THE CRESTFALLEN

Anathema was one of the "big three" who resurrected the British doom metal scene back in the beginning of the '90s. The other two was Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride. The first one was more death metal and the latter one more symphonic prog (so why are they not in PA?). Anathema was more baseline Black Sabbath focused on their demos and first albums.

Crestfallen was their first CD release. It is stated as an EP, but was more like a full album. But it is priced as an EP and that is excellent value for money (it is also sold as a double CD together with Serenades, the first proper album).

Formalities aside, this EP contains thirty one minutes of slow doom metal in the 'Sabbath mould and two and a half minutes song with a angelic young vocalist. The latter song is called Everwake and is a really beautiful song. The doom/sludge stuff is slow with some growling vocals. The title track is excellent. So is the rest. My gripe is the lack of variety. But the music is almost funeral doom in places and variety is as alien to this music as angels in hell. Anathema does manage to create a bleak, desolate soundscape on this album....ehh.... EP. A soundscape with sorrows and no joy. Go to a funeral one day. The feelings there is the same as here. That's what this EP and the following Serenades is all about. Sorrows. Grief. Doom.

Quality wise, it is my seventeen years old conviction that Crestfallen is one of the better doom metal releases around. Although a child of the first two 'Sabbath albums, it is a genre setting release. It has it's short comings, but I am happy to give it three stars. If this was a metal archive, I would had given it four stars. This is still one of my favorite doom metal releases.

3 stars