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09-23 Anathema on indefinite hiatus
03-31 New Anathema Song / Album
08-28 Anathema announce new live alb
02-16 Music For Nations label return
11-14 Anathema announce special conc
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Anathema is a band from Liverpool, England, UK primarily known as one of the pioneering and leading death doom metal acts,incorporatinggrowling,poetic lyrics and complex arrangements into the traditional doom riffage. Later in their career,beginning with Eternity, they moved awayfrom thissound into more melodic, atmospheric rock.Anathema formed in 1990 as a doom metal band, initially under the name Pagan Angel. In November of that year, the bandrecorded their firstdemo,entitled An Iliad Of Woes. This demo caught the attention of several bands from the Englishmetal scene, allowing ...read more
Anathema is a band from Liverpool, England, UK primarily known as one of the pioneering and leading death doom metal acts,incorporatinggrowling,poetic lyrics and complex arrangements into the traditional doom riffage. Later in their career,beginning with Eternity, they moved awayfrom thissound into more melodic, atmospheric rock.Anathema formed in 1990 as a doom metal band, initially under the name Pagan Angel. In November of that year, the bandrecorded their firstdemo,entitled An Iliad Of Woes. This demo caught the attention of several bands from the Englishmetal scene, allowing Anathema to play gigswith bandslike Bolt Thrower and Paradise Lost.At the beginning of 1991, the band adopted its current name, and gained a lot of attention with the release of their seconddemo entitled All FaithIsLost, resulting in a four-album deal with Peaceville Records. Their first release under the labelwas The Crestfallen EP in November 1992.Theytook the material from that album on the road, touring with CannibalCorpse.Serenades, Anathema’s debut LP, attracted a lot of mainstream attention, propelling their 'Sweet Tears' music videoonto the MTVplaylist.Anathema’s first European tour was in 1994, and was closely followed by gigs at the Independent RockFestival in Brazil.In May 1995, vocalist Darren White parted with the band, eventually forming The Blood Divine. Rather than recruiting a newvocalist, the banddecidedthat guitarist Vincent Cavanagh should assume White’s role. This new formation debuted bytouring with Cathedral in the United Kingdom.The release of Eternity came in 1996, relying more on atmospheric sounds, and starting the transition to clean vocals;thealbumJudgementwould later consolidate this style. A European tour followed the album’s release. The secondmember to leave the band wasdrummer John Douglas, whodeparted in the summer of 1997. He was replaced by ShaunTaylor-Steels, formerly of Solstice, who would also later playdrums for My Dying Bride.Alternative 4 was released in 1998. During this time the band underwent many line-up changes. Bassist/songwriterDuncan Patterson quit duetomusical differences and was replaced by Dave Pybus of Dreambreed, where Duncan had playedbass for a short period. Martin Powell (who hadplayedkeyboards and violin for My Dying Bride previously) also joined theband. Finally, John Douglas returned to the drums.In June 1999, the album Judgement was released, marking Anathema’s complete shift from the doom metal genre,focusing instead on slowerandmore experimental songs. This new sound has been likened to artists such as Pink Floyd, JeffBuckley, and to a lesser extent, Radiohead. However,theessence of the band remained the same. Their songs continued toexpress a feeling of depression and, more often than not, desperation.During the same year Martin Powell switched positions with Cradle of Filth’s keyboardist Les Smith, who came to be anintegral member of Anathema.Shortly before the release of A Fine Day To Exit, Dave Pybus announced his departure from the band and later joinedCradle of Filth. Hewasreplaced by touring bassist George Roberts, and later by Jamie Cavanagh.In March 2002, Daniel Cavanagh announced his departure from the band, joining Duncan Patterson’s band Antimatter.However, he laterrejoinedAnathema in 2003 for the release of A Natural Disaster, and started their European Tour. Thisaccelerated the changes in Anathema’s tonetowardsthe atmospheric and progressive, as exhibited in album tracks 'Flying'and 'Violence'.Upon the closing of their label Music For Nations after its purchase by Sony BMG, Anathema found itself without a recordlabel, despite havingcompletedan extensive tour of the UK with popular Finnish rock band HIM in April 2006. During theirsearch for a new label, the band have adopted amore "DIY"approach to music release, embracing the internet and releasingsongs via their own website, for which fans may donate a monetary sum oftheir ownchoice. Despite the obvious lack oflabel-based tour support, the band continues to play dates across Europe, guitarist Danny Cavanagh alsoplaying theoddlow-key acoustic concert.The latest album and first in seven years, We’re Here Because We’re Here, was released on May 31, 2010. The albumwas mixed by StevenWilsonof Porcupine Tree, who has described it as "definitely among the best albums I’ve ever had thepleasure to work on". The album wasproclaimed"Prog Album of the Year" by Classic Rock magazine, describing it as "Aflawless, life-affirming comeback and a gold-plated contender foralbum of theyear". Ville Valo of the band HIM recordedvocals for the song 'Angels Walk Among Us'.On July 6, 2011, it was announced on the band’s official page that their album of re-interpretations, Falling Deeper,would be released onSeptember5, 2011. The album would be a follow-up to Hindsight, containing new orchestralversions of songs from the past, as well as a versionof 'Everwake'featuring the vocals of Anneke van Giersbergen. OnSeptember 12th, Les Smith’s departure due to "creative and musical differences" wasannounced onthe band’s website.On 16 April 2012, the band’s ninth studio album, Weather Systems, was released via Kscope. The album entered the UKalbum charts at No.50andthe German album charts at No. 19.On 8 November 2012, Daniel Cavanagh announces at Anathema’s official homepage that Daniel Cardoso is joining the band asa full-timepermanentbasis as a key element of the band.On 2 December 2012, Anathema announced their first concert in India. Anathema has performed at IIT Madras as part of theSaarang Rock Showon12January 2013.The band’s recent live album, Untouchable, was released as a double vinyl album on 24 June 2013. The album is arecording of a special one-offgigat the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis in 2012, where the band were joined by thePlovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. The set was released onBlu-ray, DVD and CD under the name Universal, with analternate track order, on 17 September 2013.According to the bands official Facebook site they are currently recording their new album in Norway and it will be released in2014. « hide |
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