I never was an Anathema fan, not back in 1990 when they started as a Death/Doom Metal band, not later when they slowly transitioned to Progressive Rock. But I admit, even if I did not follow them closely, I like some of their creation, they managed to deliver something of their own, music filtered through their personal touch. “Weather Systems” their upcoming ninth studio album have the same Pink Floyd after-taste as many of their previous creations since their 1996’s “Eternity” merged with atmospheric, dark, sometimes classic orchestral elements.
Describing their new album Daniel Cavanagh stated: “This is not background music for parties. The music is written to deeply move the listener, to uplift or take the listener to the coldest depths of the soul”. Definitively not. Parties – far as I know – are happy and energy full events, while Anathema always delivered more music suitable for burials and “Weather Systems” makes no difference, even if the lights seems to get through, in its depth this is quite dark and sad music.
And “Weather Systems” sounds like a Heavy Metal version of Sigur Rós or quite near to the universe one of some late Marillion album – as a general guidance for people who did not listen them before -, but it is definitively Anathema. And somehow the album is like a spiral, it will put a spell on you and take you down to a beautiful, fascinating spiral of sounds and feelings. Anf the feelings might be the key. Their music eventually will reminds you of many previously already heard, quite different “stuffs”, but they are still quite authentic because they have feelings and express them. It’s not something insignificant in a soulless world as ours.
My favorite track is “The Storm Before the Calm”, but everybody will find at least one song close to his heart and this is actually not a collection of tracks, but a groovy, complex, organic album, a journey through 9 “chambers” of emotions.
Tracklist:
01 – Untouchable, Part 1
02 – Untouchable, Part 2
03 – The Gathering of the Clouds
04 – Lightning Song
05 – Sunlight
06 – The Storm Before the Calm
07 – The Beginning and the End
08 – The Lost Child
09 – Internal Landscapes
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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS_YWTgHEK0&w=545&h=399]
