anathema

(9/10) Sometimes you don‘t have to be loud to get heard. Sometimes it‘s the calmer tones that reaches your ears and hit your soul. It‘s not only frantic riffs or a grooving rhythm section that makes the difference. Piano and a gentle singing acoustic guitar can do an excellent job too, reducing music to its essence.

Anathema‘s Danial Cavanagh knows all this and went through all the mentioned phases. Starting in the territory of death metal with Anathema many years ago the musical fate led him to areas where the beauty of soulful sounds shines in the spotlight.

This time the British musician doesn‘t release songs with Anathema. He took the challenge of working on a solo album entitled „Monochrome“. A glimpse on the artwork shows the musician with a sort if grim face expression, without any reasoning since the album should lead to a smile of satisfaction.

„Monochrome“ is built on seven songs, all being actually very colourful. Closing the eyes enable the listener to dive into beautiful pictures drawn by the sound of music.

What gives the album a wider approach is the inclusion of Anneke van Giersbergen and Anna Phoebe. Giersbergen’s powerful but also  soulful female voices make songs like „This Music“ and „Soho“ to terrific compositions with touching emotions and it’s Phoebe’s violin that adds another dimension to “Soho”, “The Silent Flight of the Raven Winged Hours” and Dawn”. In this context I also would like to mention the well-crafted interaction between loud and sensitive, being a crucial factor for adding a positive tension to the album.

„Monochrome“ is a fantastic album with seven gigantic compositions. Things end far too early with the cinematic closer „Some Dreams Come True“. Even though this song stands for the end of the album it also allows the listener to go back to start for a second, third, fourth,... time for another round of this exciting trip through the beauty of music.

(9/10)

Tracklist:

1. The Exorcist
2. This Music
3. Soho
4. The Silent Flight of the Raven Winged Hours
5. Dawn
6. Oceans of Time
7. Some Dreams Come True

Label: Kscope

Genre: Rock

Release Date EU: October 13^th, 2017

(9/10) Quite some years ago Anathema went through a meta(l)morphosis, moving step by step from being doom death outfit to one of Europe's finest alternative rock bands. Albums like "Alternative 4" and "A Natural disaster" belongs to the best the band ever released with the new longplayer fitting perfectly into this context.

"The Optimist" is the name of the new studio output, a masterpiece featuring eleven new compositions that are jaw-dropping good. Anathema's music is more than just songs, all together leading to the tracklist of an album. Each of these tunes in itself is a little treat for ear, mind and soul.

The starting point to this new story is a location well-known by Anathema fans. "32.63N 117.14W" are the coordinates of Silver Strand Beach, the place where the optimist disappeared at the end of the 2001 release "A Fine Day to Exit". In this sense the new disc bridges a period of 16 years, continuing in the here and now with beautiful soundscapes and big arcs of melodies.

"The Optimist" is not just and album. These songs are art, music that comes with an enormous emotional depth and a high level of inspiration. Regardless if it's the rocking songs like "Leaving it Behind", the beautiful title track or the light-hearted "Can't Let Go", things are done just in perfection by the Cavanagh brother and band mates. This album use more than the standard fashion. Here we are talking about cinematic music being a kick start for your own product of  imagination. What supports this approach is the contribution of soundtrack composer Paul Leonard Morgan who was brought into picture by producer Tony Doogan. It feels like this collaboration added an extra layer to Anathema's soulful music, captured on "The Optimist".

To sum up: "The Optimist" is the highly anticipated new album of Anathema, a band that belongs to the best alternative rock music can offer. This album is everything but no musical fast-food. This record comes with a rich offer which makes it to an exciting one, underlining the importance of the band in contemporary European rock music.

(9/10)

Tracklist:

1. 32.63N 117.14W
2. Leaving it Behind
3. Endless Ways
4. The Optimist
5. San Francisco
6. SpringfieldGhosts
7. Can't Let Go
8. Close Your Eyes
9. Wildfires
10. Back to the Start

Label: KSCOPE

Genre: Rock

Release Date EU: June 9th, 2017

Ambient rockers Anathema will release a new longplayer on June 9th via Kscope. It's entitled "The Optimist" and eleven new exciting songs of which the first one, "Springfield", is online as a video on the bands website.

Tracklist:

After Anathema’s 2012 award-winning album Weather Systems and 2014’s spellbinding Distant Satellites, the ambient rockers are back with their eleventh full-length, The Optimist. Due for release on 9th June through Kscope The Optimist will soon reveal some of the darkest, most challenging and unexpected music the sextet have put their name to.

Anathema, led by brothers Daniel and Vincent Cavanagh, along with drummer John Douglas, singer Lee Douglas, bassist Jamie Cavanagh and keyboardist Daniel Cardoso began recording The Optimist in the winter of 2016 at Attica Audio in Donegal, Ireland and then finished at Castle Of Doom studios in Glasgow with producer Tony Doogan [Mogwai, Belle & Sebastian, Super Furry Animals] at the helm. Vincent elaborates on Doogan’s influence on the recording process “he suggested that we record as a live band, which we hadn’t done for years. Having played a few tunes on the last tour, we were ready for that. Tony wanted to capture that energy you can only get with everyone facing each other… it makes a big difference. He was a superb guy to work with and I learned a lot making this record”

The idea for The Optimist was born from the front cover artwork of the band’s 2001 album A Fine Day To Exit Daniel Cavanagh explains “I suppose you might say the album is semi-autobiographical because this time we used a surrogate,” he says, of the character that is The Optimist “We put sound, feelings and crucially, our own hopes and fears into another person and made him the subject of the songs then weaving my own internal monologue into the narrative of The Optimist. It was John’s idea to write a narrative, so I took A Fine Day To Exit as the starting point”. Vincent elaborates further on the earlier album’s artwork influence “The guy who disappeared – you never knew what happened to him, did he start a new life? Did he succumb to his fate? It was never explained. The opening track title is the exact coordinates for Silver Strand beach in San Diego – the last known location of The Optimist – shown on the cover of A Fine Day to Exit.”

To continue the theme further, the band brought back designer and illustrator Travis Smith to create the artwork for The Optimist. The artwork was created from a series of photographs Smith took on a West Coast road trip.

With the character’s unresolved destiny the three song writing members, meticulously brought the unfinished story to an end – and most strikingly of all – one which is decided by the listener.

Tracklist:

1. 32.63N 117.14W [01:18]
2. Leaving It Behind [04:27]
3. Endless Ways [05:49]
4. The Optimist [05:37]
5. San Francisco [04:59]
6. Springfield [05:49]
7. Ghosts [04:17]
8. Can`t Let Go [05:00]
9. Close Your Eyes [03:39]
10. Wildfires [05:40]
11. Back To The Start [11:41]

(7/10) Old Fire is a project started by Texas based programmer John Mark Lapham who is known from The Earlies and The Late Cord. Mid June the first album of Old Fire will be released and it features thirteen songs that are kept silent and sphereful.

Joining the world-class rooster of KSCOPE, including artists/bands like Steven Wilson and The Pineapple Thief, Lapham developed this longplayer based on an album concept that comes from a 4AD project.

This record is, as most of the label's releases, a quiet and emotional journey through various soundscapes. This album isn't about being loud, having mighty riffs in the forefront. "Songs From the Haunted South"'s music is build on an instrumentation including piano, cello and guitars, played by various musicians.

The title of the album already indicates the atmosphere you can expect on "Songs From the Haunted South". It's not about swinging music with sing-along moments and light-hearted vibe. Each of the thirteen tunes has a melancholic vibe which gives Old Fire's debut a wistful expression. The artwork, kept in grey and done by designer Vaughan Oliver, is reflecting this very well and makes the longplayer to a complete package where things just fit together.

If you like the earlier mentioned bands as well as Anathema & co. you should listen to this album too. It's worth it even thoug it doesn't reach the extraordinary class of these bands. 

(7/10)

Tracklist:

1. Old Fire 3
2. Along Came A Sadness
3. Helix
4. Know How
5. It`s Easier Now
6. A Stranger in The Family
7. Bloodchild
8. Faust
9. Shadows
10. A Slight Grip, A Gentle Hold
11. Laser Beam
12. The Orchids
13. Deadhouse Dream

Label: KSCOPE

Genre: Prog Rock

Release Date EU: July 23, 2016

(9/10) "A Sort of Home Coming" is an impressive audio and video document of a group of musicians that started years and years ago as a doom band that came with quite some death metal influences. After such an entry into music Anathema moved step by step towards progressive rock and in the meantime they are belonging to the spearhead of modern prog and the guys from Liverpool cast a spell over fans of this genre.

The show that is captured for this release took place on March 7th, 2015 in their hometown. The impressive Liverpool Anglican Cathedral was chosen to be the scenery for this stunning concert that shows the band at its best.

The setlist of this unique event covers 15 songs with a focus on the last two studio records, "Distant Satellite" album and "Weather Systems". But Anathema goes also back in time with e.g. "Fragile Dreams", taken from the 1998 published longplayer "Alternative 4".

It goes without saying that a show in such an environment is a very emotional moment. The acoustic versions of each of the tunes is touching. This live release is more than just a show that is filmed, recorded and published. "A Sort of Home Coming" is a musical thank you to the band's hometown and a pleasurable moment for each of the fans that had the chance to see this event live and in real.

Blessedly the CD/DVD version gives a bigger audience the chance to dive into a world of melodies, harmonies and big soundscapes. Lasse Hoile, as director, Christer-Andre Cederberg as producer and Bruce Soord, who did the engineering have done a great job.

The DVD is a great experience to watch and see, while the CD version invites for closing your eyes with your earphones on, just to dream away the moment.

(9/10)

Tracklist:

1. The Lost Song, Part 2
2. Untouchable, Part 1
3. Untouchable, Part 2
4. Thin Air
5. Dreaming Light
6. Anathema
7. Ariel
8. Electricity
9. Temporary Peace
10. The Beginning And The End
11. Ditant Satelittes
12. Take Shelter
13. Internal Landscapes
14. A Natural Distaster
15. Fragile Dreams

Label: KSCOPE

Genre: Prog Rock

Release Date EU: October 30st, 2015

Prog rockers Anathema produced a new concert film with Lasse Holle. The shows that was recorded took place in March this year in the Liverpool Cathedral. The title of the entire package is called "A sort of homecoming" and it will in different formats (Release date: October 30st, 2015):

4 Disc Box Set: 2CD – Audio Live Konzert (100 min.), DVD - Live Konzert (100 min.) + behind the scenes Film "A Temporary Peace" + Konzert auf BluRay. Verpackt in ein Deluxe Media Book mit 36 seitigem Booklet, im Pappschuber.

2CD + DVD: 2CD – Live Konzert (100 min.) - 5.1 Audio Mixed by The Pineapple Thief's Bruce Soord.

BluRay: Live Konzert (100 min.) 5.1 Audio Mixed by The Pineapple Thief's Bruce Soord. + behind the scenes Film "A Temporary Peace"

LP: Dreifach 180g Vinyl LP inkl. MP3 Download Code 

Download: Audio Live Konzert (100 min.)

And here comes the tracklist of this musical masterpiece:

1. The Lost Song Part 2
2. Untouchable Part 1
3. Untouchable Part 2
4. Thin Air
5. Dreaming Light
6. Anathema
7. Ariel
8. Electricity
9. Temporary Peace
10. The Beginning And The End
11. Distant Satellites
12. Take Shelter
13. Internal Landscapes
14. A Natural Disaster
15. Fragile Dreams

The Roadburn organisation announced that Anathema will headline the Sunday date of the 20th edition of Roadburn Festival, at the 013 venue on April 12, 2015 in Tilburg, The Netherlands, with a special performance that will span the innovative British band’s 25-year career, and include special guest appearances by former bassist and songwriter Duncan Patterson and original singer Darren White. The Roadburn show will be one of just a few dates that will make up Anathema’s short 2015 ‘Resonance’ tour.

Anathema have steadily built a loyal following worldwide, and their career trajectory is unlike that of any other band in the last quarter century, and will be reflected and celebrated in reverse chronological order at Roadburn 2015. Starting with the anthemic progressive rock of their recent work (2012’s classic Weather Systems and 2010’s We’re Here Because We’re Here), the performance will gradually move back in time through the more gothic-oriented material of 1998’s Alternative 4 and 1996’s Eternity, all the way back to the pioneering work of 1995’s The Silent Enigma and the 1993 debut Serenades, with Patterson and White joining the band onstage for an historic reunion.

“Roadburn festival [is] a hugely respected institution and has to be the most fitting launch for the Anathema 'Resonance' tour, [It will be] a celebration of the band's entire history, and to be joined by our old friends and comrades Duncan Patterson and Darren White for these exclusive shows will be a very special, potent and positive event for all of us. We hope you can join in this once in a lifetime celebration” - Danny Cavanagh. 

This will be one of Roadburn 2015’s absolute highlights, and we can’t express how happy we are that the band has chosen Roadburn for such a once in a lifetime performance. Anathema's early albums – the lineups with Duncan Patterson and Darren White – as well as the Judgement album have been a huge influence on many bands that have played Roadburn over the years, and they they are a blueprint for the festival itself as well. We’ve been in love with this band since the beginning, and their headlining performance on Sunday is Roadburn’s own tribute to Anathema, a unique opportunity for fans to see the band perform with two crucial early members.

The 20th edition of Roadburn Festival runs from April 9 to 12, 2015 in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

Source: Roadburn (Promo)

Prog rockers Anathema are still on tour in Europe and there are a few more dates coming. Here they are:

Prog rockers Anathema are on tour in autumn. Here are the dates:

(7/10) It was in 2003 when Mark Peters, Dan MacBean, Andrew Sweeney and Simon Phipps founded Engineers. The debut of the London based band was released in 2005 and after a few changes in the line up Engineers publish their newest album “Always returning” in August this year. In the meantime Mark Peters is the only founding member in the line-up that worked on the new album. The current line-up is completed by Ulrich Schnauss and Matthew Linley.

The music can be defined as chilling rock music with a certain pop appeal. The songs are kept slow and reflecting. It isn't a heavy album or a real rock disc. It is more an album for a chilling Sunday after having a hard Saturday night.

Big soundscapes based on guitar and keyboard are the main focus with Engineers. The songs structure, the arrangement and the melody are in focus in each of the ten tracks.

Everybody who is looking for heavy riffs shouldn't really consider this album as being yours. But fans of bands like Anathema and Pink Floyd should give this album a chance. I guess you will like it.

(7/10)

PS.: In case anyone knows what;s the link between Innsbruck and the band, please leave a comment.

Tracklist:

1. Bless the painter
2. Fight or flight
3. It rings so true
4. Drive your car
5. Innsbruck
6. Searched for answers
7. Smiling back
8. A million voices
9. Smoke and mirrors
10. Always returning

Label: Kscope

Genre: Prog Rock

(9/10) Finest prog rock from the UK – that’s what Anathema stands for. It’s amazing what kind of change the band made. Some of you maybe can still remember the early days of the band ("Serenades") when they played a mix of doom and gothic metal. They even went on tour with Bolt Thrower and Paradise Lost. This was in the beginning of the 90’s.

In the meantime the band became a constant factor in the prog scene. Anathema underlines this with their new record „Distant satellites“. The release date fort his thrilling new record is June 9. A day you should mark in your agendas.

The heart of the new album ist he trilogy „The lost song“. It was in 2009 when Danny Cavanagh wrote a riff, which could have become a great song at that time. But unfortunately the riff disappeared from the computer and was lost. Lost forever? Probably yes. All rescue actions didn’t succeed. The riff was gone. The „Lost song“-trilogy on „Distant satellites“ is the attempt to recall it and get the idea back. But it didn't came back.

The good thing is, that it inspirened the band to write three new high standard song. Listen for example to the opner. It’s an almost six minutes long masterpiece of prog rock. It shows the high level of energy which goes with the band, but it also shows the more silent and fraglie side too. All combined in this song. Or listen to the swinging „part 3“ of the „Lost song“ story. The melancholic melody is enchanting. The album has with „Anathema“ also for the first time a tune which gave the band their name. It’s a silent track, it’s slow and it carries a lot of emotions. Another remarkable tune is the short „Firelight“. The song is purely based on keyboards and makes you dreaming. Rock music or not; this track is just great. You could see it also as an longer intro for the title track. There is an almost seamless transition. "Distant satellites“ is a passionted and relaxed track which shows the beauty of melody and harmonie.  

The production of „Distant satellites“ is beyond each doubt. The record was produced and mixed by Christer-André Cederborg in his own studio in Oslo, Norway who did an excellent job.

The album is rounded off a typical Anathema cover. This time it was created by a Korean guy. His name is Sang Jun Yoo and he a new media artist. Coinsident or not; the red color reminds a bit to „A natural disaster“ and „Hintsight“.

All Anathema fans will love the new album. It’s an album which will probably also bring new fans to the band. If you never heard about Anathema yet I also can recommend you the latest live album (see link), which gives a good overview about the songs and music of the band.

Music for earphones.

(9/10)

Tracklist:

1. The lost song – part 1
2. The lost song – part 2
3. Dusk (Dark is descending)
4. Ariel
5. The lost song – part 3
6. Anathema
7. You’re not aone
8. Firelight
9. Distant satelitte
10. Take shelter

Label: Kscope

Gerne: Prog Rock

After quite a while Swedens dark metal band Katatonia decided to go on tour again. I think it is the first time since 2011 that the band plays a few shows. In the meantime things changed, last but not least even the line-up of the band. In a renewed constellation the five guys had a look into their songs and decided to re-arrange some of them. They made semi-accoustic versions which they present now live on this tour. So you can say that it is a logical continuation of what they have started last year with the fantastic "Dethroned and uncrowned" album.

If I look on Katatonia's development I see parallels with Anathema. Also they started with death metal influenced dark metal, before their sound became more and more relaxed, partly accoustic with a bigger prog rock orientation.

However, the evening in Amstelveen, Holland started with the UK rockers from Messenger. The five guys play a melange out of prog rock, some smaller folk element and some psychedalic influences. Their sound fitted perfect and listening to them was entertaining. Not more and not less.

After a short break the highlight of the evening was ready to go. Katatonia entered the stage for a 15 songs long set with some real highlights. Encased in sphereful blue and red light the band started with "In the white" into the evening. While talking about the light; the stage was done very basic, as it should be for an accoustic show. The focus was on the music, which was good. The only extra from a visual point of view have been the obligatory candles on stage and some light bulbs from the ceiling. That was it. 
These unplugged shows have been very special for the band. Jonas Renske and Anders Nyström mentioned a couple of times that they have been nervous before the show, since it was just the second accoustic gig. But the little stagefright was not recognisable. A bit introvert and reflecting the band created a magic atmosphere of vulnerability and melancholia. It shows the potential of the songs that they can be re-arranged in such a way. 
A look on the setlist also shows that Katatonia played tunes which they haven't played ever live, like "Gone" and "The one you are looking for is not here". Next to these two tracks the guys from Stockholm also added songs to the show which they haven't played live for many years. The last time songs like "Day" and "A darkness coming" have been performed was many years ago. Time was flying and it was far too early when Renske announced the last song. But the fans have been fascinated by the performance and demanded an encore. Katatonia came back for one more song. But after the final note of "The one you are looking for is not here" was played the light went on and the moment of magic was over. 70 minutes was definitely too short for such a show. That was a real downer. You could see this also in the faces of the fans. This time it was quality instead of quantity. Maybe next time it is both.

To sum up. It was a cool and chilling evening with very sphereful music from two good bands. A succesful experiment which can be done more often. But of course Katatonia also should not forget to rock ;o)

Katatonia continues the tour with a few more shows in Germany, Switzerland, France and UK. All concerts will take place at special locations which emphasis the ambience. Check it out.

Setlist:

1. In the white
2. Ambitious
3. Teargas
4. Gone (live premier)
5. A darkness coming (first performance since 2004)
6. One year
7. Racing heart
8. Tonight's music
9. Sleeper
10. Undo you
11. Lethean
12. Day (first performance since 1997)
13. Idle blood
14. Unfurl
15. The one you are looking for is not here (live premier)

Location: P60, Amsterlveen, The Netherlands

Genre: Rock (semi-unplugged)