RESONANCE: BEST OF ANATHEMA

Probably for completests only, there is alot of filler here but other than that there is some good stuff. One of the few is a great cover, better than the origional in my opinion, but its not much of a floyd song to start with.The accoustic songs at the start are great, they sort of mold into each other, but the album seems scattered after that. J'Fait une Promesse is probably the best on the album.

This is my Anathema's first heard album, so it's very impressive, and in my heart, it has an important part. I can play acoustic guitar, and it's my favourite music instrument, so I can cover most of the songs in this album. And it makes me happy. ^^ But, I have to say that it doesn't have many sensitive songs like "Hope", "Regret", "Empty"... Maybe because it use a little of e-guitar, so it's not very effective. However, they're all beautiful songs. I especial love "Goodbye Cruel World" although it's short.

Resonance Vol I. is a compilation emphasizing Anathema's "mellow" moments (Vol. II, released a short time after, focuses primarily on the heavier end of the band's sound- spectrum). The material on offer spans the band's career during the years 1992-1998, when they were signed to the Peaceville roster. The disc aims to represent the less metal side of the band's approach by compiling songs based on or guided by acoustic guitars, piano, ambient keyboards, and occasional female singing. Selections from the band's first four full-length recordings, as well as the Crestfallen and Pentecost III EPs are featured. Additionally, bonus tracks from the Japanese version of Eternity (acoustic takes on "Far Away" and "Eternity Pt. III"), three tracks from the Peaceville X compilation from 1998 (covers of Bad Religion's "Better Off Dead" and Pink Floyd's "One Of The Few" and "Goodbye Cruel World"), an orchestral version of "The Silent Enigma", a live recording of "Angelica" from a show in Budapest in 1997, and a video enhanced track for "Hope" are also included. The adding of these non-album songs significantly enhances the appeal of the compilation not only in terms of contributing to the overall quality and concept, but also by allowing the Anathema fan an opportunity to acquire this material on a single disc.

Issue should be taken with Peaceville's marketing of this disc as "The ultimate chill out album for the metallic masses". Indeed, the material showcased here represents the more ethereal aspect of Anathema's art, yet quite often it is from this direction that the band's most emotionally penetrating moments arrive. The sheer emotional weight of moments such as "Inner Silence", Vincent Cavanagh's desperately anguished cries in the acoustic version of "Eternity Pt. III", or the paralyzing beauty of "Better Off Dead", in which the lyrics from the Bad Religion song are gorgeously sung by Michelle Richfield amongst an achingly beautiful piano/violin arrangement, contain an essence of "heaviness" that strikes the listener in an often deeper and more profound manner than much of the band's louder, or heavier, sonic expressions. These quieter, more musically relaxed songs contain an overwhelming degree of emotional and intellectual agony that is intensified by its delivery through a quiescent tranquility of sound, and it is this realization that exposes the inappropriateness of labels such as "mellow" or "chill out album" in the application to this music. Anathema do not make easy-listening music, and those listeners who are aware enough to connect with a song's inner core, the soul of the song, will undoubtedly realize such a distinction.

An ambient acoustic music that I really like!

Well, I knew the band by accident when my metal friend introduced me with some albums of the band. What confused me that there has been no metal music in the albums that my friend introduced me especially this "Resonance" album which features the light version of the music. All songs in this 'the best of' album I have never known before except those of Pink Floyd. The more I play this album I like it because the music is well composed and well performed by Anathema; all tracks are dark.

The main thing about this compilation is the acoustic guitar that plays significant role throughout the album. I always enjoy this one in its entirety because I do enjoy the flow of the music from opening till end of the album. All of the songs are ambient in style. "Far Away" (5:22) is a great song with powerful vocal and stunning acoustic guitar work. I also like the lyrics even though not a long one. It flows brilliantly to "Eternity, Part 2" (3:11), "Eternity, Part 3" [Acoustic] (5:08) - all of them in an ambient style that reminds me to the music of Pink Floyd. "Better off Dead" (4:22) (a cover of Bad Religion) is a very nice one with female vocal. Pink Floyd's "One of the Few" (1:50) and "Goodbye Cruel World" (1:41) are performed excellently. "Destiny" (2:14) is another excellent song with memorable melody, powerful vocal line. It flows nicely to "The Silent Enigma [Orchestral]" (4:14).

If you like Pain of Salvation 12:05< I am sure you like this album as well. Keep on proggin' ...!!!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

With Anathema now having been together for ten years, it has been decided to release two compilation albums, each showing the very different sides of the band. According to Webster's "Anathema comes from the Greek word meaning "a thing devoted," especially to evil, hence a curse, from anatithenai, to dedicate, to set up, from ana, up + tithenai, to place or put". I am not quite sure what these guys are devoted to, apart from making music that is compelling and bringing together styles in a manner that is both strange and wonderful. It is has been a long time since I have heard any of their albums and these two collections do much in the way of explaining what they are about. Their albums shows that the band is happy both when crunching out dark melodic rock or when being gentle and melodic, and these albums have been divided along these musical boundaries.

'Resonance' has the band in reflective mood, as well as employing various female guest vocalists. Electric guitars are noticeable by their absence for the most part, as the emphasis is on acoustic guitars with melody and mood. Take for example "J'fait Une Promesse" where there is overlaid female vocals with suitably restrained acoustic guitars. It is the sort of thing that could be more expected from Renaissance, not a hard rock band. Most of the songs only have female vocals, but my favourite, "Better Off Dead", is a gothic and emotive duet. It is darkly beautiful, a masterpiece. I have to confess to not knowing the original by Bad Religion, but find it hard to believe that it could be better than this. This collection also contains a few Roger Waters numbers and "Goodbye Cruel World" is superb, possibly even better than the Floyd themselves. There is an orchestral version of one of their songs, a video of "Hope" and a live version of "Angelica" which must have been recorded by someone in the audience who didn't have a microphone. Six of the fifteen songs have not previously been available outside of Germany and Japan.

Originally appeared in Feedback #70, Oct 02