Review Summary: Anathema in transition
It would be hard for anyone familiar with Anathema’s material to deny that they are easily one of the most versatile British rock bands of the past 25 years, if not of all time. Starting out as a pioneering doom metal outfit in the early 90s before making a gradual transition towards progressive rock that ultimately culminated in 2010’s We’re Here Because We’re Here, Anathema have released virtually nothing but quality records ever since their monumentally depressing 1993 full-length debut, Serenades. The change in the band’s style began with 1995’s The Silent Enigma, during the writing of which vocalist Darren White left the band, leaving the relatively inexperienced but undeniably talented Vincent Cavanagh to cover lead vocal duties for the rest of the band’s career up until this point. Cavanagh was a competent enough doom metal vocalist, but he preferred to sing with a clean vocal style, which undoubtedly influenced the band’s decision to move towards non-metal territory. Eternity, released in 1996, can easily be seen as the point where Anathema’s music really started to change.
The most significant difference between Eternity and its predecessors, of course, is Vincent Cavanagh’s vocals. While on The Silent Enigma he used a combination of mid-range growls, rasps, and moans, Eternity sees him using a more gothic, clean vocal style, with mixed results. In fact, for the most part, the vocals on here are the weakest in Anathema’s discography. There are still moments, though where the undeniable potential of Cavanagh’s voice still shines through: the middle section of Suicide Veil, in which he bellows the lyrics with ferocious conviction, is easily one of the highest points on the album. While moments like this are quite rare, they do still help to make the album the worthwhile listen it is.
Another striking departure that this album makes from the band’s previous works is the shorter, simpler song structures. While fans of more progressive music may find this undesirable, others may very well find it to be a very positive change. Gone are the 10-minute epics that took up a great deal of space and time on Pentecost III, as well as the dense arrangements that made The Silent Enigma the challenging listen that it undoubtedly is. These are dropped in favour of a more direct and accessible approach: the longest track on here is Hope, which clocks in at barely under six minutes. This should prove to be a breath of fresh air for many listeners, especially those who are bigger fans of the band’s more recent work.
Now, on the topic of the songs themselves: the rather uninteresting and repetitive Hope, which is in fact a cover version of a song by Roy Harper, is just about the only filler song one can find on this whole album. Every piece is powerful, potent and memorable to some degree, save for maybe the opening and closing tracks, which effectively establish an atmosphere but are somewhat lacking in actual substance. Angelica, Suicide Veil and Eternity Part III are particular highlights, perhaps even standing among the greatest songs of the band’s career; while Cavanagh’s vocals don’t do much of anything to carry the songs, the writing here is in fact at its best when it’s at its most melancholy, emotional and dismal.
The last gripe that one might have with this album is the production. While it isn’t necessarily a bad-sounding record, it is rough around the edges in the same way that Serenades and The Silent Enigma were, and while that sound may have worked well for doom metal, it doesn’t always work here. Melodic and beautiful songs like Angelica manage to maintain their potency on here, but only after wrestling with the unflattering gritty sound for a while, and they suffer a little as a result. But like Cavanagh’s somewhat lacklustre vocal performance, this doesn’t jeopardize the album’s effectiveness as a whole: this is Anathema we’re talking about, after all, and if there’s anything that they’ve managed to consistently testify to time and time again throughout their career, it’s their ability to create an atmosphere. This is incredibly atmospheric music, and while the sound established on this record definitely improved over the course of the band’s next two albums, it would be impossible to deny that this is still a great example of a very talented band at the start of a monumental musical transition. Cheers.
