maanantai 12. lokakuuta 2015

Anathema Discography #14: Distant Satellites (2014)


"Building foundations, straining
Such good intentions, failing
Slowly we faltered from the line
slowly dissolving our time"

Anathema's latest album, Distant Satellites (2014) is a darker and more minimalistic and electronic effort than its two precedessors, but not a radical stylistic departure.  In fact, the album starts with two songs that are tied together musically and lyrically, just like Weather Systems (2012). While "The Lost Song" may not be as mind-blowing as "Untouchable", it's a damn good way to open the album. Part 1 has got a great rhythmic hook, while Part 2 plucks at your heartstrings with its beauty.

"Dusk (Dark Is Descending) is not a stand-out track, but also not as forgettable as the weak points of the last album; the opening guitar arpeggio is pretty cool. "Ariel" is similar to "The Lost Song, Part 2" in the sense that it's a piano ballad sung (for the most part) by Lee Douglas and shines with its melodies. "The Lost Song, Part 3" feels a little redundant: it has the same rhythm as the first part, but isn't nearly as catchy or emotionally powerful, which makes it a weird choice for first single. "Anathema", on the other hand, is a majestic piece of music that deserves to bear the name of the band. Vincent Cavanagh's high note at the end followed by his brother Danny's solo is one of the best moments in the band's discography, and that's a huge achievement for a band with such a long history.

"You're Not Alone" kicks off the second, more electronic half of Distant Satellites. The repetitive vocals irritated me initially, and it's hard not to think of this under 3 minutes long tune as a filler track, but I like the way the electronics have been combined with the rocking guitar riff. "Firelight" is an ambient track that doesn't work on its own, but it's a perfect introduction to the title-track. "Distant Satellites" is an absolute winner and soothing yet energetic - in a perfect world this song would be played in clubs all around the world! "Take Shelter" feels slightly underwhelming after the greatness of the previous song, but it's got beautiful strings and a nice atmosphere, making it a decent closer.

For me, Distant Satellites is a step up from Weather Systems: it's more dynamic and I dig the less heavily layered instrumentation and the darker vibe. It doesn't reach the brilliance of Anathema's best works, but the highlights are easily among the band's greatest songs, and the experimentation gives the record a shade of freshness, though there's plenty of familiarity in the first half. The album doesn't sound rushed, although it was done with a tight schedule. It'll be interesting to see whether Anathema will further explore the electronic path or if they have something different in store for us listeners!

Rating: 4/5


torstai 1. lokakuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #13 Weather Systems (2012)


"Inside this cold heart is a dream
That's locked in a box that I keep
Buried a hundred miles deep
Deep in my soul in a place that's surrounded by aeons of silence"

The ninth studio album by Anathema is the densely layered Weather Systems (2012). Fingerpicked guitar melodies, vocal harmonies, and orchestrations are all over the album, and its uplifting atmosphere picks up where We're Here Because We're Here (2010) left off.

The two-part suite "Untouchable" opens the album and is one of the greatest things ever written by Anathema. The first part is a rock song, while the second is a more subdued piano ballad. These two tracks have got hummable melodies and rich arrangements that make them irresistible.

The rest of Weather Systems can't match the impact of the opening duology, but there's still plenty of good stuff. "The Gathering of the Clouds" isn't a great standalone track, but it's a good introduction to "Lightning Song", which is driven by Lee Douglas' fantastic vocals and has a powerful ending that always makes me feel pumped. "The Beginning and the End" is yet another piece of evidence that Vincent Cavanagh is one of the most passionate singers in the business, and I love Danny Cavanagh's solo and the beautiful piano. "Internal Landscapes" is a slightly repetitive song, but it's a perfect closing track, and the spoken word sections about a near-death experience are touching.

The post-rock influenced "Sunlight", like earlier songs featuring Danny Cavanagh on lead vocals, isn't a special song (I think there's a reason this one hasn't been played live) and feels like a filler track. "The Storm Before the Calm" is a 9½-minute epic that feels like two songs glued together, as the industrial-sounding first half is far-removed from the big orchestral ending. However, I guess it makes sense because of the theme of the song (the first half is the "storm", while the second is the "calm"), and I have to admit that the tune came across better when I heard it live. "The Lost Child", on the other hand, just plods along and doesn't stick out from the rest.

Weather Systems was a disappointment for me at the time it was released, because the best songs ("Untouchable Pt. 1" and "The Beginning and the End") had been released in advance of the album and made my expectations too high. After revisiting the album, I still think Weather Systems is slightly uneven and lacks variety. The highs are fantastic, but don't save it from being in the lower half of my Anathema album ranking. That said, I'm glad the record brought Anathema more exposure, because they've earned their success.

Rating: 3½/5

perjantai 25. syyskuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #12 Falling Deeper (2011)



After coming back with a bang on We're Here Because We're Here (2010), Anathema made a follow-up to Hindsight (2008) by reimagining its early material with orchestral arrangements and piano. There's also drums, E-bow, acoustic guitars, and some vocals, but the record is largely instrumental.

Falling Deeper isn't simply a bunch of doom metal songs played without growls and distorted guitars: the band took some of the themes from the original songs and built new compositions out of them. "Crestfallen" is the most successful remake, taking the intro (read: the best part) and turning the slightly tedious 10-minute doomster.into a beautiful 3-minute piece.

"Kingdom" is another bullseye, featuring sung lyrics instead of the original spoken word approach. "Sunset of Age" has changed the least, keeping the original song structure and featuring gorgeous harmonies by Vincent and Lee and a powerful guitar solo by Danny at the end. "We, the Gods", however, is a disappointment, as the epic Iron Maidenish outro isn't included in this version.

The (songs that used to be) acoustic ballads are weak spots as well: "Alone" is almost twice as long as originally, and drags on way too much, while "J'ai Fait une Promesse" lacks emotional power without vocals. "Everwake" is pretty much identical to the original, only with orchestrations complementing the acoustic guitars. Luckily Anneke van Giersbergen's graceful vocals help the remake be at least as good as the old one.

I was mildly disappointed by Falling Deeper initially, but I've learned to appreciate it as is, though I still think there's room for improvement. The short length of the release is totally understandable, because hiring a string orchestra isn't exactly cheap, but at least one of the ballads could've been replaced with another rearranged doom metal song, such as "Under a Veil (of Black Lace)" or "Shroud of Frost". However, if you throw out all your expectations and notions of what the album should've been like, and just give it a spin without thinking too much, it's an enjoyable and relaxing listen. It's got beautiful arrangements on it and demonstrates that despite all the stylistic changes, the essence of Anathema's music has never changed.

Rating: 3½/5


torstai 17. syyskuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #11 We're Here Because We're Here (2010)


"I have found my way to fly free from constraints of time
I have soared through the sky seen life far below in mind"

Anathema finally released its 8th full-length album in 2010. We're Here Because We're Here is the start of a new phase: the sound is characterized by orchestral arrangements, a heavy dose of piano, Lee Douglas' greater vocal presence, Danny's E-bow leads, occasional rhythmic experimentation, as well as post-rockish song structures that start out soft and build up to a climax. The album has a more optimistic tone than any of Anathema's previous releases, which stems from the positive changes in the band members' lives, especially Danny Cavanagh's.

"Thin Air" is a great, upbeat opener that sets the tone for Anathema's modern style. "I love you" may be an overused phrase in popular music, but in this song it sounds perfectly honest. The lyrics can also be interpreted as the band's statement on its rebirth: "We've come too far to turn back / This is where we stand and face it / This is who we are."

"Summernight Horizon" is a louder and more intense song, but has an uplifting chorus, which separates it from the heavier tracks on previous albums. The mix of emotions that Anathema has mastered over the years continues in "Dreaming Light", which manages to sound wistful yet optimistic at the same time. Some people may find this tune too cheesy, but in my opinion it never crosses that line. "Everything" is a song about finding peace of mind and coming to terms with yourself - not one of the highlights of the album, but I love the pulsating 9/8 beat.

"Angels Walk Among Us" - which features Ville Valo (HIM) on backing vocals - is honestly one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard: Danny's wailing Ebow, Vincent and Lee's emotional vocals and the powerful climax are simply delightful. After the mostly spoken track "Presence", we get to the high point, which is "A Simple Mistake". This song has such an incredible build-up that few Anathema songs have managed to match it, before or after this album.

"Get off, Get Out" is the weakest song, but the mild Porcupine Tree vibe and the guitar arpeggios are enjoyable. "Universal" is more progressive: it starts out as a slow, vocal-centered piece, but the second half is instrumental. There's a great solo by Danny and some sweet orchestrations in this song. "Hindsight" shifts between major and minor keys and brings the album to a close successfully.

We're Here Because We're Here is by far the most cohesive and complete Anathema album since Judgement (1999). Years of hard work paid off, and the resulting record is lively and diverse. It's not an absolute 10 like Alternative 4 (1998) and Judgement, but Anathema found its own identity and signature sound on this euphoric rebirth of an album, and it set the standards for the subsequent records.

Rating: 4½/5


keskiviikko 9. syyskuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #10 Hindsight (2008)



"A timeless word, the meanings changed
But I'm still burning in your flames
Incessant, lustral masquerade
Unengaged, dim lit love didn't taste the same"

After A Natural Disaster (2003), Anathema found itself without a record deal when Music for Nations was shut down. The band couldn't seem to find a new label or management, and several obstacles slowed them down. However, Anathema continued to play live and write new music, and amidst all that they managed to fulfil their long-time dream of releasing an acoustic album.

Hindsight consists of (semi)acoustic versions of songs from the 1996-2003 period, along with a previously unreleased song, "Unchained (Tales of the Unexpected)". Besides acoustic band instruments, the album includes cello by guest musician David Wesling and mandolin by ex-member Duncan Patterson. Danny Cavanagh also plays leads with an Ebow, which makes his wailing guitar sound even more distinct.

Opening track "Fragile Dreams" starts out driven by piano and cello, but reaches a powerful climax at the end when the full band joins in. The song manages to sound intense even at a slower tempo and with minimalistic instrumentation. "One Last Goodbye" features a highly emotional vocal performance by Vincent Cavanagh, who sounds like he's on the verge of tears. "Are You There?" benefits the most from the acoustic treatment: the folky fingerpicking is lovely and makes the song stick out, unlike the original, fairly generic arrangement. Another highlight is "Angelica", which sounded too heavy and unrefined on Eternity (1996), but works brilliantly as an acoustic song.

Unfortunately the rest of the tracks don't measure up, as most of them had already been understated and mellow in their original forms, and the arrangements haven't been changed that much. "Inner Silence" loses its emotional impact due to the repetitive ending, and "Unchained" is a rather underwhelming song, although I get that the band wanted to save the best of the new material for its next full-length album. Even though Hindsight isn't an essential release by any means, it's not a complete waste of money, as the versions of "Are You There?" and "Angelica" are so good that I never listen to the originals anymore. Hindsight also works as the closure of a chapter in the band's career, before they moved on to the sound they're known for these days.

Rating: 3/5


lauantai 29. elokuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #9 A Natural Disaster (2003)


"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"

Danny Cavanagh went through a rough period in his life in 2002 and even left Anathema for a brief time. This is reflected in the dark and minimalistic approach of A Natural Disaster, which includes plenty of experimentation.

The electronically-tinged opener "Harmonium" makes it clear that this album is a different beast than any previous Anathema release. The prominent guitars and the agonized scream at the end of the song, however, make it very heavy in a way. "Balance" is a pleasantly melodic track, bringing back the Radiohead influence of the previous album. However, the Vocoder-driven and repetitive sound of "Closer" is a far cry from the accessible rock of A Fine Day to Exit (2001). This song is at its best when played live: the hypnotic, even danceable, rhythm makes you want to jump up and down!

"Are You There?" is a decent song, but I feel the acoustic arrangement on Hindsight is a better version of it. "Childhood Dream" is a sweet little interlude, which is ironically followed by the most aggressive song on the album, "Pulled Under at 2000 Metres a Second". The strong bassline and Vincent Cavanagh's strong vocal delivery make this a memorable song, even though it's radically different from the rest of the album, and a few band members have gone on record saying they don't like it.

The Portishead-influenced title-track highlights Lee Douglas' beautiful voice, and its trip hop vibe is unique for Anathema, making it a classic. "Flying" is another hit: very simplistic, yet beautiful, and the reversed guitars add interesting soundscapes. Unfortunately the last two songs are clearly the weakest: "Electricity" is a forgettable semi-acoustic tune, whereas the 10-minute instrumental "Violence" is way too drawn-out.

I have mixed feelings on A Natural Disaster: most of the songs are good, but the chaotic nature of the album prevents it from being one of the band's best. Anathema has always made diverse albums, but I feel AND lacks the cohesion of the other releases. Although none of the songs can compete with the absolute crown jewels of the Anathema discography, there's plenty of good material to go back to, such as the title-track, "Flying" and the combo of "Balance" and "Closer".

Rating: 3½/5


tiistai 18. elokuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #8 A Fine Day to Exit (2001)


"Here and now
We are gone in a heartbeat
A dream in the passage your time

Chances are failing
This world isn't waiting
The moment is passing you by"

Anathema took a step in the direction of alternative rock, close to the territory of Radiohead, with 2001's A Fine Day to Exit. The album is guitar-driven like Judgement (1999), but the sound is more modern and less atmospheric. The songs are more mainstream, but not in a negative way - in fact, this is arguably Anathema's most accessible album.

The Beatles-influenced "Pressure" feels like a weird opening track (we'll get to this later) with its minimalistic chord progression, but it has a catchy chorus, so it's a shame it never became a hit, despite the record label's attempts. "Release" is a great track with cool synth bass, rocking guitars, and brilliant vocal harmonies. "Looking Outside Inside" is good as well, even though the beautiful first half and the loud ending feel kind of disconnected from each other.

The synth sounds give "Underworld" a cool vibe, and it's another song that should've been a rock radio hit. "Barriers" is a well-needed respite, but I've never thought Danny Cavanagh's voice was on the same level as his brother Vincent's, so his debut as a lead singer doesn't convince me. If the songs until now have been atypically rocking and modern for Anathema, "Panic" takes this change to its extreme: it's a punky up-tempo track with crazy lyrics, but surprisingly enough the song works and is actually one of the album's highlights.

A Fine Day to Exit ends with what are arguably the two most traditional Anathema songs on the album. The title-track is the peak for me and one of my all-time favorite Anathema tunes - it's got a little bit of the dark Alternative 4 (1998) vibe that I love. "Temporary Peace" is a great closer that sounds melancholy yet gives a little bit of hope: "with you I start to feel a sort of temporary peace." Drummer John Douglas' ramblings about dogs, cats and chickens and the hidden track "In the Dog's House" at the end of the album show that Anathema has a sense of humor and are a nice comic relief.

A reissue with a previously unreleased intro and a rearranged tracklist came out earlier this year. I own this version, as I bought the Fine Days box set this summer. While I think the one-two punch of the intro and "Release" is the best way to open the album, I don't like the way some of the songs that used to be linked with direct segues on the original release have been divided. However, nobody is forced to buy the new version, so the fact that the band finally found peace of mind by using their artistic freedom is what matters the most.

A Fine Day to Exit is a fine album that shows a different side of Anathema. This may also be why the album is slightly divisive among the fans, as not everyone is pleased with its modern rock sound. I have to admit I prefer the band's atmospheric side, but thanks to the fairly solid songwriting and classics like the title cut, "Release" and "Panic", AFDTE has earned a place in my big 4 of Anathema albums.

Rating: 4/5

 

lauantai 8. elokuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #7 Judgement (1999)


"All the hate that feeds your needs
All the sickness you conceive
All the horror you create
Will bring you to your knees"

Anathema's 1999 effort Judgement is more guitar-driven and rocking than the keyboard-heavy and ambient Alternative 4 (1998). The main reason for this was the loss of main songwriter Duncan Patterson, but the songs were also born as group efforts, unlike on most Anathema albums, which led to a more band-oriented sound.

The first four songs form a suite together. "Deep" is a powerful opener that displays the melodic and melancholy, yet rocking style of the album. "Pitiless" is darker and more aggressive, while "Forgotten Hopes" is a semi-acoustic ballad, but despite the differences the songs share a common guitar theme, which is heard the bridge of the former and the verses in the latter. A short instrumental, "Destiny Is Dead" closes the quadrilogy.

Returning drummer John Douglas became a prolific writer on Judgement: "Make It Right (FFS)" is a pleasantly atmospheric tune that brings to mind Awake-era Dream Theater because of its Kevin Moore-like keyboard sounds. "Don't Look Too Far" is a psychedelic piece reminiscent of early/mid-era Porcupine Tree that has some heavy wah-wah guitars in the chorus. The classic rock-sounding "Wings of God", on the other hand, ends with a brilliant instrumental jam.

The star of the album, however, is Danny Cavanagh, whose leads embellish the album. The heart-wrenching eulogy for his and Vincent's mother, "One Last Goodbye", culminates in one of the most emotional guitar solos I've ever heard. Another favorite of mine is "Emotional Winter", which sees him channeling his inner Gilmour in the intro. There's also a lot of feedback on various songs, creating a vibe of disorder.

"Parisienne Moonlight" is a short but sweet piano ballad that features future band member Lee Douglas on vocals with Danny. The title-track is the heaviest on the album, transforming into a furious rocker after the slow first half. According to Danny, "Anyone, Anywhere" is a dishonest song that had no meaning at all to its writer, bassist Dave Pybus. While the lyrics are rather childish compared to the true feelings of pain and sadness in the other songs, it's a beautiful song musically. "2000 & Gone" is an instrumental outro that ends the album on a peaceful note.

Judgement works as the perfect bridge between Anathema's metal beginnings and their later sound. It's also like a companion work to Alternative 4: obviously the songwriting is different, but they were released so close to each other that they feel like two halves of a double album and complement each other. Alternative 4 sounds cold and edgy, whereas Judgement has a warm and full production. If A4 is the soundtrack for hitting the rock bottom, then Judgement represents the first difficult step you have to take to get your life back on track.

The cover art and the band photo in the centerfold of the booklet probably have a lot to do with this, but Judgement is a summer album to me - if you close your eyes while listening, you can imagine yourself by a lake at sunset. The atmosphere of the album also makes it a pleasure to listen to: it's sad, but you can hear that there was a good vibe going on during the making process. Judgement may not be as tight as its precedessor, but I wouldn't change a thing about it regardless.

Rating: 5/5

 

perjantai 7. elokuuta 2015

The future of this blog

Hi,

there have been few updates in the past few weeks, because I've been busy traveling and doing other stuff. Unfortunately it looks like there won't be a lot of reviews coming up in the future, either...

I just wrote a report of Radio City South Park "festival" (I use quotation marks because the only bands that played were Dream Theater and Anathema) for Musicalypse, and I'm going to contribute more concert and (new) album reviews to the site in the future, so now I have another channel for my writing. I've also found out that it's hard to write reviews on a pretty much daily basis and keep the quality up, so I'd prefer to focus my efforts and energy onto one site at a time. One of my personal aims for this blog was to get to write for a proper music site anyway, so that goal has been reached now.

On top of that, I just went back to work and will return to school at the end of the month, so my spare time is limited. I'd like to use it to try and get my own songs together, read some books and simply relax, so sadly this means that something has got to give.

However, since I'm doing an Anathema discography run-through on a music forum simultaneously with this blog, I will finish that - in fact, a review of Judgement is in the works right now. Who knows, I may also write other reviews for the blog later if I feel like it... But even if this blog comes to the end of its road, you can always keep an eye on my Musicalypse reviews and updates regarding my own musical endeavors or the hip hop project I contributed to recently.

Thanks to everyone who has read this blog so far! It hasn't been around for long, but I feel I've honed my writing in the past two months and the little feedback I've received has been positive and encouraging. The Anathema reviews will keep coming weekly at least until mid-September, so there's still something to look forward to. Rock on!

-Ville

tiistai 28. heinäkuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #6 Alternative 4 (1998)


"I'm coming to an end
I've realized what I could have been
I can't sleep so I take a breath and hide behind my bravest mask
I admit I've lost control"

Anathema's fourth full-length sprang up during the band's darkest period: drummer John Douglas had been replaced Shaun Steels due to his drug problems, and there were several disagreements between the band members, especially principal songwriters Duncan Patterson and Danny Cavanagh, who were also going through private problems of their own. Patterson would leave the band soon after the recording sessions to pursue a different musical path.

This tension is clearly audible in the depressive and minimalistic sound of Alternative 4. While there's violin on two of the most popular classics on the album ("Fragile Dreams" and "Lost Control") and some drum loops on "Empty", the album is less layered than its precedessor Eternity (1996), and the guitars are no longer tuned down. There's also less lead guitar work going on, probably because Danny Cavanagh only contributed three songs to the album while Patterson did most of the songwriting work.

My personal favorite song in the whole Anathema catalog, "Lost Control", embodies the album perfectly: it's got piano, subdued yet emotional vocals, both distorted and acoustic guitars, and lyrics about depression: "I've let your tiny minds magnify my agony / and it's left me with a chemical dependency for sanity". Danny Cavanagh's songs "Fragile Dreams", "Regret" and "Inner Silence", the latter of which deals with the death of the Cavanagh brothers' mother, are very melancholy in tone as well, but there's also plenty of anger on the album, especially in "Empty", which ironically is a danceable tune with a recurring guitar/keyboard hook.

There's also some experimenting going on in the apocalyptic title-track and Vincent Cavanagh's sole contribution, "Re-Connect", which is very progressive in its feel and goes from major key clean guitars straight to a ferocious scream. The Hammond-driven "Feel", on the other hand, gives off a classic rock vibe.

The reissue includes four cover songs as bonus tracks. The Pink Floyd covers are rather redundant, as they're almost identical to the original versions, but the rendition of Bad Religion's punk song "Better Off Dead" is one of the best cover songs I've ever heard. Guest vocalist Michelle Richfield makes the song's "f*ck you" attitude more sophisticated, and the piano-driven arrangement makes the melodies sound deceivingly beautiful.

Alternative 4 is a brutally honest album, both musically and lyrically. There's not a single filler track in its 45-minute running time and the album has a strong atmosphere without getting monotonous at any point, thanks to the different styles of the band's songwriters. Anathema prove that there are probably even more shades of gray than 50! While I don't agree with the Cavanagh brothers' view that it's the beginning of the "real" Anathema, I do consider Alternative 4 the band's magnum opus and the first of their two bullseyes.

Rating: 5/5


sunnuntai 19. heinäkuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #5 Eternity (1996)


"Trapped in time
A mirage of hope and change
A swirling mass, no mercy now
If the truth hurts prepare for pain"

Anathema's third full-length album was their first not to include growls or death metal elements. Instead, the album focuses more on atmosphere enhanced with keyboards and acoustic elements, although the guitars are still heavy.

"Sentient" is a beautiful piano-driven intro for the album before the fan-favorite "Angelica" gets the album started for real. The song itself is great, but the guitars sound unnecessarily heavy and right from the start it's clear that Vincent Cavanagh's singing is very shaky compared to his screams on The Silent Enigma (1995). "The Beloved" is an atypically upbeat Anathema song with a little bit of double-bass drumming, but doesn't offer anything special. "Eternity Part I" starts a trilogy by Duncan Patterson that asks the listener whether they believe in forever. It's also fast-paced, but instead of sounding metallic it reminds me of the post-punk vibe of "Sleepless" from the first album. "Eternity Part II" is an ambient instrumental anchored by Patterson's bass playing that works as a break from the fast tempos. It's followed by a cover of Roy Harper's "Hope", which works surprisingly well as part of the album.

"Suicide Veil" is the doomiest song on the album and contains Vincent's strongest vocal performance and a beautiful acoustic outro. "Radiation" feels like a filler despite the pretty female vocals, but "Far Away" raises the bar again, including clean guitar arpeggios and thought-provoking lyrics: "Sometimes I feel myself going under / Sometimes I envy the dead". "Eternity Part III" closes the trilogy and is clearly the best song on the album, full of great melodies and culminating in a powerful climax. The album could've ended here, because while "Cries on the Wind" has a cool bassline and a Pink Floyd vibe that I enjoy, it's not a song I find myself listening to very often. "Ascension" is an instrumental ending, but doesn't come close to "Black Orchid" from last album and has a slightly cheesy power metal vibe.

The reissue contains acoustic versions of "Far Away" and "Eternity Part III", which add great value, as they are the best songs on the album and the stripped-down approach suits them better than the layered production and heavy guitars of the album versions. The live version of "Angelica", on the other hand, sounds like a crappy bootleg and it puzzles me why the record label would allow such a recording to be released.

Eternity is the sound of a band in a transitional phase and feels like a stepping stone in between two great albums: some of Duncan Patterson's contributions are among the best Anathema songs ever, but a lot of the tunes are rather forgettable. Both the album's production and the vocals sound unrefined, the heavy arrangements don't do the songs justice and some of the keyboard sounds are quite dated. On the other hand, going from The Silent Enigma straight to Alternative 4 (1998) would've been impossible and would probably have been too drastic of a change for the fans at the time, so Eternity's place in the Anathema discography is justified, even though it's the band's weakest full-length album to date.

Rating: 3/5


perjantai 17. heinäkuuta 2015

Classic Album Anniversary: Dark Tranquillity - Haven (2000)


"If there were words for this
Would I sing or should I scream?"

Mikael Stanne chose the latter option when Dark Tranquillity recorded their fifth album Haven 15 years ago. The previous album Projector (1999) had been an experimental and divisive record that incorporated a huge dose of clean vocals and an increased amount of keyboards into their sound. Haven was originally meant to continue in that direction, but the band decided to speed things up and cut down on the clean singing. However, the addition of full-time keyboardist Martin Brändström meant that this was not going to be a back-to-roots record by any means.

According to setlist.fm stats, "The Wonders at Your Feet" has been played live more often than any other song in the Dark Tranquillity catalog. This isn't surprising, as it's a compact, punchy 3-minute track with a great tapping solo by Niklas Sundin and infectious keyboard melodies - in fact, newcomer Brändström recycled the main melody of the song from a tune he had written for an old pop project of his. His playing is a big part of atmospheric songs like "The Same" and "Ego Drama", but he's also prominent on up-tempo tracks, such as "Not Built to Last" and "Rundown".

The bass played by the other newbie Michael Nicklasson is the leading instrument on the mid-tempo "Indifferent Suns". The addition of Nicklasson allowed founding member Martin Henriksson to switch to guitar. Henriksson wrote the majority of the material on the album, while Niklas Sundin didn't make any musical contributions.

Mikael Stanne does more of growling than his classic high-pitched screaming on Haven. He was going through a rough period vocally, but his performance is stronger than on Projector or the follow-up Damage Done (2002). However, he also makes use of some comical mannerisms, like the James Hetfield-like "alright-ah!" at the start of the album or the random "ugh!" shouts, especially in "Fabric". Call me immature if you want, but I can't help being amused by his "SUCK IT IN!" screams in the chorus of that song, or the line "we don't need no host", which I keep mishearing as "hoes".

On a serious note, I wish Stanne hadn't shied away from employing his clean voice more, because the only track to feature it, "Emptier Still", is my favorite on the whole album and I like its gloomy yet experimental vibe. One of the bonus tracks, "In Sight", is a ballad in vein of "Auctioned" and shows what a great singer he is. The more mellow sections on the album could've benefited from real singing instead of the half-growl-half-speech style he uses on them.

The songs on Haven are relatively short and straightforward, the exception being the epic closer "At Loss for Words", which ends with an instrumental outro and guitar feedback. It would pave the way for later Dark Tranquillity album closers like "Ex Nihilo" and "Iridium". The album is also more subdued and atmospheric than most of the band's releases, though not as mellow as Projector. Haven is very accessible and its atmosphere is a big part of its charm, but at the same time it feels like the song structures could've been more adventurous and the album would've benefited from having a little more edge. To use a Rush comparison, I'd say this is DT's Signals (1982): an album on which the opening track has overshadowed the rest of the material in terms of live play and the band hadn't found the right balance between keyboards and guitars yet, which makes the music a little sterile at times. However, the strong songwriting makes Haven a brilliant album and one of my favorites from Dark Tranquillity, even though it may not have stood the test of time as well as, say, Fiction (2007).

Rating: 4/5


tiistai 14. heinäkuuta 2015

Dream Theater Discography: #2 Images and Words (1992)


"And water can't cover her memory
And ashes can't answer her pain
God give me the power to take breath from a breeze
And call life from a cold metal frame"

After the debut album didn't exactly set the world on fire, Dream Theater were in limbo for a while, writing new material, auditioning singers and looking for a new record label. Finally in 1991 a tape arrived from Canada and James LaBrie was chosen as the new vocalist, and soon the band had a deal with ATCO Records on their hands. Images and Words was released in 1992 at the height of the grunge boom, yet surprisinly enough the opening track "Pull Me Under" became a hit on the radio and MTV. The album itself received acclaim and sold well, going Gold in the US.

The aforementioned hit single "Pull Me Under" is a great opener and an accessible gateway track (despite its 8-minute length!) that sums up what Dream Theater is about without getting too crazy for the average listener. It includes all the facets of the Dream Theater sound: high-pitched vocals, heavy and rhythmic riffing and flashy solos and drum fills, but also atmospheric clean guitars and a catchy chorus.

"Another Day" is an 80s-style power ballad with a saxophone solo by guest performer Jay Beckenstein (who was in Spyro Gyra, right?). It may sound dated now, but the melodies and John Petrucci's solo are beautiful, and so are the lyrics about his father's battle with cancer. The inclusion of sax also proves that DT weren't afraid of fusing unusual elements into their sound, which is something they sadly don't do as much anymore. The funky bass and LaBrie's almost rap-like delivery in the first verse of "Take the Time" is another example of this bold genre-blending. The rest of the song is more typical prog metal full of time signature changes and intricate instrumentation, but the instrumental section is fun and compelling, not pointless noodling. The sing-along chorus and Kevin Moore's brilliant keyboard solo top off it all.

"Surrounded" is another ballad, but it's more upbeat and synth-driven than "Another Day". Moore's beautiful playing and spiritual lyrics combined with LaBrie's impressive vocals make this song one of my all-time favorites in the DT discography. "Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper" is arguably the most pretentious song title of all time, but according to Petrucci it was a joke and there were no plans for a sequel, at least until the song became a fan-favorite and the fans started asking when they would release Part 2. "Metropolis" is famous for its crazy instrumental section, and while it's not one of my favorite songs, I understand its popularity, as the musicianship is incredible in it. By the way, "Metropolis" has just been confirmed for the upcoming Rock Band 4 video game, so you'd better start preparing your fingers if you're a fan of plastic instruments!

"Under a Glass Moon" is the heaviest song on the album with dissonant keyboards and punchy riffage, but also has plenty of those Alex Lifeson-influenced arpeggios and chords that I love. The centerpiece of the song is Petrucci's solo, which can be found on numerous "top x guitar solos" lists and involves numerous techniques that I know nothing about, as I'm a crappy guitarist. "Wait for Sleep" is a total change of pace, only including piano, synth strings and vocals. You'd think that a 2½-minute piano ballad is the most simple song out there, but even this Moore-penned beautiful little tune includes some time signature shifting that makes it challenging to play. Despite its complexity "Wait for Sleep" is a touching song about mourning the loss of a loved one and searching for answers.

"Learning to Live" is the longest song on the album at its 11½-minute length. It's less chaotic than "Metropolis", which makes it more enjoyable for me. James LaBrie's famous F#5 note in the middle of the song, followed by Petrucci's melodic solo is pure heaven - not even the hilarious goat edition can destroy its magic! John Myung's prominent basslines and thoughtful lyrics, as well as the brilliant "Wait for Sleep" reprise and one of the best fade-out outros I've heard are also moments worth mentioning - this is a top 5 Dream Theater song for sure!

Time may not have been kind to the production of Images and Words, but it's hard to imagine the album without those synth sounds and the triggered drum sound that Mike Portnoy hates. They're part of the album's charm, and it's amazing that an album as layered and polished as this became so big in the grunge era. However, the success was definitely deserved, as the band had worked really hard for years. All the little details are well thought-out and you can hear that the album was written carefully over a long period of time and not rushed in a couple of weeks. When I hear the words "progressive metal", the first album that pops into my mind is Images and Words - take that as you will!

Rating: 5/5








maanantai 13. heinäkuuta 2015

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




tiistai 7. heinäkuuta 2015

Dream Theater Discography: #1 When Dream and Day Unite (1989)


"Likely or not, it's a dream that we keep
and at odds with our senses we'll climb
But if faith is the answer, we're already reached it
And if spirit's a sign then it's only a matter of time"

Progressive metal icons Dream Theater are currently celebrating their 30th anniversary on a European summer festival tour. While waiting for the August 2 show in Helsinki, I'll review all their studio releases this summer. Since the Majesty Demos (1986) are just... well, demos and weren't even released under the DT name, I'll skip them - to be honest I find them unlistenable thanks to Chris Collins' vocals.

When Dream and Day Unite is a release a lot of fans may not have heard, as it was originally released on a small label called Mechanic Records, and there were no official singles or videos released from the album, although "Status Seeker" and "Afterlife" were remixed for radio airplay, which they never received. The album also features Charlie Dominici on vocals instead of James LaBrie, although the rest of the line-up is the same as on the classic Images and Words (1992): John Petrucci (guitars), John Myung (bass), Mike Portnoy (drums) and Kevin Moore (keyboards).

The strength of When Dream and Day Unite lies in the band's great musicianship and musical ideas. The founding members' Berklee background is clear and the playing is tight, for example in the power metalish "Afterlife" and the five-part epic "The Killing Hand". There's a certain dreamy, atmospheric quality in both songs, as well as "The Ones Who Help to Set the Sun" that I associate with the classic Dream Theater sound. The youthful enthusiasm and energy of the heavy "A Fortune in Lies" and the instrumental "Ytse Jam" also can't be found on some of DT's later, more mature yet mechanical albums, and "Status Seeker" is a catchy and memorable tune, despite the slightly cheesy and out-of-place synth intro. The album's 50-minute running time also makes it an easy listen, as it never really gets boring.

The album isn't without its flaws; the biggest of them is the production. WDADU was recorded in about three weeks with a budget of $30,000 and the band couldn't afford fancy equipment, so it's not a surprise that the album sounds rather dated and muddy. On the other hand, the bass is upfront in the mix compared to the later DT albums, which is nice, as John Myung plays a lot of great, sad (as the band members called them in a DVD commentary) basslines on the album. There are also some quirky transitions and clumsy vocal lines in a couple of songs, most clearly in the Kevin Moore-penned "Light Fuse and Get Away" and "Only a Matter of Time". Lastly, Charlie Dominici is a talented singer in his own right and his performance on the album is good, but he was clearly not the most suitable vocalist for a metal band. His voice lacks the power that colleagues like Geoff Tate had at the time, but also reminds me a little of Geddy Lee, which isn't a bad thing.

When Dream and Day Unite is a very promising debut by a talented young band, and even with all its shortcomings I consider it one of Dream Theater's greatest albums. Despite the prevalent influence of bands like Rush and Iron Maiden, it was a unique release back in the day, as the music of the very first progressive metal bands like Fates Warning and Queensrÿche wasn't as technical or complex as DT's. WDADU was a blueprint for the Dream Theater sound, but just the beginning and there were even better things to come in the following five years...

Rating: 4/5


maanantai 6. heinäkuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #3 Pentecost III (1995)


"My hand on your heart, I know there is a beating
In this oh so bleak landscape
There are many mountains
...but not so much water"

In 1994 Anathema recorded an EP called Pentecost III, and it was released the following year due to record label politics. This release saw them shedding some of the death metal elements of their earlier releases, although the music was still heavy and doomy. The music could also be considered kind of psychedelic, due to the hypnotic and repetitive riffs and the constant use of guitar feedback. Darren White is also mostly speaking or shouting, instead of growling.

"Kingdom" is a key song that paved the way for Anathema's later material, as it's mostly based on a single theme just like a lot of their modern songs. It's got a nice build-up and a heavy climax, although I think the song's length could be a little shorter than 9½ minutes - I think the best version of the song is the one played on this year's Resonance tour, which is based on the original and includes orchestral backing tracks from the Falling Deeper remake. The song also seems to be dear to the band members themselves, as in a recent live video Darren White says he's happy to finally perform it after all these years, as he was fired from the band before the EP was released.

The video track "Mine Is Yours" is simplistic yet crushingly heavy, and for once Darren White does a good job with his clean vocals at the end of the song. "We, the Gods" is another epic, lasting 10 minutes. The first third of the song has got some nice melodies, but it's also a little uneventful. However, once the song finally gets going it shines. Duncan Patterson, whose first musical contribution this song was, plays a cool bassline and the Cavanagh brothers offer some gorgeous guitar harmonies. The title-track is an atmospheric instrumental, but nothing memorable, and "Memento Mori" is a re-recorded version of an early demo track, which feels slightly out of place, being more brutal and the only song on the EP to include growls.

Pentecost III is a fine EP and an important step in Anathema's evolution, but listening to it also makes it clear that the band wouldn't have had a future with Darren White on the microphone, as his non-growled delivery is quite monotonous. However, the music is more than fine - if you cut the last two tracks and trimmed the fat in the two epics, you'd get a brilliant release. The band was clearly maturing musically and the next album would be the peak of their death/doom sound.

Rating: 3.5/5




perjantai 3. heinäkuuta 2015

Classic Album Anniversary: In Flames - Clayman (2000)


"Never been able to use the force
I only have it read to me
Despite all the misguided faith
I'll find a place in this mess"

In Flames' fifth full-length album Clayman was released 15 years ago. It is largely considered their last (pure) melodic death metal album and a watershed moment in the band's history, as the following albums would see the band embracing the influence of modern American metal and divide the fanbase.

Clayman is definitely a guitar album: although Anders Fridén continued to add melodic vocals and spoken word sections to the band's music, the majority of the time he's screaming and it's the guitar tandem of Björn Gelotte and Jesper Strömblad that drives the songs - the guitar playing isn't extremely technical, but the Swedes have a great sense of melody, and the harmonies and solos are often hummable. Clayman can be seen as a sibling of its precedessor Colony (1999), since the line-up and the studio where it was recorded are the same, and the musical style is similar, although Clayman is more accessible, including more clean singing and keyboards.

"Only for the Weak" is the most popular song on the album and still gets played regularly at In Flames' live shows - Fridén always tells the people in the audience to "jump the f*ck up" at the start of the song and they do accordingly. The song is full of infectious melodies and is arguably the catchiest (melodic) death metal song of all time. "Pinball Map" is another hit, juxtaposing fast and aggressive verses with a poppy sing-along chorus - this song paved the way for In Flames' new direction, as there aren't a lot of melodic leads here. The title-track is a self-portrait of Anders, perhaps with some irony thrown in: "I've tried confidence, had it for breakfast today". Opener "Bullet Ride" and "Square Nothing" on the other hand are rather suicidal and depressive lyrically, but musically they are fast and heavy like most of the other songs, although the beginning of the latter may mislead you into thinking it's a ballad. The actual ballad of the album is "Satellites and Astronauts" - I always thought this song was filler, but now I can appreciate it and I think it adds some variety to the album.

"Brush the Dust Away" shows off Daniel Svensson's impressive drumming and the lyrics seemingly criticize the sensationalization of violence in the media. "Swim" is a throwback to the futuristic sci-fi themes of In Flames' earlier albums and includes some cool wah-wah riffing. My favorite song on the album is "Suburban Me", which has a rocking vibe and blows off the roof with guest guitarist Chris Amott's (Arch Enemy) blistering solo. The remaining two tracks, "...as the Future Repeats Today" and "Another Day in Quicksand" aren't on par with the rest, but not as weak as some of In Flames' later songs, and the album is so short that it's easy to listen to it in full without skipping them.

While Reroute to Remain (2002) and Come Clarity (2006) are fairly solid albums for the most part and the rest of the newer In Flames albums each have a couple of good songs, I have to agree with those who consider Clayman the end of the band's golden era. While it may have been the beginning of the end and not a masterpiece like Whoracle (1997), Clayman is the sound of a band with a clear vision and a goal, on the edge of a breakthrough.

Rating: 4.5/5





maanantai 29. kesäkuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #2 Serenades (1993)



"Dawn breaks open like a wound that bleeds afresh
In bleak misery, the lifeless lie in squander"


Anathema's first full-length album Serenades picks up where The Crestfallen EP (1992) left off, but the album format also leaves more room for experimenting and deviation from the standard death/doom of the latter release. Serenades was released a few years after Paradise Lost had already laid the foundation for the subgenre with its first two albums, but is nevertheless considered a classic.

"Lovelorn Rhapsody" opens the album with oppressive tritonus chords - I'd love to see the face of a casual Anathema fan who has only listened to Weather Systems (2012) and starts listening to this CD with no idea of the band's musical roots! The song title is slightly ironic for such a crushingly heavy song and it's funny to hear Darren White growling at the top of his lungs: "I hear your voice, it sings so softly"! The song quickly takes a more melodic turn, and I could see non-metal fans enjoying the beautiful chorus. However, after a few minutes the tritonus chords return, except this time in a fast, slightly punky tempo accentuated by double bass drumming. There's some solid riffing to top things off, and overall the song is a great opener and mood-setter for the record.

"Sweet Tears" was the video track of the album and got plenty of airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball in Europe. Danny Cavanagh is the star of the song with his sad leads - at the end of the chorus there are harmonized leads AND a solo on top of the rhythm guitars, which must've made this song a pain in the ass to pull off live! Unfortunately the rhythm guitar work is rather monotonous and White's attempts at melodic singing don't work.

"J'ai Fait Une Promesse" is the obligatory acoustic ballad - Ruth Wilson once again appears on female vocals, this time singing in French. However, according to Darren White the French lyrics, which were translated by a school friend of the band's, are grammatically incorrect and hence weren't printed in the booklet. Luckily I don't understand French, as the melodies are beautiful, and even the major key ending doesn't feel out-of-place.

"They (Will Always) Die" is identical to the version on The Crestfallen EP, the only difference being the orchestral keyboard outro. As I said in my review of the EP, this song is a highlight of Anathema's early days and their whole career. "Sleepless" is undoubtedly the most popular song on the album and the only one that remained in Anathema's live set after The Silent Enigma (1995) era; it still gets played occasionally. Out of the proper full-band songs on the album it's an anomaly, with clean guitar verses reminiscent of post-punk like The Cure. The chorus relies on pinch harmonics and there's an explosive guitar solo by Danny. I can see why "Sleepless" became a live hit, although it's not among the very best of the album.

Danny Cavanagh has said that in the early days he basically "wrote instrumentals for Darren to growl over", and "Sleep in Sanity" has clearly been written with this method. The song is based on sweet guitar harmonies, while the vocals are scarce and White repeats variations of "It is not I who sleeps / It is you who sleeps" over and over again. While I like the song, I think it would've worked better as an instrumental, but I guess they wanted their vocalist to have something to do on stage during it. "Scars of the Old Stream" is an ambient instrumental with reversed guitars and spoken word bits. I have only one word to describe it: filler.

"Under a Veil (of Black Lace) brings the doom back. I enjoy the first half of the song, but towards the end it starts to get a little tedious, although Darren White's lyrics are beautiful, as is the acoustic interlude in the middle. "Where Shadows Dance" is another filler instrumental, although this time including the full band. The ambient track "Dreaming: The Romance" closes the album, but to be honest I pretend it doesn't exist, as I've never been able to sit through its entire 20-minute length - boooriiing...

The bonus tracks on the digipak reissue come from the We Are the Bible 7" single, which was released exclusively to members of Peaceville's Collectors Club. Both of them were improvised live in the studio during the recording of Pentecost III in 1994. "Eternal Rise of the Sun" is based on a Eastern-flavored theme by Duncan Patterson, while "Nailed to the Cross" ends with "666", which became a part of Anathema's live set and was played even many years later on certain occasions. Both of the tracks are rather repetitive and hypnotic, and ultimately not very interesting.

Serenades has its fair share of highlights, but the biggest problem with the album is that there are way too many filler interludes - they prove that Anathema wasn't a standard metal band, and it may have been cool to experiment in the studio, but they make the record feel unfocused and fragmented, and only "J'ai fait une promesse" is worth listening to. Darren White's "clean" vocals are another weakness and it's no wonder he didn't stay in the band for too long when their music started to change. Despite these shortcomings, I think Serenades is the best classic death/doom debut from the early 90s I've heard. However, it's clear that while Anathema were pretty good at what they were doing, they were still finding their feet and looking for ways to expand their sound.

Rating: 3.5/5




sunnuntai 28. kesäkuuta 2015

In Memoriam: Petri Walli (1969-1995)

On this day 20 years ago Petri Walli of Kingston Wall committed suicide by jumping off a church tower in Helsinki. Although he lived a short life and released only three albums with his band, his legacy lives on.
Kingston Wall was a Finnish psychedelic prog trio that was active from 1987 to 1994. They were known as an energetic and unpredictable live band, whose shows were largely based on improvisation and jamming, and the album versions only served as skeletons for new arrangements. They also held special Freak-Out Club events in Helsinki, which featured guest musicians and special cover songs. Kingston Wall had a huge following in Helsinki, but in smaller towns their audiences were less enthusiastic, although since the break-up they've found a lot of new fans who appreciate their work.

Kingston Wall's albums got released in Japan and they played one show in Estonia, but Finnish music exporting was very minimal at the time, so the band's dreams of getting to tour the world and becoming huge never came to fruition. In fact, some foreign record labels started showing interest just weeks before Walli's death, but the band had been put on ice due to inner conflicts in December 1994.

Walli's life and the circumstances that led to his suicide were largely veiled in mystery until last year, when a biography by Finnish rock journalist Viljami Puustinen was published. The book paints a picture of Walli as a positive and determined, yet cocky person. Before Kingston Wall's third album Tri-Logy (1994) he delved into Ior Bock's mystic stories, which also influenced the lyrical content of the record. Later on the band's break-up and his disappointment with Bock led him to become depressed, and this combined with his use of drugs shook his mental health, finally pushing him over the edge.

Walli was influenced by Jimi Hendrix, tuning his guitar a half step down just like his hero and covering "Fire" on the first Kingston Wall album. Led Zeppelin also had an impact on him - a few lines of lyrics in some KW songs have been directly lifted from Zep. However, Walli also enjoyed more danceable music, as evidenced by the Donna Summer cover "I Feel Love" on the second KW album. He also had a techno phase after that, the influence of which can be heard on the final record.

I bought the whole Kingston Wall trilogy four years ago. These three albums are classics of Finnish progressive rock and have influenced bands like Amorphis and Von Hertzen Brothers. My personal favorite is the second album, which is the most melodic and progressive of their works. I have to admit that Walli's vocals were always the weakness of the band's music (hence it's not surprising that their music is largely instrumental), but he was a very talented guitar player who had a knack for playing awesome solos. According to some acquaintances Walli had sworn he'd only release three albums and die before reaching the age of 30, but I can't help thinking that if he had got some help for his mental condition and the band had carried on, some great things might've happened.

However, instead of speculating we should enjoy the music that did come out: the three Kingston Wall albums have finally been released on vinyl and there's also a new DVD called Kingtime. I haven't watched the DVD (or KW live videos in general), but I hope to get my hands on it at some point. I'll review all the three KW albums sometime soon, but until then I'll let the music speak for itself:

"Look out world it's time to die
No more crying with my mind"

 

perjantai 26. kesäkuuta 2015

Barren Earth - On Lonely Towers (2015)


"Love is the hand that wrecks my flesh
Love is the eye that stares silent upon my aching wounds"

Finnish progressive death/doom group Barren Earth has released its third album, which is the first to feature Faroese singer Jón Aldará, who replaced Swallow the Sun frontman Mikko Kotamäki last year. On Lonely Towers sees the band stepping in a more progressive and complex direction.

The band's musical ingredients haven't changed drastically, but the effects of the line-up change can be heard, obviously the most in the vocals: Aldará is a great growler with a voice reminiscent of Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt in the late 90s and early 00s, but his clean vocals have an operatic and dramatic quality, and his range is much wider than Kotamäki's.

After the beautiful intro "From the Depths of Spring" the proper opener "Howl" kicks in; mostly a mid-tempo song, it gets doomy in the middle, yet also includes a cool wah-wah solo by Sami Yli-Sirniö and blastbeats, which are a new element in the band's sound. "Frozen Processions" is the most typical Barren Earth song on the album and also the most accessible. "A Shapeless Derelict" includes a haunting cello intro and is rather doomy, but also enters pure death metal territory towards the end. Video track "Set Alight" is the most memorable song on the album despite its 7½-minute length and tricky instrumental section, as it includes a catchy chorus and great melodies. Unfortunately On Lonely Towers is brought down by the unnecessarily long title-track and the forgettable "Chaos, the Songs Within". I wish they would've included the interesting bonus track "Sirens of Oblivion" - which includes a sax solo! - on the album instead of those two. Luckily the album ends on a high note with the epic "The Vault".

On Lonely Towers is a decent album, but only "Set Alight" and "The Vault" match the melodic greatness of its precedessors. Almost all the songs on the album are over 7 minutes long, and the shortest tracks are at the beginning of the album, which makes the rest of the record feel unbalanced and homogenous. However, Aldará is a great addition to the band and On Lonely Towers shows a lot of potential. I can see the next Barren Earth album being a great release if they finetune and refine the sound of this record.

Rating: 3/5




 

torstai 25. kesäkuuta 2015

Anathema Discography: #1 The Crestfallen EP (1992)


"All emotion is consumed by an inner silence
All grief is unassuaged by disconsulate tears
I want for nothing, I live for nothing
I am waiting to die but I am afraid of dying"

Over the course of the next couple of months I'm going to review every Anathema studio release in this blog. The band has been around for 25 years, so this year they've played special "Resonance" shows with a setlist spanning their entire career and released a box set documenting their middle era. I'm also seeing Anathema live for the second time this August, with Dream Theater, so could the timing be any better? Anathema's style has changed a lot over its 25-year career, from death/doom to atmospheric and progressive rock with orchestrations and electronics, and I'll go through every step of that evolution.

Anathema is one of the pioneers of the genre of death/doom, and the band's first release, The Crestfallen EP, represents that sound: heavy guitars, growling and slow tempos. "...and I Lust" is a decent opener with wailing leads by Danny Cavanagh and cool harmonized guitar riffs by him and his brother Vincent. Vocalist Darren White's poetic and dark lyrics make it clear that this isn't the right album for you if you're in the mood for something cheerful: "
Pain is a far away land / Misery, a lifetime's journey".

"The Sweet Suffering" may be the least melodic Anathema song ever, and therefore not very memorable or nice to listen to. It includes oppressive riffs and call-and-response vocals; White even uses some high screams in this song besides his standard death growl. "Everwake" is a total departure, a sweet acoustic folk track sung by Ruth Wilson. This song also started the tradition of having an acoustic ballad with female vocals as track #3, which would continue for a few more releases.

According to Danny Cavanagh "Crestfallen" is the first song he wrote for Anathema. This, along with the mournful guitar harmonies and the fact that it's the slowest song on the EP makes it a true classic of death/doom - Danny has even claimed that My Dying Bride ripped off the song's main riff on its first album. Despite this classic status "Crestfallen" isn't one of my favorites, as it starts to drag on towards the end and keeps its plodding tempo for 10 minutes. "They Die", on the other hand, is one of my all-time favorites from Anathema, managing to keep the sluggish pace more interesting and ending with one of the saddest melodies I've ever heard.

For some reason the CD I own (Pentecost III/Crestfallen) includes earlier recordings of "Crestfallen" and "They Die" from a 7" single, instead of the versions from the original EP. Whoever was the genius that came up with this idea gets no understanding from me, as the sound of these recordings is horrendous, Darren White's growls are so indecipherable that it sounds like they're coming from under water, and the playing is pretty sloppy - even some mistakes have been caught on tape. It would've been ok if the tracks had been included as bonus material, but having them replace the EP versions makes no sense to me. Well, at least there's the novelty of hearing faster versions of both songs that are closer to standard death metal - "Crestfallen" is three minutes shorter than on the actual EP!

The Crestfallen EP was recorded at the same sessions as Anathema's first full-length album Serenades (1993), which is the reason for the very similar (if not identical) production. It's glaringly obvious that the band decided to save the best songs for the album and only give the EP as a little taste of what was to come. Even the two highlights of the EP can be found as similar versions on later releases - "Everwake" on Falling Deeper (2011) with added orchestrations and Anneke van Giersbergen's vocals, and "They Die" on Serenades with a different ending. In other words, The Crestfallen EP can only be recommended to completists, but the reissue combines it with Pentecost III (1995), so the good news is you won't have to buy it specifically.

Rating: 2/5