Anathema

[Zantera]

Yeah I know what you mean. I think it's important to not get carried away with initial reactions. Many times you can love something initially, but once it sinks in and you start to really analyze it, your reaction changes.

I will say that the electronics-part is my main reason for excitement with this album. I think Anathema have turned into a one trick pony lately, and they have one thing they have been doing on the last few albums. So I feel like a new element in their music is needed to bring new life into their sound. It risks getting stale if you keep doing the same thing, but by hearing they are doing some new things on this album, that sounds good to me.

[senecadawg2]

I'm glad that we seem to have moved on from the Patterson discussion 

I agree with your comments on overly positive reviews, Zantera, but I think that's a more general problem that affects both positive and negative reviews. I think people rating the new album 4 out of 10 are likely among a crowd that found themselves let down by the new album as a result of their own set of expectations. So in that sense, I'm not sure it necessarily is more honest. Unless of course, that review is coming from someone who isn't at all familiar with Anathema. With all of that being said, it is kind of refreshing to get  a break from the onslaught of gushing reviews. Because often times negative reviews come when a band tries something new, and that's always good news in my book. Some people will like it and some won't, and while I'm happy to be in the first group the negative reviews also serve as evidence that the change isn't entirely in my imagination.

As for Anathema getting stale, I get what you're saying. As much as I love both WHBWH and WS, I'm glad that they are going in a slightly new direction now. Of course, in a lot of ways DS is very similar to both of those albums (particularly in the lyrics department, methinks), but it's good to know that those lyrics are being delivered in a slightly different way. Because that's what makes Anathema special to me- they're always evolving.

In other news, Silent Enigma is growing on me. I still think Vinny does a better job singing (in the traditional sense), but I'm starting to appreciate just how much his vocal delivery adds to the mood of that album.

[ariich]

Yeah I know what you mean. I think it's important to not get carried away with initial reactions. Many times you can love something initially, but once it sinks in and you start to really analyze it, your reaction changes.

More commonly it's the other way for me. It's pretty rare that I love something on first listen and don't still at least really really like it later on. More often, a shift in style or something else unexpected will cause me to not really get an album on first listen. That's normally where I decide not to form an opinion, give it a few more listens, and then decide. Most recent example of that is Closure in Moscow's new album - first listen was a total wtf for me as it was quite a departure from their first two albums.

[Zantera]

Oh yeah, I hear you. I've experienced both ways myself. For some reason, the albums I love after the first listen tend to be albums that fade away over time, but albums that doesn't click until 5-10 listens are often the albums I end up loving the most. 

Funny enough with the two Anathema albums I love the most, they were opposite sides of that spectrum. Judgement took probably 10 listens before it clicked, and I consider it to be a flawless album. WHBWH clicked from the opening of Thin Air, and I think that album is incredible as well.

[master]

They're Here Because They're Here. Patterson isn't.

lol he is here, it's just you haven't acquired the other side of the brain, it's not catchy enough for you.  You seem to think Judgement would have came along anyway right after Silent Enigma, a bit of a jump for the 2 brothers, espeically when one never wrote much and Douglas only started on Judgement.

It's ok though, many who discovered this band in the past 5-10 years find it hard to grasp how they 'got here'. Theres a long line of development there. Alt 4 exposed the band and opened doors, the lyrics, the vocals, the drum loops, the imagery, song titles. had they never opened, your fine new Anathema would probably not exist or have returned to Doom Goth much like Paradise Lost. When ones boots get too big, they can sometimes forget where they came from, naturally.

[senecadawg2]

it's just you haven't acquired the other side of the brain, it's not catchy enough for you.

elaborate, please

You seem to think Judgement would have came along anyway right after Silent Enigma

incorrect

Theres a long line of development there. Alt 4 exposed the band and opened doors...

obviously, but that was never disputed.

[Nekov]

After a couple of listens I can say that this album doesn't live up to the 2 previous ones. Although the last part brings a new feeling with the electronic elements the first half sounds a lot like they were just repeating the formula and while there are some songs that I really like overall I don't get those intense feelings Anathema normally generates.

[adace]

If you haven't heard it yet here's the stream: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/anathema-exclusive-album-stream-get-a-first-listen-to-the-bands-new-record-distant-satellites-9487235.html?dkdk

[Phoenix87x]

After a couple of listens I can say that this album doesn't live up to the 2 previous ones. Although the last part brings a new feeling with the electronic elements the first half sounds a lot like they were just repeating the formula and while there are some songs that I really like overall I don't get those intense feelings Anathema normally generates.

Agreed.

I just finished listening to the album stream and yes its a solid album, but honestly I do not feel like it holds up to the majestic awe and wonder that was Weather Systems.

Weather systems is a top 10 album for me and while Distant Satellites is decent, its not something I'll worship like WS.

And I'm not feeling the electronica. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE electronica, but I don't think it meshes well here, especially on songs like You're not alone.

[senecadawg2]

Speaking from my experiences alone, I wasn't particularly awed by either WS or DS the first few times I heard them all the way through. In fact, the first handful of listens to WS on Spotify left me with not much more than a 'this is pleasant...' I hope, and even expect, that DS will grow on me over time just like WS did. Maybe not equal in degree, but at the very least steady growth.

[abydos]

Listened to the Anathema song, not that impressed overall. Has some great parts and some mediocre ones, especially early on. Impressive performance by Vinnie, though. The solo was really nice at the end but there was too much going on behind it and the whole thing felt cluttered to me.

[PixelDream]

Overall I'm liking this better than WS, but not better than WHBWH.

Weather Systems first half I don't really like (except maybe The Gathering of the Clouds). From Storm Before the Calm until the end is stellar though.

Distant Satellites has the Untouchable formula on the song(s) 'The Lost Song', but I'm way more fond of that mood as opposed to the super optimistic Untouchables. Also, the times I saw them open up with Untouchables.. that song is just not working at all live. It was really awkward. I think this new song will open up concerts in a much better way.

[Zantera]

Weather Systems first half I don't really like (except maybe The Gathering of the Clouds). From Storm Before the Calm until the end is stellar though.

You don't like the first half of WS? While I'm not a huge fan of the album, I would say the Untouchable-songs are the biggest stand outs on the whole album. There are a few other songs that stick out, but the Untouchable-songs are top tier Anathema IMO. There's some other lackluster songs on the album, but the way it opens (and ends) is quite fantastic. I would say the middle portion is where it gets slower.

[senecadawg2]

Sunlight is where WS gets lower.

[Buddyhunter1]

Sunlight is where WS gets lower.

Yeah, that's the only song on WS that doesn't really need to be there, especially since the flow of it is so damn similar to Lightning Song, which came RIGHT before.

[Nekov]

I'm the odd one out then cause I love Sunlight

[?]

Sunlight is easily the weakest song on the album IMO. Danny doesn't have a bad voice, but tbh I wouldn't mind if he left all the vocal duties to Vincent and Lee.

[Phoenix87x]

I'm the odd one out then cause I love Sunlight

I also love Sunlight.

Love the whole album really.

[ColdFireYYZ]

Sunlight's great and Danny has a very good voice. His singing style reminds me very much of Nick Drake, which makes sense considering he was influenced by him and did the tribute album.

[senecadawg2]

Danny's vocals are hit or miss for me. Sunlight, unfortunately, is a bit of a miss. Are You There?, on the other hand, is one of my favorite Anathema songs ever

[FlyingBIZKIT]

Sunlight is amazing. I love when the drums start picking up at the end

[MoraWintersoul]

I only like Untouchables and The Beginning And The End from WS. The rest is kind of "there" and it's okay and pleasant, but not something I'm really into.

[Mindflux]

https://diffuser.fm/anathemas-distant-satellites/

Whole album stream.

[Zantera]

Wow, Different Satellites is really amazing. Where should I even begin with this one? Guess try to break it down a bit song by song, I guess that's the easiest way to go? But before I do that, I just have to say that this album was really quite the positive surprise for me. I did not hate Weather Systems, but I thought it was "just" a good album. I would give it a 7 or 7.5 out of 10. It had some really amazing songs, but about 50-55% of the album felt like less interesting versions of songs I heard on WHBWH. I know a lot of people loved WS, but to me, parts of it felt like "I've seen and heard this before". Still, not a bad album, just not one of the better ones in their discography.

(Note: These thoughts are after just TWO listens of the album)

The Lost Song-duo opening the album is IMO just as good as The Untouchable-duo or the Thin Air/Summernight Horizon combo. Anathema really knows how to open their album with a strong song, and having the second song be a slightly slower and more calm "version" of the first song. (They did it on WS and they do it again here) It's a really strong way to open an album, and I have a feeling that these songs will be held very high by myself if I were to rank Anathema songs down the line. It's an effective way to open the album, and it's a strong and memorable start to the album.

Dusk (Dark is Descending) has more going on in it, compared to the first two songs, and it's also a song I haven't quite figured out yet. I have a feeling it will click with a few more spins, but it is a very solid continuation of the album, and I really like how it goes into Ariel. Now Ariel is a really beautiful song. I don't feel like I need to say more about it, because I've seen others mention that song as well, so let's just stick with "it's really darn good".  The Lost Song 3 IMO works really well on the album. When I first heard the sample of the song before the album, it felt kinda like "Anathema B-Side", but after getting the effect of Part 1 and Part 2, it works much better on the album. Yes, they could probably have put Part 3 right after Part 1 and 2, but placing it slightly later on the album feels like a nice little callback to Eternity, and how the "chapter"-songs were used on that album.

The song "Anathema" is one of the highlights on the album for sure. If you (25 years into your career) put out a song named after the band, you kinda want it to be something memorable, and something that holds up quality-wise, and the song delivers on those notes. "You're Not Alone" is a song I haven't quite made up my mind about yet. I really like how it starts and how it builds up, but the electronic "climax" (if you will) is not AS good as the parts leading up to it. This would probably be my least favorite song on the album, but still a cool song. Firelight sounds like a Paris in the Spring song. (That's my own musical project) And that's kinda funny. I don't mean that in a quality-way, but it generally sounds like something I would/could have made. (I've made several ambient interlude-type of songs)

The title track is a good example of using the electronics to their advantage, and it's another big highlight. Probably the "Universal" or "Internal Landscapes" of this album. I would probably say that it's the best song on the album, but also an instant Anathema classic. Take Shelter is a great song, but I might had re-arranged the album and ended the album with the title track instead of Take Shelter actually. The album overall feels like a fresh take on the Anathema sound, and they deliver fresh-sounding music without throwing away the elements that make them so wonderful.

With the exception of a few re-arrangements (Having all Lost Songs in a row, ending album with title-track) and a few questions about "You're Not Alone", I'm feeling a 4.5 out of 5 on this one. Bravo Anathema, you just made me even more excited for the show in November. 

[ariich]

Great to hear you're liking it so much, Jimmy. I myself haven't had a proper listen yet - I listened through most of it on the Soundcloud stream, but I don't think you get the full aural impact on those and so I'm going to wait for the actual thing before properly delving into it. I was really liking what I heard though.

[ColdFireYYZ]

Based on your previous comments in this thread, I definitely wasn't expecting such a positive review from you, Zantera.

I agree about the track listing. Either the title track or Anathema would have been good closers IMO.

[PixelDream]

Take Shelter is the only track I'm not into or hasn't clicked yet. It's not bad by any means, it just reminds me way too much of Sigur Ros. The way he holds that high note is just carbon copy Jonsi style.

[haceeb]

Anathema is my most favorite band along with Dream Theater and I'm already in love with Distant Satellites. Don't forget it's my album of 2014 too.

[seasonsinthesky]

enjoying the second Lost Song best out of the three. even though it's fit in the template of Untouchable pt. 2, it's potentially the most effective of these. also it transitions absolutely beautifully into pt. 3, which is likely my second favourite of the trio. a fantastic suite all around methinks.

i'm still trying to grasp and understand Dusk, Ariel and Anathema. obviously they're in the WHBWH/WS style so i am familiar with that but the actual content and the length of the pieces is creating this seamless blending effect. they are quite a trio on their own.

without a doubt, the electronic end of the record is my favourite. the title track is just beyond words for me. (and i'm glad You're Not Alone turned out to be way less annoying than i thought it'd be from samples!)

[PixelDream]

I'm actually very fond of 'Dusk', it blew me away at first listen. 'Ariel' kept up the quality, but then the song 'Anathema' came along. And then the title track was just something else, in a completely different style and they pulled it off.

Those tracks are the peaks I think. The album doesn't get boring anywhere.

[Buddyhunter1]

First reaction to the last part of You're Not Alone: what the fuck?

[senecadawg2]

snipping all of that down...

I'm glad to hear you have enjoyed it so far! I also hope that it grows on you as it has for me over the past week. I completely agree about the track sequencing- the title track (my favorite, as well) would have made a more fitting closer imo.

My copy should arrive early next week, I'm going to hold off on listening until then!

[Jamesman42]

Firelight is so beautiful, love shit like that

[Zantera]

I'm curious, what kind of setlist do you guys think (or hope) we will see on the tour? If I'm making one, this is both what I think is possible but also something I would hope for. I'll keep it somewhat realistically and have a setlist around the 2 hour mark.

The Lost Song (Pt 1)
The Lost Song (Pt 2)
The Lost Song (Pt 3)
Untouchable (Pt 1)
Untouchable (Pt 2)
Dusk (Dark is Descending)
Ariel
Thin Air
Balance/Closer
Anathema
A Fine Day to Exit (I wish  )
A Simple Mistake
Take Shelter
Internal Landscapes
Distant Satellites
--Encore--
Fragile Dreams
One Last Goodbye
Universal


I think there might be a good chance they will play "A Natural Disaster" instead of Balance/Closer though. I went with the latter two because there are some electronic stuff that would work neatly with what they have on the new album. A Fine Day to Exit is a bit of a dream, I would also love Temporary Peace. I would love something more from Judgement like Emotional Winter or Don't Look Too Far, or even Forgotten Hopes. I would love hearing Regret from Alternative 4, but I doubt they will play it. As long as they play Universal, that's "THE" Anathema song for me. Maybe drop ONE DS-song and throw in another from WS, it's hard to say.

[senecadawg2]

All I can really say is that that would be a killer setlist 

I agree that Natural Disaster is a likely choice, and that Fine Day to Exit is very unlikely. As for the new songs, it wouldn't surprise me if Lost Song Part 3 wasn't played, but that may just be wishful thinking and the fact that it's one of my least favorite songs on the album.

As for me, I have my dream setlist and my more realistic prediction. Both are about 2 hours, but this is what happens when they collide.

Firelight
Distant Satellites
Thin Air
Dreaming Light
Lost Song 1
Lost Song 2
Dusk
Ariel
Lightning Song
The Beginning and the End
Anathema
Take Shelter
Closer
Universal
Flying
--------
Internal Landscapes
One Last Goodbye
Fragile Dreams


I'd love to see more than just OLG from Judgement, but I think this is more realistic