OCEAN WITHOUT A SHORE

Great to see you back Daniel Cavanagh, and what a way to do it. Anyone who loves later era Anathema, in particular its namesake, will adore this. Great song writing (as always), musicianship and as emotive as ever. I truly hope the band tour this and play it in full. Mr Cavanagh deserves far more recognition than he gets both as a songwriter and as a guitarist, and should be lauded as one of Liverpool's greatest ever musicians which is high praise indeed. Essential stuff from start to finish and packed full of ear worms. DC's struggles are widely known, and reflected in the album title, and I hope this is the first of many new great things to come for him and the band.

As is fairly well know now, this is the band that rises from the ashes of the dear departed Liverpudlian band Anathema. That was started as a metal band by the 3 Cavanagh brothers who then decided to develop a more 'alternative' style of music on albums such as 1999's Judgement (probably their most popular) and carried forward on the next 2 albums A Fine Day To Exit and A Natural Disaster. The sister of drummer John Douglas was added to the line up and she was to prove the magical added x-factor for arguably their finest albums We're Here Because We're Here and Weather Systems (my favourite). This seemed to be a peak that was hard to build on with it's wonderful mesh of post metal, pop and prog in evidence. A couple of further albums followed but eventually this wonderful band had to call it a day. However the new material has now re-surfaced on this Daniel Cavanagah lead re-birth of the band (sort of). Also features Daniel Cardoso on keys, so in fact it now becomes a 2 piece band. This for me is almost as good as the Weather Systems album and is currently in my top 5 albums for the year, only beaten so far by A Swarm Of The Sun (more post metal!), Neal Morse and Geordie Greep. Highly recommended if you like Anathema in general. 4.9 stars rounded up.

A very, very strong album that serves as an Anathema redux.

As a long time Anathema fan, I was deeply saddened by all the recent drama which ultimately led to their abrupt disbanding. One would have thought we wouldn't get fresh new music - but this release proves otherwise.

This album is pure class and feels extremely comforting - I've had it on repeat and all of the songs are nothing short of exceptional. Danny's writing is emotionally charged and fitting, but I'm not even going to attempt to dissect the lyrics given they seem to be a function of whatever he's been going through lately. Musically, this is Anathema to a core and delivers in spades (hell, Weather Systems is even named after my favourite album from them - and this seems to continue that mood).

I recommend all Anathema fans listen to this. It carries that same magic that made us fans in the first place.

One thing I'd like to say in closing is that I'd love to ultimately see some form of reconciliation and a reuniting of Anathema (as we previously knew it). While this album is incredible, it's clear that 1+1 = 3 when it comes to the band (the sum of their collective efforts exceeds what they can do individually). Hopefully they can see eye-to-eye one day and we get that. But if not, I'm hopeful Danny continues with Weather Systems and keeps giving us gems like this.

Weather Systems, reincarnation of Anathema, offers an atmospheric, post-rock-prog journey.

First Steps: 'Synaesthesia' energetic electro sound, the flame is there; a catchy guitar, Daniel's drums, Soraia as Lee, the killer crescendo with the raging guitar halfway through; a nostalgic piece in continuity that invites you to travel; break with the rain, the piano, having confronted this renewal on a positive spleen. 'Do Angels Sing Like Rain?' repetitive shoegaze, helping to jump; the basic melody that is imprinted with Vincent in a dream on the vocal; the explosion is close to one of the albums from the beginning of the millennium; haunting and hypnotic with an idyllic finale. 'Untouchable Part 3' as a sequel to 'Weather Systems' on the same movement up to the vocals; a sad, moving ballad, with the classical orchestration amplifying everything; sharing nostalgia and progress; the final arpeggio delivering the fatal blow. 'Ghost In The Machine' looped on a metronomic hang; the vocal duo captivates with its harmonies; the hypnotic crescendo and the final haunting guitar. 'Are You There? Part 2' from 'A Natural Disaster' comes out 20 years later, juggling on nostalgia; as much as the original screamed its fragility and emotion in an intense way, here it is a facsimile boosted by Daniel's drums.

Learning to Fly: 'Still Lake' with the crystalline piano then the velvety synth in electro ambiance; Soraia with ethereal choirs on a new-wave air of the Cure before the wickedly cathartic explosion in which Daniel makes his heavy guitar scream on the atmospheric finale. 'Take Me With You' remains in the era of the natural disaster with the typical baby noise; a nostalgic message, her favorite period? Soraia presents this intimate ballad track lit by the echoing piano; to be taken as a sequel with this feeling of floating between memories and the present. 'Ocean Without A Shore' shoegaze atmosphere, distant sounds; a vocoder smelling of 'Closer', an intimate piece before the haunting electronic departure of Riverside where the heady beat gives light in this crescendic push; the fresh and hypnotic electronic prog creates an endless musical overloop. 'The Space Between Us' with 'Biko' or even 'In Your Eyes' in the background, a real work with the ASA as a musical signature from the time when Anathema still existed; a tribal harmony completed with an atmospheric post-rock sound reinforcing dreams, the hope of a new beginning.

Weather Systems released a hypnotic album of alternative prog, '. Daniel continues the adventure by distilling sounds filled with emotion to free himself from the torments of life; an album that gains volume over the course of listening, with an impressive spleen. Originally on progcensor.

Weather Systems, born out of the interrupted existence of Anathema, is a new musical project led by Daniel Cavanagh and Daniel Cardoso, two former members, happening to be one of the most exciting new bands of the UK progressive rock scene. Releasing their debut album 'Ocean Without a Shore' in 2024, the duo alongside several contributors have crafted a rather emotive, overwhelming and eclectic mixture of alternative rock with a progressive attitude, imposing art rock with gorgeous melodies, and electronic overdubs embellishing the songs every now and then. Reportedly, many of the songs on here had been conceived during the last Anathema sessions before the announcement of the band's hiatus, directly linking this album to 'The Optimist' from 2017, with which many parallels could be drawn. Not only this, but the band apparently take their name from Anathema's eponymous 2012 studio album, which ultimately renders 'Ocean Without a Shore' the heir apparent to the Anathema legacy.

9-minute opener 'Synaesthesia' is a charming, intricate and emotional piece that sets a dramatic and beautiful tone to the entire album as the listener encounters the brilliant and gradual build-up of tension, as opposed to the jarring culminations coming later on. 'Do Angels Sing Like Rain?' is another suspenseful and invigorating track, one of the most memorable on this album, followed by 'Untouchable Part 3', a beautiful addition to the previous entries appearing on 'Weather Systems' from 2012. 'Ghost in the Machine' is quite captivating, while 'Are You There' is a really atmospheric, with an almost post-rock-like development. The following two tracks are quite intricate art rock numbers with lots of electronic instruments, culminating in the title track, which is mysterious and unexpected, followed only by 'The Space Between Us', another fine entry on the album. The entire work flows naturally between post-rock build-ups and art rock soundscapes as the magnificent vocals of Daniel Cavanagh guide the listener through the realm of Weather Systems, a worthy successor to Anathema, with their near-perfect debut album.