•
Rating: I have followed the birth of this live CD/DVD/BD (I'm specifically talking about the limited edition containing 2 audio CDs, a DVD video, and a Blu Ray) since a few days before the concert in Plovdiv from which it is drawn: a magnificent and ancient amphitheater hosting one of the most emotive bands around today, accompanied by an orchestra. In truth, something similar already happened in the DVD A Moment in Time, in 2005.
But in 8 years many things have changed, and Anathema has greatly improved in their live performance. Moreover, the orchestra (limited to strings, to tell the truth) acquires a dimension absolutely more fitting in the pieces of the new repertoire and even in the decidedly more tasteful arrangements of the pieces already heard in the aforementioned 2005 work. The setlist is already something frightening: Probably fans of the band's earlier repertoire will scoff at the fact that the oldest piece is Fragile Dreams (incidentally offered in two different versions, plus an additional one in the bonus content), but it is undeniable that the appeal of a setlist containing a large part of Weather Systems, some of the most imposing pieces from We're Here Because We're Here, and a handful of classics from A Natural Disaster and Judgement is truly irresistible. I was saying that I have followed the evolution of the project from the start, which already with the pronouncement of Lasse Hoile's name took on considerable proportions. Watching some amateur videos on the internet in the days immediately following the concert (before they were removed en masse), I thought I would have preferred if they had filmed regular shows like the one I attended personally a few months earlier in Milan, which was memorable to say the least, while in Plovdiv it seemed that the orchestra had forcefully inserted themselves into the band's sound. Nothing could be further from the truth because watching this video, the orchestra appears natural and well-mixed (totally different from the amateur videos), perfectly integrated especially in the pieces that usually employ samples to reproduce those orchestral sounds live as they contain on disc. Apart from the orchestra, which is therefore commendable (except in some cases where maybe it is a bit out of place, like in A Simple Mistake and Thin Air), a few words need to be said about the band's preparation. In fact, one word is enough: impeccable.
The songs are presented very faithfully to their studio versions, with, however, that right margin left for last-minute changes and what the heart suggests to the musicians (yes, because if there's a band that evidently plays with their heart, it's Anathema) and some pleasant variations. The fact remains that, overlooking some not-too-obvious gaffes on some pieces (like Closer and apparently also Lightning Song), the band is in exceptional form and light-years away from the uncohesive and imprecise sound of previous lives. Special mention also for the appropriate stage presence of the audience and group. While the former fits without too many problems into choirs of all kinds and more or less timed claps, the Cavanagh brothers stir up the atmosphere and also give us a couple of touching numbers in collaboration with the audience itself: while the audience sings a final choir to the notes of Flying, Vincent looks at them with teary eyes and hands to his mouth. After the interposing of some shots, the vocalist and guitarist is clearly moved and admires the ecstatic crowd with gratitude in his smile. It's the moment when we, like him, understand that we are witnessing a sensational show, which is able to unite a large number of people into an ecstatic unity in the name of pure music played by people who really care about what they do, and it is felt in their incredible ability to transmit emotions and then receive others in return. The encore consists of some pieces without an orchestra, but it is especially the special content of the Night at the Union Chapel that deserves particular mention: I was hooked on the video of Thin Air from that concert for months from the moment Kscope released it around early 2012.
When I found out that the entire concert (albeit short) would be released alongside the Plovdiv one, I was extremely excited about the news. Indeed, the show featuring Danny (armed with an acoustic guitar and loopbox), Vincent (with a guitar that sounds more ethereal than ever), and Lee alone at Union Chapel, accompanied then by shows of Bruce Soord and others (none of which is included, of course) is something spectacular and unique. Notable also is the presence of Kingdom, an old piece proposed here in acoustic version as on the album Falling Deeper from 2011, as well as a beautiful version of Angels Walk Among Us, a song absent in the Bulgarian concert. The only aspect not entirely positive about the work (apart from the fact that Cardoso does not have decent shots for himself) is something I noticed even when I saw them live, namely that these guys play a lot in the dark. It certainly results in a nice atmosphere, but when Jamie is framed, often you can see very little. And this also goes for others, especially considering that it's rarely made clear what they are doing with their instrument. But other than that, in a technically not-so-spectacular music as others, all this becomes of marginal importance and, in some respects, it is actually better as it is. In conclusion, I would particularly recommend the fan's edition containing four discs of various formats, which besides providing access to all available versions of this memorable live, also offers a second CD so as to include the entire concert and not just half of it as (apparently) the "standard" version, which is based on the tracklist of the vinyl version of the concert (called Untouchable), released a few months earlier but incomplete from this point of view. Both the DVD and Blu Ray versions (contrary to what it seemed it would be) contain the entire concert and also the extra content. This work is therefore the summation of a long career, as also testified by the fireworks. A long career that has spawned a lot of different music but has consistently made the emotional impact developed at unique levels its strength.
Of course, it's a shame that older pieces are missing, but given the occasion with an orchestra, perhaps they wouldn't have lent themselves very well... at least not as much as the new ones, which actually show a spectacular guise in this video. The band has grown and finally proves to be excellent even in live performances, fully earning with this work a place in the history of music, once and for all. Score: 88/100
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
04 Fragile Dreams (06:49)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
08 Fragile Dreams (06:48)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
09 Fragile Dreams (06:48)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
10 Panic (04:15)
You know you ain't going nowhere
you're stuck inside while the mind is flying
you said you'd help me in the morning
twisting on pins into my eyes
and we driving on the ceiling below you
facin' up the walls with your crocked hands
while you're miles away...
I don't think at all end up like this
there's spiders on the wall and they stink of piss
dead heads lying in the corner
staring at me making me feel bad
I put my hands up to my eyes
but the holes in my palms let me find a way
to corner you...
I can't feel my chest because it ain't much
sucking through my skin into my brain
oxygen pushing on the window
cracks in the glass let it slip away
I start to cry and I keep on laughing
I close my eyes at what's left inside
and then I'll ran away...
For all the time this land
for all the time in my hand
circle around in depth
found calmness fall once again...
Razor blades floating in the warm bath
air bubbles in your veins turning my hands black
whispers coming from the next room
window cleaner keep on spying
I put my hands up to my eyes
but the holes in my palms let me find a way
to corner me...
Twelve ton hammer for my breakfast
slipping of the edge in catatonic blood
multiple decibel inscriptions
trying all they can in miles an hour
all face grey and looming downwards
sniffing all the time for a ounce of silence
screaming all the way...
Numbers counting down inside me
solar system thoughts circle round my head
false teeth hanging from the ceiling
feet looking of the goms of the 2nd son
I eat my hands 'cos my legs are crying
you broke my neck 'cause I snapped my spine
I wish you would die away...
For all the time this land
for all the time in my hand
circle around in depth
found calmness fall once again...
11 Panic (04:15)
You know you ain't going nowhere
you're stuck inside while the mind is flying
you said you'd help me in the morning
twisting on pins into my eyes
and we driving on the ceiling below you
facin' up the walls with your crocked hands
while you're miles away...
I don't think at all end up like this
there's spiders on the wall and they stink of piss
dead heads lying in the corner
staring at me making me feel bad
I put my hands up to my eyes
but the holes in my palms let me find a way
to corner you...
I can't feel my chest because it ain't much
sucking through my skin into my brain
oxygen pushing on the window
cracks in the glass let it slip away
I start to cry and I keep on laughing
I close my eyes at what's left inside
and then I'll ran away...
For all the time this land
for all the time in my hand
circle around in depth
found calmness fall once again...
Razor blades floating in the warm bath
air bubbles in your veins turning my hands black
whispers coming from the next room
window cleaner keep on spying
I put my hands up to my eyes
but the holes in my palms let me find a way
to corner me...
Twelve ton hammer for my breakfast
slipping of the edge in catatonic blood
multiple decibel inscriptions
trying all they can in miles an hour
all face grey and looming downwards
sniffing all the time for a ounce of silence
screaming all the way...
Numbers counting down inside me
solar system thoughts circle round my head
false teeth hanging from the ceiling
feet looking of the goms of the 2nd son
I eat my hands 'cos my legs are crying
you broke my neck 'cause I snapped my spine
I wish you would die away...
For all the time this land
for all the time in my hand
circle around in depth
found calmness fall once again...
18 A Natural Disaster (06:48)
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.
22 Panic (03:36)
You know you ain't going nowhere
you're stuck inside while the mind is flying
you said you'd help me in the morning
twisting on pins into my eyes
and we driving on the ceiling below you
facin' up the walls with your crocked hands
while you're miles away...
I don't think at all end up like this
there's spiders on the wall and they stink of piss
dead heads lying in the corner
staring at me making me feel bad
I put my hands up to my eyes
but the holes in my palms let me find a way
to corner you...
I can't feel my chest because it ain't much
sucking through my skin into my brain
oxygen pushing on the window
cracks in the glass let it slip away
I start to cry and I keep on laughing
I close my eyes at what's left inside
and then I'll ran away...
For all the time this land
for all the time in my hand
circle around in depth
found calmness fall once again...
Razor blades floating in the warm bath
air bubbles in your veins turning my hands black
whispers coming from the next room
window cleaner keep on spying
I put my hands up to my eyes
but the holes in my palms let me find a way
to corner me...
Twelve ton hammer for my breakfast
slipping of the edge in catatonic blood
multiple decibel inscriptions
trying all they can in miles an hour
all face grey and looming downwards
sniffing all the time for a ounce of silence
screaming all the way...
Numbers counting down inside me
solar system thoughts circle round my head
false teeth hanging from the ceiling
feet looking of the goms of the 2nd son
I eat my hands 'cos my legs are crying
you broke my neck 'cause I snapped my spine
I wish you would die away...
For all the time this land
for all the time in my hand
circle around in depth
found calmness fall once again...
24 A Natural Disaster (06:31)
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.
25 A Natural Disaster (06:31)
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.
27 Fragile Dreams (07:36)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
28 Fragile Dreams (07:36)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
29 Deep (05:07)
Feel my heart burning
Deep inside... yearning
I know it is coming
A fettered heart, waking
A tainted youth, fading
Leave it all behind
Delirious again
Mesmerize my senses
Souls entwine one more time
All our times will come
Searching oblivion
Leaving nothing but the memories of
All the things you give
They're all you'll leave behind
Within their mind
Open laughter held in distant days
Eternal stars have changed
I know that it can't be the same
There's no romance for you tonight
Feel my heart burning
Deep inside... yearning
I know it is coming
All our times will come
Searching oblivion
Leaving nothing but the memories of
All the things you give
They're all you'll leave behind
Within their mind
And time recedes every day
You can search your soul but you won't see
As we pass ever on and away
Towards some blank infinity
36 Deep (05:25)
Feel my heart burning
Deep inside... yearning
I know it is coming
A fettered heart, waking
A tainted youth, fading
Leave it all behind
Delirious again
Mesmerize my senses
Souls entwine one more time
All our times will come
Searching oblivion
Leaving nothing but the memories of
All the things you give
They're all you'll leave behind
Within their mind
Open laughter held in distant days
Eternal stars have changed
I know that it can't be the same
There's no romance for you tonight
Feel my heart burning
Deep inside... yearning
I know it is coming
All our times will come
Searching oblivion
Leaving nothing but the memories of
All the things you give
They're all you'll leave behind
Within their mind
And time recedes every day
You can search your soul but you won't see
As we pass ever on and away
Towards some blank infinity
37 Deep (05:25)
Feel my heart burning
Deep inside... yearning
I know it is coming
A fettered heart, waking
A tainted youth, fading
Leave it all behind
Delirious again
Mesmerize my senses
Souls entwine one more time
All our times will come
Searching oblivion
Leaving nothing but the memories of
All the things you give
They're all you'll leave behind
Within their mind
Open laughter held in distant days
Eternal stars have changed
I know that it can't be the same
There's no romance for you tonight
Feel my heart burning
Deep inside... yearning
I know it is coming
All our times will come
Searching oblivion
Leaving nothing but the memories of
All the things you give
They're all you'll leave behind
Within their mind
And time recedes every day
You can search your soul but you won't see
As we pass ever on and away
Towards some blank infinity
47 Fragile Dreams (06:24)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
48 Flying (08:24)
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
49 A Natural Disaster (06:23)
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.
50 A Natural Disaster (06:23)
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.
51 Closer (06:17)
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
54 Flying (10:45)
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
55 Flying (10:45)
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
62 One Last Goodbye (06:18)
How I needed you
How I grieve now you're gone
In my dreams I see you
I awake so alone
I know you didn't want to leave
Your heart yearned to stay
But the strength I always loved in you finally gave way
Somehow I knew you would leave me this way
Somehow I knew you could never stay
And in the early morning light
After a silent, peaceful night
You took my heart away and my being
In my dreams I can see you
I can tell you how I feel
In my dreams I can hold you
And it feels so real
I still feel the pain
I still feel your love
I still feel the pain
I still feel your love
And somehow I knew you could never never stay
And somehow I knew you would leave me
And in the early morning light
After a silent, peaceful night
You took my heart away
Oh I wish, I wish you could have stayed
64 One Last Goodbye (06:18)
How I needed you
How I grieve now you're gone
In my dreams I see you
I awake so alone
I know you didn't want to leave
Your heart yearned to stay
But the strength I always loved in you finally gave way
Somehow I knew you would leave me this way
Somehow I knew you could never stay
And in the early morning light
After a silent, peaceful night
You took my heart away and my being
In my dreams I can see you
I can tell you how I feel
In my dreams I can hold you
And it feels so real
I still feel the pain
I still feel your love
I still feel the pain
I still feel your love
And somehow I knew you could never never stay
And somehow I knew you would leave me
And in the early morning light
After a silent, peaceful night
You took my heart away
Oh I wish, I wish you could have stayed
65 One Last Goodbye (06:18)
How I needed you
How I grieve now you're gone
In my dreams I see you
I awake so alone
I know you didn't want to leave
Your heart yearned to stay
But the strength I always loved in you finally gave way
Somehow I knew you would leave me this way
Somehow I knew you could never stay
And in the early morning light
After a silent, peaceful night
You took my heart away and my being
In my dreams I can see you
I can tell you how I feel
In my dreams I can hold you
And it feels so real
I still feel the pain
I still feel your love
I still feel the pain
I still feel your love
And somehow I knew you could never never stay
And somehow I knew you would leave me
And in the early morning light
After a silent, peaceful night
You took my heart away
Oh I wish, I wish you could have stayed
66 Closer (06:30)
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
67 Closer (06:30)
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
68 Fragile Dreams (04:18)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
69 Fragile Dreams (04:18)
Countless times I trusted you
I let you back in
Knowing... Yearning... you know
I should have run... but I stayed
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken for you
Today I introduced myself
To my own feelings
In silent agony after all these years they spoke to me
After all these years
Maybe I always knew
My fragile dreams would be broken
For you
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