A NATURAL DISASTER

This album is excellent. From beginning to finish, the atmosphere of the music really moves you. It is definitely something that upon listening to you, can make you FEEL. The album sounds very somber but beautiful at the same time. And the feel of the album is very much like the album artwork portrays. I must say this sounds to me like the loneliest album I've ever listened to.

The first song Harmonium is a bit dull. It's a slow dreary song that has that "doom" feel from their doom metal days, minus the metal except toward the end. Honestly, the song does not really fit in, and is just kind've there and isn't that great of a song. Don't judge the album on its first song please though. The album really starts with "Balance" and then segues into "Closer" a song which is very original and surreal sounding. Closer in particular is perfect for listening to alone in the dark. The vocals are very haunting... done in an electronic voice. The lyrics to the songs on this album are very philosophical and emotional. And the keyboards are wonderful and otherworldly sounding. The album has much of a quiet, beautiful and melancholy mood, and by the time "Childhood Dream" comes around you may very well be close to drifting off into sleep (not out of boredom, but out of relaxation). That's when it suddenly hits you with "Pulled Under at 2000 Metres a Second" which builds up quickly into a very heavy blast of metal... but it's not the heavy metal you would bang your head to... it still has every bit of melancholy and desperation in it that many of Anathema's other quiet songs had. But the music and shouted vocals add to the feeling of agony and really moves you. Seriously, I can't listening to the song without getting goosebumps, and sometimes hearing the lyrics even makes me tear up. Such a powerful song.

It then slows down with a more alternative rock feel and continues with the beautiful sound it made in the beginning of the album throughout the next few songs. The final song "Violence" is an instrumental and begins quietly like the songs before it before building up into a loud, desperate heavy metal section which moves one in the same way Pulled Under does, before slowing down again with a lonely piano solo, and the transitioning into a part with keyboards and piano that sounds very reminiscent of "Cluster One" from Pink Floyd's "The Division Bell"

Overall this album is not very technical but it's beautiful and emotionally powerful as are all of Anathema's albums. This one in particular is probably one of the most melancholic sounding ones. It's a great album though, it offers spacey dreamy sounds, beautiful acoustic piano and guitar, a bit of alternative rock, and the occasional blast of heavy metal. (Though metal is not a very prominent part of this album and is only used when appropriate). The greatest thing is that the music, whether it's mellow or heavy, ALWAYS adds to the emotion of the album. This album will definitely make you FEEL.

This is an excellent addition to any collection. Four stars.