WEATHER SYSTEMS

So going into this album I am a big fat goose egg (0). It appears that I have only heard one Anathema song before now (which I liked, apparently). They are listed as Prog Metal (more precisely as Experimental/Post Metal on ProgArchives.com). However, I don't THINK they use cookie monster vocals, so we shall see.

Track 1 - Untouchable Pt. 1

An upbeat fingerstyle acoustic starts us off, soon to be joined by vocals. Nice harmonies join in and the whole intro is backed with subtle sustained synth. The rhythm section kicks in after the first verse. So far, I like their sound. So far, I'm not feeling any metal at all. OK, now some distorted guitar kicks in around 3 minutes in, but not really metal sounding, yet. The vocals and instrumental arrangement are both fantastic. The song ends with everything but the synth dropping out, with colossus out the song.

Track 2 - Untouchable Pt. 2

This part starts with piano playing a chordal pattern. The vocals join in after a moment. Female vocalist Lee Douglas joins in and it becomes a vocal duet. Vincent Cavanagh is the male singer/multi-instrumentalist (gtr/keys/bass, etc.). String synth sounds join in with the piano, followed by bass & drums. (BTW, the rest of the band is multi-instrumentalist (gtr/bass/keys, etc.) Daniel Cavanagh, and drummer John Douglas. After a little checking, I found that we have 2 sets of siblings here. Additionally, there are numerous other session musicians credited for different tracks.

Track 3 - The Gathering of the Clouds

Gentle thunder sound effects start this one off, followed first by keys, then joined by acoustic guitar, then harmony vocals. The vocals get more layered as we progress through the song. The arrangement is very symphonic, with only cymbal swells for percussion, and maybe a steady bass drum.

Track 4 - Lightning Song

This one starts without a pause from the previous track. We continue with the symphonic sound while Lee Douglas takes the lead vocal spot. Subtle drumming comes in just before the 2-minute mark, with a bass drum and rim shots on the snare creating a 6-8 rhythm. Heavy guitars come in at around 3:15 and the drumming becomes stronger. Still not really metal though. Almost more power ballad-like. Most of the instruments drop out at around 4:35, except arpeggiated guitar with keys and Lee's vocals, this leads to the song winding down to a conclusion.

Track 5 - Sunlight

This one begins at a moderately slow tempo with clean guitars & keys joined by Vincent on lead vocals again. Subtle tom toms begin building as we go along. Slightly heavier guitars join in around 3 minutes in and then we explode in an almost Who-like manner about 3:15. We hit a big power chord around 4:30, then subtle instrumentation closes out the track.

Track 6 - The Storm Before the Calm

A triplet pattern starts us off here, with occasional accents and vocal sounds. There are some sounds that sound like they are recorded in reverse. We go into a heavy, almost funky groove for the first verse. The cycle repeats for the second round. The lyrics are primarily "It's getting colder?" This one, so far, is more about the feel & groove, and I like it. Siren-like sounds begin to build up at around 4 minutes in. At 4:50 everything drops out except an electronic hum sound. Then clean slow guitars take over, to be joined by piano and the rhythm section. Then vocals join. There is a bit of a gradual crescendo happening, leading to big, beautiful chords with a shifting meter. Excellent track.

Track 7 - The Beginning and the End

We have a moderately slow piano part, joined by the rhythm section in 6-8 time. Male vocals join us. The intensity gradually builds. This song has a great sound to it, very warm production. Good guitar solo, not a display of virtuosity, but it fits the music well. The piano takes the spotlight then things wind down. Nice Track.

Track 8 - The Lost Child

This begins very quietly with humming. Piano and strings join in. A mellow male vocal part comes in, eventually joined by female harmony. This one is also in 6-8. The rhythm section joins in, and we have a slow build. This track is very dramatic and orchestral. Things drop down at around 5:45 to just strings and piano. And things wind down at the end.

Track 9 - Internal Landscapes

This song fades in in a dreamy kind of way. We have spoken dialog. Sounds like he is describing a mental breakdown and suicidal thoughts. He had "near-death experience." Acoustic guitar chords begin to accompany the dialog. Female vocals take over, followed by male vocals. We are in a slow 5-4 time here. The two singers alternate in a very seamless way as though one is merging into the other. The instrumentation gradually gets more dense. There are distorted guitars, but not super metallic. Fantastic harmonies with the 2 singers at around 6:05. The opening dialog resumes, describing the peaceful feeling of his near-death experience. We have a very slow fade out as the album comes to a close.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Wow! Not what I was expecting at all. Their description as "Experimental/Post Metal" had me thinking that this was going to be another heavy growly affair. It is not that AT ALL. This album has a very beautiful sound throughout. Excellent production? very warm tones. I quite enjoyed the album, but lyrically, it is very heavy, subject-wise. Might not be an all of the time album, but it is very well-done. 4 out of 5 stars.