* ORIGINALLY FEATURED IN SCRAWLSHOP ZINE

THESE ARE SOME OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL MUSIC I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I CANNOT SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THIS ALBUM. TOTALLY SOMBER IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD. ONE OF THE HEAVIEST ALBUMS I'VE HEARD RECENTLY. NO I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT CRYPTOPSY HEAVINESS, BUT EMOTIONAL AND LYRICAL HEAVINESS. I'M NOT VERY PARTICULAR OF LYRICS BUT THE ONES HERE, YOU JUST HAVE TO KNOW. SENSITITVE TOPICS LIKE BETRAYAL AND DEATH POLLUTE THE ALBUM. THIS IS THE SAME ANATHEMA THAT WE USED TO KNOW. MINUS THE DEATH VOCALS. AND NOW, THE BLEAKNESS IS INCREASED A HUNDRED FOLD.

LANDSCAPES OF DOOM AND GOTHIC SENSIBILITIES FLOW TO CREATE THE BASIC BACKDROP OF THIS ALBUM. DARK, ROMANTIC AND MYSTERIOUS, 95% OF THE TRACKS ARE SLOW MOVING ENTITIES OF DESPAIR. THE SONGS FLOW CONSTANTLY, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE LISTENING TO JUST ONE COMPOSITION. EVERY INSTRUMENT COMPLIMENTS EACH OTHER. VINCENT CAVANAGH'S HAUNTING VOCALS (HE SOUNDS LIKE HE'S GONNA DIE ANYTIME IN THE ALBUM) FIT PERFECTLY WITH THE CRUSHING AND ETHEREAL GUITARS, THE LOOMING BASS, THROBBING DRUMS PLUS THE SPACY KEYBOARDS WHICH PLAY A VERY BIG ROLE THROUGHOUT.

THIS IS AN ALBUM PERFECT FOR THE NIGHT, WHEN IT IS COLD OR RAINING. WAIT TILL YOU TRY IT ON HEADPHONES. IT WILL PENETRATE THROUGH YOUR SUBCONSIOUS AND CARRY YOUR SOUL LIKE A FEATHER. AN ALBUM THAT YOU WILL PLAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ANATHEMA'S BEST ALBUM TO DATE, LET'S SEE THEM TOP THIS ONE. I WONDER WHAT THEIR NEW ALBUM "JUDGEMENT" (OUT ON JUNE 21, 1999) SOUNDS LIKE.

OH YEAH IF YOU DON'T OWN THE JAPANESE VERSION OF THE ALBUM, LET ME JUST TELL YOU THAT AN ORCHESTRAL VERSION OF THE SONG "THE SILENT ENIGMA" IS FEATURED. EX-RAINBOW KEYBOARDIST DON AIREY RECORDED IT.

This review is credited to:
DEATHCRAYON