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Rating: THE REVIEW
Strange days, unsettling days the last ones.
The tragic end of Kobe Bryant overwhelmed me last Sunday. I have loved NBA basketball since the days of Michael Jordan, and Kobe was a most worthy heir of the unparalleled MJ.
Today, I gave up the mountain; I didn't feel like a group hike. I wasn't in the mood for laughter, for fun.
I went out yesterday morning to wander in my valleys, choosing one of the historic routes of Valle Anzasca. Alone and in silence.
My Music came to meet me once again, ready as always to warm me, support me, and comfort me.
The solemn majesty of the places I traveled through, walking "La via del Pane" in the municipality of Calasca Castiglione, brought to mind the English band Anathema, whom I've appreciated for decades and seen many times in concert.
Resonance is a collection covering the band's career from its beginnings up to 1998.
It explores and retraces the most intimate, minimal, decadent side of the Cavanagh brothers.
There are no electric guitars dominating the scene, except for some rare and very delicate touches as in Eternity (part 2); solely and simply songs supported by acoustic guitar phrases, hinted keyboards, and very little else. Delicate female voices accompany Vincent's equally faint and sorrowful singing.
The cover image is a guide to understanding what lies ahead in the placid flow of the songs: solemn twilight notes, like the red sun that sets and fades toward nighttime rest.
They pay rightful honor and merit to Pink Floyd, with emotion becoming purity in the fragile and intangible One of the Few and Goodbye Cruel World.
But that's not all because they manage to go beyond, to do even better with a heartbreaking version of Bad Religion's Better off Dead. Innocent strokes of piano, a distant and barely perceptible violin arrangement, accompany Michelle Richfield's splendid voice.
Solemn chills
Pure and simple emotion... Duncan Patterson, author of many Anathema tracks, was still present in the band.
To listen to and admire
Today I think it's right not to conclude the review with my usual "signature"...
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Summary by Bot
The review reflects on Anathema's album Resonance as a deeply emotional and solemn collection highlighting the band's intimate and minimalistic side. It praises the acoustic arrangements, delicate vocals, and the homage paid to Pink Floyd. The reviewer connects personally with the music, finding comfort in its pure and fragile expression. Resonance covers the band's early years with a distinct focus on subtlety and emotional depth.Tracklist Lyrics
Anathema
Liverpool-born band formed in 1990; began in doom/death metal and over decades evolved into an emotive, atmospheric/progressive rock group led by the Cavanagh brothers.37 Reviews
