Anathema Discography: #4 The Silent Enigma

"Fulfillment lost in a lifetime of regret
Ornate peace would cover me
As I would die now...
For one last wish"

Anathema entered the studio in 1995 with ideas for just a few songs. The rest of the album was written during the recording process, and the band went through a change of singers, as rhythm guitarist Vincent Cavanagh took over the vocals from ex-frontman Darren White. In other words, The Silent Enigma was born in circumstances that were turbulent to say the least, but how did the album turn out in the end?

"Restless Oblivion" opens the album with atmospheric keyboards and clean guitars before one of the greatest metal riffs I've ever heard kicks in. The song becomes a mid-tempo rocker after the doomy start, and Vincent Cavanagh makes a convincing debut behind the microphone - his harsh vocals have a lot more passion and anguish to them than his precedessor's static growls. Overall, "Restless Oblivion" is a masterclass in doom metal and a great mission statement for the new four-piece line-up. "Shroud of Frost" continues in the same vein, but also includes a spoken word section and a hypnotic outro that unfortunately outlasts its welcome, as the rest of the song is great.

"...Alone" continues where "Everwake" and "J'ai fait une promesse" left off, this time featuring Rebecca Wilson on vocals. It does its job as an acoustic respite amidst doom metal songs, although it's not as great as the two aforementioned ballads. "Sunset of Age" introduces Vincent's actual singing voice, and although he would improve considerably over the years, his harmonies are well-executed and add color to the music.

"Nocturnal Emission" is a weirder tune, as you may guess by the title! According to Danny Cavanagh, the Duncan Patterson-penned track was influenced by Duran Duran. However, it's far from pop, only including two spoken verses followed by screaming and bursts of guitars that apparently serve as musical equivalents of ejaculation. The song doesn't give me an eargasm, but it's a cool experiment. "Cerulean Twilight", on the other hand, is a totally forgettable song - if you thought the outro to "Shroud of Frost" was long, try listening to this one in full! Luckily it isn't indicative of John Douglas' talents as a songwriter, as he would write some great stuff in later years.

The title-track gets the album back on track, including one beautiful melody after another and a powerful climax. "A Dying Wish" is the biggest classic on the album, with great guitarwork by Danny and a bass break that reminds me more than a little of Pink Floyd's "One of These Days" - the influence of that band would become even stronger on subsequent Anathema albums. "Black Orchid" is an instrumental closer and possibly the heaviest song on the album, culminating in a massive, almost cinematic burst of heaviness.

The bonus tracks on the reissue are worthy too, although they are just alternate versions. The orchestral version of "The Silent Enigma" is in D minor and includes no band instruments, which makes it sound sadder and more beautiful than the album version, and I actually prefer it for that reason. The '96 remake of "Sleepless" is out of place here, as it was recorded in the Eternity (1996) sessions, but Vincent's vocals make it more enjoyable than the original version. However, I wish they would've waited a few more years so they could've recorded it with even better vocals and production.

The Silent Enigma is a much more mature and unique release than Serenades (1993) or the early EPs. Although there's some idling in a couple of songs and the experiments may be hit-or-miss, the highlights of the album are among the greatest Anathema songs of all time and enough to make the album a must-listen for any fan of doom(y) metal. The increased amount of keyboards and Vincent's more diverse vocals make the music more intriguing and paved the way for the band's progression towards a more melodic sound.

Rating: 4/5