RESONANCE: BEST OF ANATHEMA

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