would like to add that I do not dislike Darren's vocals because they're "too extreme", the growling moments are actually ok, but the dude REALLY couldn't sing, and his whining vocals are a distraction to the music, which is rather ok.

Actually you are quite mistaken. "Maturity cannot be measured by age" is a cliche that frankly has little evidence to support it. Short of education, age is really the only other determining factor (I suppose experience, too---but usually that is closely tied to age). The human body is basically a chemical entity and its chemistry changes with physical age which in turn affects psychology. Ages 13-21 are full of radical changes in body chemistry (as I hope most of the people on this board know), but by the age of 25 the chemistry reaches a sort of equilibrium that gradually evolves into old age.

Regarding Darren's vocals, I think we will have to put this down to a STRONG difference of opinion. To me, his vocals convey far more emotion than the commercially viable Vinnie stuff. One cannot listen to Darren growl "For the deepest love I had has dissolved before my eyes..." without feeling the gut-wrenching emotion of such an experience. I suppose it is a prerequisite that one should have had such an experience in order to appreciate the intensity of the feeling. Once again, age comes into play.

By contrast, Vinnie's vocals while clear and haunting, lack Darren's intensity. Also, Anathema's post-Darren lyrics are nothing special. I don't worship Darren, but the fact is that the man was (is?) a poet, and a good one.

Final point: to the best of my knowledge, Darren has never whined on a record. Growled yes, spoken yes, moaned yes. But never whined. Bruce Dickinson whines.

 

[jesse]

Whining rules.

 

[Leper Affinity]

Originally posted by Bacchus


Actually you are quite mistaken. "Maturity cannot be measured by age" is a cliche that frankly has little evidence to support it. Short of education, age is really the only other determining factor (I suppose experience, too---but usually that is closely tied to age). The human body is basically a chemical entity and its chemistry changes with physical age which in turn affects psychology. Ages 13-21 are full of radical changes in body chemistry (as I hope most of the people on this board know), but by the age of 25 the chemistry reaches a sort of equilibrium that gradually evolves into old age.

Regarding Darren's vocals, I think we will have to put this down to a STRONG difference of opinion. To me, his vocals convey far more emotion than the commercially viable Vinnie stuff. One cannot listen to Darren growl "For the deepest love I had has dissolved before my eyes..." without feeling the gut-wrenching emotion of such an experience. I suppose it is a prerequisite that one should have had such an experience in order to appreciate the intensity of the feeling. Once again, age comes into play

consult your nearest psychologist. he would tell you maturity can be very relative to the age. what are your sources anyway? you only seem to be based on your own stupid observations and generalizations.

Main Entry: 1ab·stract
Pronunciation: ab-'strakt, 'ab-"
Function: adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin abstractus, from Latin, past participle of abstrahere to drag away, from abs-, ab- + trahere to pull, draw
Date: 14th century
1 a : disassociated from any specific instance <abstract entity> b : difficult to understand : ABSTRUSE <abstract problems> c : insufficiently factual : FORMAL <possessed only an abstract right>
2 : expressing a quality apart from an object <the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract>
3 a : dealing with a subject in its abstract aspects : THEORETICAL <abstract science> b : IMPERSONAL, DETACHED <the abstract compassion of a surgeon -- Time>
4 : having only intrinsic form with little or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content <abstract painting>


now as you can see anything possesing the quality of being abstract has a lot of substance.

now according to your mentality then Sartre must have been full of teenage angst as well. imbecile.

 

[Bacchus]

Originally posted by Leper Affinity


consult your nearest psychologist. he would tell you maturity can be very relative to the age. what are your sources anyway? you only seem to be based on your own stupid observations and generalizations.

Main Entry: 1ab·stract
Pronunciation: ab-'strakt, 'ab-"
Function: adjective
Etymology: Medieval Latin abstractus, from Latin, past participle of abstrahere to drag away, from abs-, ab- + trahere to pull, draw
Date: 14th century
1 a : disassociated from any specific instance <abstract entity> b : difficult to understand : ABSTRUSE <abstract problems> c : insufficiently factual : FORMAL <possessed only an abstract right>
2 : expressing a quality apart from an object <the word poem is concrete, poetry is abstract>
3 a : dealing with a subject in its abstract aspects : THEORETICAL <abstract science> b : IMPERSONAL, DETACHED <the abstract compassion of a surgeon -- Time>
4 : having only intrinsic form with little or no attempt at pictorial representation or narrative content <abstract painting>


now as you can see anything possesing the quality of being abstract has a lot of substance.

now according to your mentality then Sartre must have been full of teenage angst as well. imbecile.

Errr... have you ever heard of humor? My comment about "abstract" was meant to be facetious. Obviously it was lost upon you.

Regarding your teenage angst, I don't want to talk about it anymore as it will accomplish nothing. But relax, man. You'll grow out of it...

 

[Leper Affinity]

Originally posted by Bacchus


Errr... have you ever heard of humor? My comment about "abstract" was meant to be facetious. Obviously it was lost upon you.

Regarding your teenage angst, I don't want to talk about it anymore as it will accomplish nothing. But relax, man. You'll grow out of it...

it is evident when somebody has just ran out of arguments and has way too much ego to admit it.

 

[Anthony]

Hey, calm, men! We are all Anathemian here! I like more later stuff of Anathema, especially "The Silent Enigma", it's my favorite. But I like all previous albs too. And I think it is good that Darren left Anathema: Anathema are great after that and The Blood Divine, where Darren sang and made two BRILLIANT albums "Mystica" and "Awaken", is something really great! Now Darren sings in a new band DEAD MEN DREAM , you can check it: http://www.digitalmetal.com/




FANS OF ANATHEMA< PEACE FOREVER!!!

 

[Russell]

Wow, I'm 17, does that mean I'm allowed 2 get angsty on this board? I never knew. Oh well better make up for it:

Aaaaaaah, my parents never loved me, I was beaten as a child by other children, my life sucks, so to make up for that I'm going to go and listen 2 some kORN

I disagree with whoever said that maturity is strongly linked with age. Weakly yes but many of my friends who are also 17 are a hell of a lot more mature than many of the adults I know And 1 10 year old I know is a hell of a lot more mature than my friends

 

[Bacchus]

Originally posted by Leper Affinity


it is evident when somebody has just ran out of arguments and has way too much ego to admit it.

Actually, I'm just bored and don't care enough to continue. Also, I just can't bring myself to feel hostile towards you, so peace my little Opeth-brother.

 

[Russell]

Originally posted by Bacchus
Actually, I'm just bored and don't care enough to continue. Also, I just can't bring myself to feel hostile towards you, so peace my little Opeth-brother.

Hehe, here is a man practiced in the art of patronising Please tell me, u must have a younger brother or sister?

 

[Leper Affinity]

Originally posted by Bacchus


Actually, I'm just bored and don't care enough to continue. Also, I just can't bring myself to feel hostile towards you, so peace my little Opeth-brother.

it's just stubborn people like you piss me off. that's all.