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Rating: Since 2001, there has been an air of change in the Anathema household.
It was in that year that the Liverpool metal band, having withstood numerous line-up changes, released "A Fine Day To Exit," an experimental album met with mixed opinions, with which the Cavanagh brothers and their associates seemed to mark a first shift from their early doom roots towards calmer sounds with a tendency towards alternative rock.
In 2004, "A Natural Disaster" was released under the Music For Nations label, and the result is undeniably surprising. The sound of our band definitively bids farewell to the influences of the early albums, while still remaining far from traditional metal. Here, the leading elements are alternative rock reminiscent of Radiohead and 70's, Pink Floyd-inspired psychedelia, which greatly contribute to the successful outcome of Anathema's new experiment: "A Natural Disaster" is indeed an excellent work, well-structured and rich in atmospheric and intense tracks like the opening Harmonium, with its deadly and sudden explosions, the wonderful Closer with its occasionally disorienting vocoder, the magnificent title track, where Leon Douglas's warm voice perfectly blends with the sonic landscape created by the band, and the outstanding Flying, with its progressive and superb crescendo.
Everything perfect? Perhaps not, there are a couple of tracks, Pulled Under At 2000 Metres A Second and the closing Violence, that, harking back to recent past sounds, seem somewhat out of place in the context of the album, even though the latter remains, with its poignant piano, one of the most moving moments of this "A Natural Disaster."
Congratulations to Anathema, therefore, for confirming their great abilities and for not being afraid to turn the page. Of course, there is always the risk of losing credibility and, above all, saying goodbye to long-time fans, but if you do it without fear and with an excellent album like "A Natural Disaster," you can also turn a blind eye, don't you think?
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
02 Balance (03:58)
glad to see your wide awake
this is the great escape
from a life that tried to mould you
and the lie it sold you
what would you do?
what wouldn't you do?
what would you do?
what wouldn't you do?
what would you do?
what wouldn't you do?
did you try to reason why
look yourself in the eye
what you are is all you have been
what will be is all you do now
what would you do?
what wouldn't you do?
what would you do?
what wouldn't you do?
what would you do?
what wouldn't you do?
spill a tear as your sense of self slowly
melts away
melts away
melts away
until death's mirror reflects
the meaning of our lives
we wander aimless and mesmerised
as the fear starts to rise.
03 Closer (06:20)
your dream world is a very scary place
your dream world is a very scary place
your dream world is a very scary place
to be trapped in
your dream world is a very scary place
your dream world is a very scary place
your dream world is a very scary place
to be trapped inside
to be trapped inside
to be trapped inside
all your life
shine in time
shine in time
shine in time
until you find
you're closer
you're closer
to the truth
within you
within you
within you
is the truth
that your dream world is a very scary place
that your dream world is a very scary place
that your dream world is a very scary place
to be trapped inside
to be trapped inside
to be trapped inside
all your life
you're closer
you're closer
you're closer
to the truth
within you
within you
within you
is the truth
07 A Natural Disaster (06:27)
It's been a long cold winter without you
I've been crying on the inside over you
You just slipped through my fingers as life turned away
It's been a long cold winter since that day
And it's hard to find
Hard to find
Hard to find the strength now, but I try
And I don't wanna
I don't wanna
I don't wanna go on and speak now
Of what's gone by
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No, no, I can't change
You just slipped through my fingers
And I feel so ashamed
You just slipped through my fingers
And I've failed
'Cause no matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No matter what I say
No matter what I do
I can't change what happened
I can't change what happened
No, no, I can't change
Just slipped through my fingers
And I feel so ashamed
You just slipped through my fingers
And I've failed.
08 Flying (05:57)
Started a search to no avail
a light that shines behind the veil
trying to find it
and all around us everywhere
is all that we could ever share
if only we could see it
feel there's truth that's beyond me
life ever changing weaving destiny
and it feels like i'm flying above you
dream that i'm dying to find the truth
seems that your trying to bring me down
back down to earth back down to earth
layers of dust and yesterdays
shadows fading in the haze
of what I couldn't say
and though I said my hands were tied
times have changed and now I find
I'm free for the first time
feel so close to everything now
strange how life makes sense in time now
and it feels like i'm flying above you
dream that i'm dying to find the truth
seems that your trying to bring me down
back down to earth back down to earth
back down to earth back down to earth x2
09 Electricity (03:51)
Seems like you never really knew me
Seems like you never understood me
Seems like you never really knew how to feel
But electricity it drew you near to me
What you needed was to be rid of me
There were times you really made me smile
And there were times you really made me cry
And there were times i never really knew how to feel
But electricity it drew you near to me
What you needed was to be rid of me
And the fear made you so unsure of me
What you needed was to be rid of me.
But electricity it drew you near to me
What you needed was to be rid of me
And the fear made you so unsure of me
What you needed was to be rid of me.
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Other reviews
By serestoppone
Nothing here is ever banal because nothing is left to chance, everything brushes perfection.
Psychedelic rock has a new face. A face stained with electronics, melancholy, anger, and resignation, but also lots of beautiful melody composed of independent schemes.
By Maxive80
I often hear that they’ve copied Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Muse, or even that they take inspiration from Air; surely they can remind you of them, I don’t doubt it, but for me, they have been, are, and will be simply Anathema.
Every time I listen to 'Flying,' I get chills, close my eyes, and imagine myself just like the man on the boat on the cover, alone with myself contemplating the sunset lights.
