Album Reviews
Alternative 4 | Anathema
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This is an album I’ve had for a week now. I had listened to it several times in the background while working, cooking dinner, or being preoccupied in some other way and I could tell it had potential. This weekend I finally gave it a dedicated listen with a respectable volume and 100% of my attention and I was really blown away.
Anathema has some general stylistic similarities to Demians, although their music is more structured. None of the members stand out as being especially talented on their instrument yet everyone carries their weight, and all the pieces fit together perfectly. The music isn’t technically difficult but the songs are well written and well executed, and every step of the production process was clearly given significant attention. There’s also an emphasis placed on mood and dynamics. Anathema has a much more apparent Pink Floyd influence in both their style and sound however, and I think there’s some King Crimson in there as well. I really haven’t heard anything else like this recorded in the past decade; at times it’s very reminiscent of the 70’s.
Apparently Anathema’s earlier stuff is significantly heavier than Alternative 4, although I haven’t acquired any of these recordings yet. I do have their latest release, A Natural Disaster, which I think is decent but not great. Reportedly, they’re upcoming 2009 release is being mixed by Steve Wilson of Porcupine Tree, so that’s certainly a good sign.
My negatives for this album are very minimal. It’s mostly mellow so I’m unlikely to listen to it in the car with the top down. But on the flip side, it’s a perfect album if you need something to just chill out to. And even having said all that, there certainly are times when they let loose. The song Feel takes a dark metal turn towards the end, which is really cool, but then it just fades out; they should’ve done more with it in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong though, the middle of this album (tracks four through nine) is absolutely killer. You should listen to this music yourself rather than waste any more time reading me blabber about it. Go. Now.
Related Posts: Demians, Porcupine Tree
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