VIDEO'S OF THE WEEK: ANATHEMA

[Niels (Mod)]

VOTW - ANATHEMA

Anathema is a band, that I've been a fan of since .... 2010-11, I think. So far, I've bought 3 albums and one Live-DVD, and I was supposed to have seen them in concert a few years ago, but I ended up seeing Elton john instead. There's a new album on the way, and it will probably be out early next year. Wiki: Anathema are a British rock band from Liverpool. The line-up consists of singers and guitarists Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh, their brother Jamie Cavanagh at bass, siblings John and Lee Douglas, respectively drummer and singer, and keyboardist Daniel Cardoso since November 2012.The band was founded as Pagan Angel in 1990 by the three Cavanagh siblings, John, and singer Darren White, as a death/doom band. At the time White was the only singer of the band. The following year, Jamie left and was replaced by Duncan Patterson. Under this line-up, Anathema released their first EP, The Crestfallen (1992), and their first album, Serenades (1993). However, White left in 1995; Vincent decided to act as Anathema's vocalist in addition to his guitarist function in the albums The Silent Enigma (1995) and Eternity (1996), which were going into a more gothic metal direction.In 1997, John left the band, and was replaced by Shaun Steels for the album Alternative 4 (1998). Both Patterson and Steels left the same year, replaced by Dave Pybus and a returning John Douglas, while former My Dying Bride keyboardist and violinist Martin Powell also joined the band (Daniel Cavanagh was also acting as the band's only keyboardist, and shared this position since). The only album released with this line-up was Judgement (1999): the same year Powell switched positions with Cradle of Filth's keyboardist Les Smith who joined Anathema, and Lee Douglas, John's sister, was added to the line-up as a backing and occasional lead vocalist.The band released their sixth album A Fine Day to Exit in 2001, turning to an alternative sound. Shortly after the release, Pybus announced his departure and was replaced by the band's original bassist, Jamie Cavanagh, reuniting the three brothers in the band for the first time since 1991. There were no new members for the next ten years, with the albums A Natural Disaster (2003) and We're Here Because We're Here (2010) all being recorded and released by the same line-up, with the sound turning even more towards progressive rock; however, Daniel Cavanagh left Anathema in 2002 to join Antimatter, returning in 2003. Smith left Anathema in 2011, and Vincent and Daniel both assumed the function of keyboardist for the band's ninth album, Weather Systems, in 2012. The same year, Cardoso, the band's live keyboardist since 2011, joined as a full-time member.The band's tenth studio album called Distant Satellites was released on 9 June 2014 via Kscope.

THE SILENT ENIGMA

Proves that not ony Opeth started out with Cookie Monster vocals. The Silent Enigma is the second album by British rock band Anathema, released on 23 October 1995 through Peaceville Records.The Silent Enigma represents a turning point in Anathema's career (it is the first album to feature guitarist Vincent Cavanagh singing lead vocals, replacing Darren White) and sees the band incorporating more clean vocals and melodic elements, while still retaining the band's early death-doom style. The album was originally titled Rise Pantheon Dreams, a title later used by White for his post-Anathema project The Blood Divine.Where Darren's vocals were more guttural, Vincent's newer style pushed the possibilities for Anathema onwards and upwards, with a scope and breath beyond his years. Lauded by the metal press, the album has since been described by Terrorizer magazine as "one of Anathema's best". The special edition of the album also features two bonus tracks.

CLOSER (Live 2012)

A Natural Disaster is the seventh album by the British rock band Anathema. It was released on 3 November 2003 in the United Kingdom and on 24 February 2004 in the United States through Music for Nations.It is the first album to feature the band's original bassist Jamie Cavanagh, brother of band members Vincent and Daniel Cavanagh, who left Anathema prior to any release in 1991 and returned in 2001. It is also Daniel's first album since his departure in 2002 (after the release of the previous album A Fine Day to Exit).

DREAMING LIGHT

We're Here Because We're Here is the eighth album by the British rock band Anathema. It was released on 31 May 2010. The working title of the album was Horizons. The album was mixed by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree.Ville Valo of the band HIM recorded backing vocals for the song "Angels Walk Among Us". The title of the album is taken from a song of the same name that was sung in the Allied trenches of World War I to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne".It is the last album to feature keyboarist Les Smith, as well as the first to feature vocalist Lee Douglas as an official band member.

UNTOUCHABLE (PART ONE)

Weather Systems is the ninth album by the British rock band Anathema. It was released on 16 April 2012 in Europe via Kscope and 24 April 2012 in the US via The End Records. The band describes the album as "not background music for parties. The music is written to deeply move the listener". The album was recorded in Liverpool, North Wales and Oslo, each place significant to Anathema's past, present and future. The record was produced by band members Vincent Cavanagh and Daniel Cavanagh, as well as Christer-André Cederberg.Recorded and released between the departure of Les Smith and the full-time joining of live member Daniel Cardoso, it is the first album of the band to not feature a full-time keyboardist since Judgement in 1999.The album's official track list was announced on 2 February 2012.

ARIEL

Distant Satellites (stylised as distant satellites) is the tenth studio album by the British rock band Anathema. It was released in June 2014 via Kscope.The band released a statement on their new album prior to its release:“ distant satellites is the culmination of everything ANATHEMA been working up to so far in our musical path. It contains almost every conceivable element of the heartbeat of Anathema music that it is possible to have. There is beauty, intensity, drama, quietude, and extra musical dimensions that the band have previously only hinted at. All built on the song writing chemistry of Daniel, John and Vincent - and the haunting voice of Lee Douglas.

[RJhog (Admin)]

First, I expect it to take 3 hours to listen and watch all of this...

Second, I'm surprised you like this band since it has had so many member changes.  

Third, I'm starting with the last video, Ariel.  Very nice, I like this one, even though it doesn't feel fully developed.  It has a good sound and her voice is nice.  However, I don't care for the dude's vocals at the end.  Keep the lady singing.  Oh yeah, it felt live but I though it was studio until the end.  

Untouchable - Now, this is boring.  Really boring.  What it reminds me of is worship music in church.  I'm not a fan of worship music (not saying I don't like Gospel music, just not the worship style).  This isn't the least bit interesting to me.

Dreaming Light - Good video.  But boring song.  I'd much rather be listening to absolutely anything Americana than this.

Closer - When he asks, "are you ready to go really crazy", I expected some of that death metal that they supposedly started out with.  Not quite.  I take it the vocal effects are the modern day equivalent of Frampton's talk box...Seriously, I don't think I could sit through a complete concert of this stuff.  Sorry, just not feeling anything other than that last song.  Where are those female vocals?  They sound much better.

The Silent Enigma - I love the fact that music is subjective.  It's what allows one person to love this stuff and me to have the opposite feeling toward it.  I don't like it.  Not for me.

Seems like I made the proper choice to start with the best (and only good) track, the final one.  Anathema = a band I don't care for.  Sorry Niels.

[Niels (Mod)]

It's quite allright.

" I'm surprised you like this band since it has had so many member changes." Touché.

With that, we must conclude, that it's only the CLASSIC rockbands, where I need to have all or "the most important members" in the band. If they still were the original Death-Metal band, I most certainly wouldn't "follow" the band at all.

Regarding Anathema: Since I became a fan of the band around the first album featuring Lee Douglas, and the (imo) most important members are the brothers and her.

I don't mind it being "worship Music" or whatever, as long as I can "feel it", and I do feel Anathema's music.

They DO use Lee Douglas quite a bit on their albums. Just a coinsidence, I havnen't posted 1 or 2 more songs, with her fronting the band.

[Niels (Mod)]

It's kind of funny, which music we each other find boring, (allthough I think you use the word, because of me)because I don't find this boring at all, whereas I can be bored by quite a few Mötorhead-albums for example. For me, boredom has got nothing to do with how....slow or quiot the music is.

The best of Anathema's songs also starts slow, and ends "heavier".

You really like your Americana at the moment, huh?!

[RJhog (Admin)]

I do.  Funny thing is, most people think straight up country music when Americana is mentioned.  To me, Americana is more in the singer-songwriter vein of the 70's and 80's.  For example, Cat Stevens or Jim Croce or even Bob Dylan.  And people who are immediately turned off by the term Americana still consider Stevens, Croce and Dylan in the classic rock vein.  It's more about lyrics than whether or not it features a steel guitar or fiddle (or violin if you will).  But people like what they like and that's okay. Life is way too short to be worried about what people think of the music that one likes.  

[Niels (Mod)]

"Life is way too short to be worried about what people think of the music that one likes."

Agree 100%.

I don't really know, what I think about, when I hear the term "americana".

Country, most definitely yes, but also Lynyrd Skynyrd, Black Stone Cherry and those southern rock bands.

Not Dylan. Dylan is "just" Dylan  

[RJhog (Admin)]

What I meant was that Dylan is, quite simply, a singer-songwriter.  He writes songs and sings them.  That is what these Americana artists do.  Sometimes they use a steel guitar, sometimes a harmonica, sometimes a fiddle, and sometimes an electric guitar.  

[Scott]

Untouchable Part One is a stunning and hauntingly beautiful song to me, one of the millenniums best so far.  I like this band, Niels introduced me to them with Untouchable part one some time ago and then I took it from there.  I will get to this eventually...

[Scott]

Wow reading the band lineup changes is like reading the biblical genealogies in the old testament, confusing!!! Not sure which one is more complicated. Good thing they've been consistent since We're Here Because We're Here, otherwise I may have passed them by.

THE SILENT ENIGMA ... I have no idea which lineup this is, but I'm glad I missed out on them. This is very dark and uninteresting. The depressing 90's rock star, an Enigma all in and of themselves. Glad those days are over. Almost as glad as the ending of this, I wanna say song, but thats not being truthful... mess, thats it!

CLOSER ... Reading these band lineups also reminds of this famous line - "I am your father's brother's nephew's cousin's former roommate" - I'm engaged but the song is taking forever to get moving, not a surprise really, I do like this though, its no Enigma mercifully.

more to come...

[Scott]

DREAMING LIGHT ... I like this album, I know you do to, maybe you like it more than Weather Systems, but not me. Still its a fine album and valued asset in my collection. I like this song as well.

UNTOUCHABLE (PART ONE) ... I think Ive already addressed my feelings on this song...

ARIEL ... Of the 3 albums I own, this and the previous two, this is my least favorite. Though not by much.

A fine posting this week !!!

[Niels (Mod)]

I agree. We own the same 3 albums, and the newest one is also my least favorite. Weather Systems is probablythe best, but there are a couple of tracks I skip on all 3 albums. 

I hope their new album next year will be great.

[RJhog (Admin)]

How many tracks are on each album?  That's how many I skip...