This is the review I wrote... it will soon appear on:
www.lordseverance.com
Anathema – A Natural Disaster
After two adamant years Anathema finally got their longawaited follower of “A Fine Day to Exit“ released, meaningfull name: A Natural Disaster ...
The five Brits around the genius guitarist and main songwriter Danny Cavanagh made it again, after times of speechlessness I‘ll INDEED try to verbalize me feelings and thoughts about this special album... more or less objective... „Feel Free“
Expectations are always high pitched when it comes to Anathema, coz I steadily followed their way over the years .
The burden to record and mix an album with less money and time didn‘t even harm them – on the contrary,with much love for details, joice to experiment and tremendous talent,nothing could go wrong, especially in this case !
„Harmonium“ the opening track is called, which introduces the „journey“ directly to our hearts and souls. An egregius atmosphere and power shines through of which we were taken apart of step by step, if nothing else through the use of warm keyboard tunes and several nice soundeffects.
„Balance“, a classical Anathema song, is one of the highlights of this album, although some Radiohead influences shine through, nonetheless they never try to copy anything. A wonderfull melody coupled to the variable voice-power of Vincent conciliates a true balance between the fragility and a certain kind of power which goes hand in hand skilfully.
„Closer“ could appear strange to you when you are giving it the first listen, as huge and weighty effects on voice were used in this song, somehow, one message stays: „Shine in time“ – in my humble opinion it is downright DOOMY through this effect...
„Are you there“ is kinda wonderfull lovesong, this time sung by Danny, who musn‘t hide behind his little brother vocally. I only wonder if the breathing between the sentences is intended !?!
Like a punch in the face „Pulled Under at two thousand metres a second“ hits us, a very uptight, 100% heavy and kick-ass song, somehow simple but very effective configured. The vocal-lines do remind me a bit of Floyd‘s „Sheep“. This one should definately appear even to die-hard-fans who only appreciate their older stuff, how limited it ever is though...I am restless enthused !!!!!!!!
The title track „A Natural Disaster“ comes along a little paralysing, although it seems to be very up-to-date that female vocals were used (and Lee Douglas, the drummers sister is surely a brilliant singer). After endless attempts yet to find pleasure in it, alas I am not convinced at all....
Now it comes to my personal highlight „Flying“, somehow a friendship song, altogether carried by Vinnies excellently intonated singing and the brilliant emphasized accents of guitars.“It feels like I‘m flying, above you...“. Yes, I feel like that – one of the most powerfull alltime-fave-Anathema songs in my opinion, which nearly arests „One last Goodbye“ from the JUDGEMENT album on my personal hitlist...
„Electricity“ is passable but not really protrudeing. The pianoparts are nice, Daniels singing once again proper intonated, but the song doesn‘t stick in one‘s mind, it isn‘t miserable though...
A real MASTERPIECE follows at the end, „Violence“, a mixture of downright phantasmagoric piano-parts, unbelievably poignant and an orchestral, extremely tight guitar-dominated middle-part, carried by „my“ so beloved wistfull solo-guitar, determining in so many of their songs – THANK you Danny – at the very end followed by another sad but godly piano-crest, absolute ingeniously pointed and virtuoso played...
It should be mentioned shortly:
Somewhere on this album there‘s another instrumental situated (Track 5 to be exact), named „Childhood Dream“. Very „sweet“, with kiddies brabbling and laughing (somewhat) inside and a melody somewhere flying in other spheres. Neat, but not worth mentioning.
The journey unfortunately ends up here. This album lent me again through emotional ups and downs, like their albums ever do.
Of a surity Anathema aren‘t classical METAL anymore, but their actual music style shouldn‘t be classified by me – I wouldn‘t even be able to do so though...
They are what they are, clearly should be considered world-class with format and gifted with TONS of talent.
In addition to this it should be mentioned that Jamie Cavanagh joined the band again as bassist , so the line-up is nearly the same that it was in early demo-times.
As a whole the album put me fully under the spell, apart from the very small „gaffes“ it convinced me totally..
Me alltime-fave-Anathema album will still be Judgement and also Alternative4 wasn‘t topped, but it earned a more than fair third place in my Anathema album ranking.
Full of admiration I deeply respect this absolutely ingenious band and the huge progress they accomplished...
92/100
Aerwen,
december 2003
www.lordseverance.com
Anathema – A Natural Disaster
After two adamant years Anathema finally got their longawaited follower of “A Fine Day to Exit“ released, meaningfull name: A Natural Disaster ...
The five Brits around the genius guitarist and main songwriter Danny Cavanagh made it again, after times of speechlessness I‘ll INDEED try to verbalize me feelings and thoughts about this special album... more or less objective... „Feel Free“
Expectations are always high pitched when it comes to Anathema, coz I steadily followed their way over the years .
The burden to record and mix an album with less money and time didn‘t even harm them – on the contrary,with much love for details, joice to experiment and tremendous talent,nothing could go wrong, especially in this case !
„Harmonium“ the opening track is called, which introduces the „journey“ directly to our hearts and souls. An egregius atmosphere and power shines through of which we were taken apart of step by step, if nothing else through the use of warm keyboard tunes and several nice soundeffects.
„Balance“, a classical Anathema song, is one of the highlights of this album, although some Radiohead influences shine through, nonetheless they never try to copy anything. A wonderfull melody coupled to the variable voice-power of Vincent conciliates a true balance between the fragility and a certain kind of power which goes hand in hand skilfully.
„Closer“ could appear strange to you when you are giving it the first listen, as huge and weighty effects on voice were used in this song, somehow, one message stays: „Shine in time“ – in my humble opinion it is downright DOOMY through this effect...
„Are you there“ is kinda wonderfull lovesong, this time sung by Danny, who musn‘t hide behind his little brother vocally. I only wonder if the breathing between the sentences is intended !?!
Like a punch in the face „Pulled Under at two thousand metres a second“ hits us, a very uptight, 100% heavy and kick-ass song, somehow simple but very effective configured. The vocal-lines do remind me a bit of Floyd‘s „Sheep“. This one should definately appear even to die-hard-fans who only appreciate their older stuff, how limited it ever is though...I am restless enthused !!!!!!!!
The title track „A Natural Disaster“ comes along a little paralysing, although it seems to be very up-to-date that female vocals were used (and Lee Douglas, the drummers sister is surely a brilliant singer). After endless attempts yet to find pleasure in it, alas I am not convinced at all....
Now it comes to my personal highlight „Flying“, somehow a friendship song, altogether carried by Vinnies excellently intonated singing and the brilliant emphasized accents of guitars.“It feels like I‘m flying, above you...“. Yes, I feel like that – one of the most powerfull alltime-fave-Anathema songs in my opinion, which nearly arests „One last Goodbye“ from the JUDGEMENT album on my personal hitlist...
„Electricity“ is passable but not really protrudeing. The pianoparts are nice, Daniels singing once again proper intonated, but the song doesn‘t stick in one‘s mind, it isn‘t miserable though...
A real MASTERPIECE follows at the end, „Violence“, a mixture of downright phantasmagoric piano-parts, unbelievably poignant and an orchestral, extremely tight guitar-dominated middle-part, carried by „my“ so beloved wistfull solo-guitar, determining in so many of their songs – THANK you Danny – at the very end followed by another sad but godly piano-crest, absolute ingeniously pointed and virtuoso played...
It should be mentioned shortly:
Somewhere on this album there‘s another instrumental situated (Track 5 to be exact), named „Childhood Dream“. Very „sweet“, with kiddies brabbling and laughing (somewhat) inside and a melody somewhere flying in other spheres. Neat, but not worth mentioning.
The journey unfortunately ends up here. This album lent me again through emotional ups and downs, like their albums ever do.
Of a surity Anathema aren‘t classical METAL anymore, but their actual music style shouldn‘t be classified by me – I wouldn‘t even be able to do so though...
They are what they are, clearly should be considered world-class with format and gifted with TONS of talent.
In addition to this it should be mentioned that Jamie Cavanagh joined the band again as bassist , so the line-up is nearly the same that it was in early demo-times.
As a whole the album put me fully under the spell, apart from the very small „gaffes“ it convinced me totally..
Me alltime-fave-Anathema album will still be Judgement and also Alternative4 wasn‘t topped, but it earned a more than fair third place in my Anathema album ranking.
Full of admiration I deeply respect this absolutely ingenious band and the huge progress they accomplished...
92/100
Aerwen,
december 2003
