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Anathema - Universal CD (album) cover

UNIVERSAL

Anathema

 

Experimental/Post Metal

4.52 | 155 ratings

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tszirmay
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
5 stars Now we get serious, no more playing games with words and music! This is simply ridiculous, a DVD for the ages, a video rendition of a band that has stunned the rock music world, even beyond progressive, ruling an underground realm of sublime and poignant music. Two years ago, I had only one Anathema album, which I reviewed and enjoyed immensely, 'Judgment' which elicited my initial interest but the clincher came when while traveling in Hungary in September 2012, I scoured potential dates for a live concert there , as it was a dedication of mine that also includes opera and operetta, saw a Budapest gig listed in a venue made famous by being a moored boat on the Danube holding 800 people and immediately conspired with my mom to get tickets (which she attended, BTW!). Yeah, she loved it actually, a truthful remark that made a huge impression on me. As if good music can even exist within a former doom-metal band but these guys have evolved into something quite almighty. So speaking of spectacular, this Plovdiv, Bulgaria spectacle was identical to the show in the Hungarian capital, except here the Cavanagh boys opted to test the orchestral market and inked a support deal for this one show. This was not a new exercise as the Liverpool lads had even issued an all-orchestral studio album rework of past tunes, 'Falling Deeper' which met with huge critical acclaim.

I generally stay away from track by track descriptions of live concerts simply because I consider it a whole instead of a sum of its parts, a total audio/visual encapsulation of what a rock event should be. Suffice to say, that 'Untouchable Part 1 and 2' is a nuclear strike opener, an explosion of unbridled emotion and utter heartstring pull if I ever heard one, going straight for the musical aorta from the get-go. Bravo! The whole show is a finely crafted roller coaster of emotions, highlights being the breath taking 'Dreaming in Light', owner of a Vince vocal that is shockingly visual and a melody for eternity, the simply sublime 'Everything' allied with some lush Bulgarian orchestrations, the thunderous 'Simple Mistake' with its stark emotional contrasts and raging lyrics, the almost unbearable angst of 'the Beginning and the End' , the moody title track 'Universal' with serene violins urging the pain forward 'through the eye of the storm' , a tremendously tempered piece that again reaches the highest peaks of passion and feeling. The pacing (aka set list) constantly escapes formula as exemplified by the robotic calculations of 'Closer' , an arrangement more inclined towards the electronica sheen mode led a Vince Cavanagh vocal heavily vocoded and resonating metallically. Mesmerizing and hypnotic, Danny urges the crowd into a frenzy, unbelievably intense and fan-tastic! The lighters appear to welcome their phenomenal signature theme 'A Natural Disaster', conducted by an exquisite Lee Douglas vocal, heavily orchestrated and barely restrained clanging guitar riff, a further duet with Vince that takes beauty into the deepest universe. The pace is doomy and hyper-sedate, giving Danny a platform to show off his considerable guitar skills while the rhythm section pounds relentlessly. 'That was very beautiful!' states Vince at the end of the song. Yeah, what a typical Brit understatement! 'Deep' gets very deep and very angry, a brief reminder of their gloomy past, a strident axe solo only adds to the prize. The mournful 'One Last Goodbye' showcases this band's mastery over poignancy and sentiment in the simplest rock format, forged with orchestral brilliance and gut-wrenching vocal angst ('I still feel the pain'). Seeing the crowd sing along will bring tears to any red blooded human being. It's so incredible touching! Scorch the outer skies of delirium with 'Flying', a howling escapade of gushing sensations, drenched in bulldozing expression, unrelenting feeling and searing positivism. It is clear that both audience, band and orchestra have merged into one ecstatic maelstrom of common exaltation and it's beautiful to watch! At one point Vince covers his mouth with his hand in complete rapture! OMG, atheists, OMG! Fireworks complete the moment, with the entire Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra members beaming in sheer delight! Ball in throat, gulp! 'Fragile Dreams' is a fitting finale, a lovely song full of melancholic regret, a moment in time that will never reappear again, at least in this lifetime, a reminder that every second is precious and unique.

The encore is entirely devoted to older, harder edged tunes from their early depressive days. 'Panic' is 'ard and 'eavy rocker, a monolithic bruiser closer to Hawkwind than Floyd, tortured lyrics and raging delivery. Boom! A couple of 'Judgment' tracks, 'Emotional Winter' and 'Wings of God' only add more harsh pleasure to the already overflowing glee, even though 'the scars are barely concealed' and 'the past is far away'. The near-death experience of 'Internal Landscapes' with opaque atmospherics and narration is a sheer delight and a final, heavier rendition of 'Fragile Dreams' completes the show.

What is categorically fascinating is that here is a Liverpool band that went from super destructive/depressive gothic 'sturm und drang', loaded with nihilistic and negative lyrics and delivered as if playing for a funeral crowd, morphing into a sun shining , bright , life loving explosion of passion. The transition to brighter pastures really came through graphically on their recent masterpiece 'We Are Here Because We Are Here' and furthered on 'Weather Systems'. There is little doubt in my prog mind that Anathema have reached a zenith of accomplishment with this jaw-dropping package and that they currently occupy the top spot in the progressive pantheon of stellar bands. They have arrived! I see no one even daring to approach this level of genius.

This is not just a live concert DVD, it's a musical masterpiece! If you ever decide to own one video, this is the ONE!

5 galaxies

tszirmay | 5/5 |

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