A FINE DAY TO EXIT

Far away from the muddy layers of hypnotic doom metal and the guttural and dark vocals present in their first albums, Anathema reaffirms their turn towards more atmospheric and melodic sonorities with the release of their sixth album 'A Fine Day to Exit' (2001), following the path that 'Alternative 4' (1998) and 'Judgement' (1999) had already started to follow with great solvency.

And this evolution, which has been shaping the band's particular musical style, is nourished by influences of which 'A Fine Day to Exit' is not exempt. Already from the opening delicate piano chords of the excellent mid-tempo 'Pressure', the predominant silhouettes of Radiohead hover, as well as in the harmonious and acoustic intensity of 'Leave No Trace', in the power of the cloudy distorted guitars of 'Underworld', and in the enigmatic and solid instrumentation of the somber 'A Fine Day to Exit'. Guided by Vincent Cavanagh's clean and melancholic vocal register and well supported by his brother Daniel on guitars and keyboards and a band that lives up to the demand, the album also counts among its highlights the magnetic 'Release', and early Floydian elements in the acoustic 'v. In the Dog House' section of the extended 'Temporary Peace'.

And despite some dispiriting pieces like the insipid 'Barriers', the rushed 'Panic' (whose acceleration doesn't seem to go anywhere beyond speed for its own sake), and the dispensable sections ii, iii and iv (wave sounds, mono-dialogue, and outright silence) of the aforementioned 'Temporary Peace' that take some of the shine off the overall tally, the album maintains a consistent line of conduct that respects its essence.

Good.

3/3.5 stars