WERE YOU THERE LIVE

A stylish and effective concert video from a show in Krakow covering material from the band's previous three studio albums. Without question this is one of the most beautifully shot live shows you will ever see, it simply glows with a radiance as spectacular as the hues in the sky at dusk. There are no cheater special effects, just very good photography bathed in gorgeous glowing multi-colored lighting. Clear and crisp in one setting or hazy in another as desired by the band. The coolest part is the way they got the various colored lights to melt into the inanimate objects on the stage, and then film them in such a way that the objects/instruments take on a sort of otherworldly appearance, like a modern painting or something. There was no other stage "show" to speak of, just the gorgeous lighting was enough to compliment the music.

The music performed was a mixed bag for me. There are times when Anathema's style of atmospheric tribal electronica would work perfectly, the pulsing beats and bass stretched out below poignant vocals and delightful guitar brushstrokes taking you to near trance. But there are also just as many moments where their material gets perilously close to cookie-cutter for me: the trippy opening followed by the tender vocal and strummed acoustic, proceeding to the semi-metallic thrash portion leading back to part B and then to part A, song over, repeat. They are highly professional and certainly passionate players and I enjoyed the show but I honestly only appreciate about 50% of their material. Thus my recommendation is there for fans certainly, and for anyone who likes bands like Radiohead, Oceansize, or lighter metal with spacey electronic elements. As always, the Pink Floyd comparisons are dodgy at best. Except for the lighting which was every bit as beautiful as what Gilmour just pulled off in "Remember That Night."

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