DISTANT SATELLITES

'Distant Satellites' - Anathema (82/100)

I think Anathema are the sort of band you need to see live to really understand the kind of emotional effect they have on people. Within the first song, they had people dancing. By the time they played "Dreaming Light", I even saw people crying; believe me, it takes a certain kind of band to turn a grown man in a Cannibal Corpse hoodie into a blubbering wreck overwhelmed with emotions. It's that intensity of feeling in Anathema's music that's made them one of my favourite bands. Although I've had mixed feelings surrounding the somewhat recent adoption of New Age-y optimism into their sound, I've nonetheless come to expect a moving experience from Anathema each time a new album comes out. In this regard, Distant Satellites does not disappoint; those who enjoyed the uplifting atmosphere and soaring arrangements of their last two albums will find more to love here. In some ways it feels less bold and adventurous than 2012's Weather Systems, but there is love, passion and beauty woven throughout Anathema's latest hour of music; once again, they have proven that they're the best at what they do.

Distant Satellites isn't so much an evolution of Anathema's sound so much as it is a new spin on the formula from their last album. Whereas Weather Systems was busy and dynamic, Distant Satellites honours a more static approach. I don't even mean 'static' as a bad thing either, only that Anathema choose to stick with musical ideas once they're started with them. The songwriting is certainly accessible, but the tried, true and done to death verse-chorus format is often eschewed for a minimalist build-up of an idea throughout a composition. Anathema have shown their ties to post-rock proudly with this one. Whatever dynamic changes in song structure Anathema do offer here always feel natural; from a purely compositional perspective, the songwriting on Distant Satellites feels downright predictable. Of course, the way Anathema make such moving music doesn't come so much from the writing itself; rather, it's the beautiful way they perform it.

Though I've been a little disappointed that Anathema's songwriting on Distant Satellites isn't particularly dynamic, the way they've arranged and executed the music is virtually without comparison. String orchestration, vocal harmonies and electronic infusions are all among the ingredients built upon the foundation; for everything it's worth, Anathema know how to make their music soar. Vincent Cavanagh's voice is in top form; Lee Douglas reprises her role as the beautiful female counterpoint voice, and Danny gets a nice word in as well. While I remember Weather Systems for some particularly excellent guitarwork, the instrumentation is generally toned down for this one; the instruments are merely vessels for the atmosphere and composition, rather than a demonstration of skill foremost. A golden exception to this is the drumwork of Daniel Cardoso, who offers the most exciting, cinematic drum performance of Anathema's career here.

Like the past two albums from the emotionally rejuvenated Anathema, the atmosphere here is often one of hope and positive energies. The melancholy is here still, but in far shorter supply than most of their earlier work. It's not until the second half of the album where Anathema start to take the music down a darker path; the atmosphere is still the same, but the more nuanced portrayal of feeling is more complex, more engaging. While parts 1 and 2 of "The Lost Song" don't do a great lot for me, the motifs are reprised in the third part, where light electronic timbres and a moodier tone are introduced; it changes the context of the original ideas and rewards listening to the album's opening again through a different light. I would say the song "Anathema" could constitute a fourth part of "The Lost Song"; it continues the introduced ideas down an even more sombre path. The album's certainly been written with a mind for rewarding repeated listens.

"You're Not Alone" is probably the only song on the album that hasn't grown much on me. I know it's meant as an echo of the vocal-density and urgency of "The Gathering of the Clouds" off of Weather Systems, but it ends up feeling too cluttered for it's own good. "Firelight" is the other shorter song on the album, though it's less a song and more an extended ambient intro to the title track to Distant Satellites. This amazing song (as well as the closer "Take Shelter") finally accomplish what We're Here Because We're Here and Weather Systems fell short of: a satisfying climactic finish to the album. The past two resorted on underwhelming drawn-out tracks as their closers, but these last two songs are incredible. The title track is brilliantly driven by a rolling electronic beat and vocals that earn the 'haunting' descriptor as much as any others out there. "Take Shelter" is a more predictable track from the band, but once again Vincent's vocals steal the show and provoke chills. Distant Satellites started off a bit slowly, but by the end it's reached the levels of mastery I've come to expect from the band.

Honestly, the thing I've had the most trouble embracing since their change of heart on We're Here Because We're Here are the lyrics, the 'message' itself. Attitudes shift naturally with age, and Anathema's 'glass half full' worldview no doubt reflects their maturity as people. Sadly the way they've meant to convey this optimism has always felt overbearing and sanctimonious; the lyrics on their latest three albums often feel like they've been drawn out of a New Age self-love handbook. They were often just as lyrically heavy- handed during their Alternative 4 depressive era mind you, but given the 180 degree progression from darkness to light, it's felt like Anathema have been a little too assertive with their change of heart. The New Ageisms aren't quite as pronounced this time around but it does feel like a reprise of the pseudo-spiritual love and peace Anathema have been preaching since 2010. The minimalistic song structures and focus on atmosphere don't leave much room for the vocals or lyrics to tread off the beaten path. The lyrics are generally painted in broad strokes, covering ideas of love, tranquility, the 'inner child' and stuff of that ilk. It doesn't feel like Anathema are trying to say something profound or specific with the lyrics; instead, the lyrics offer a broad context to the music itself. As always, Anathema have stored the uplifting profundity away in the music, waiting for the engaged listener to find it and come to the same conclusions themselves.

If I can step away from Distant Satellites for just a moment, I'd like to say that Anathema's career and progression is quite beautiful when taken as a whole. In their youths they were clearly plagued with some venomous feelings, and while that resulted in gorgeous art, severe depression has the potential to tear a life apart, to rob it of meaning and make it seem like there's no way out. Comparing that now to the place Anathema now find themselves in, and it honestly sounds like they've found the happiness in themselves that probably seemed impossible years back. Though I might not embrace the way Anathema convey this newfound peace, that shift from dark to light is rather beautiful, and serves to give hope to any of us who may be fighting with demons of their own. The press release I've received for Distant Satellites declares that it "will surely be recognised as their finest album to date." Although there's always a pressure in early reviews of eagerly anticipated albums to agree with the press pitch and sing nothing but the most lavish of praises, I can't call it the best thing they've ever done. It doesn't match the feeling of paralyzing awe I feel hearing Judgement or "A Natural Disaster". It feel more static and predictable than the monumental Weather Systems. Even so, Distant Satellites has dared to open my heart up again in the way only Anathema seem capable of doing; whatever its faults, it has made those feelings feel fresh again.

Originally written for Prog Sphere Magazine (www.prog-sphere.com)

It's been quite a past few years for the incredible Anathema. Honors have been bestowed upon them, they've released an instant classic album in "Weather Systems", and last year they released one of the best live concert films I've ever seen, "Universal". Anathema is on top of the world, and they are only getting bigger. With all of this on their shoulders, they approach the world once again with their new album, "Distant Satellites", a fitting name for a massive album. Again, with all of their recent success creating huge expectations, can this band meet such critical reception? Needless to say, Vincent Cavanagh on vocals, Danny Cavanagh on guitar, Jamie Cavanagh on bass, John Douglas on percussion, Daniel Cardoso on drums, and Lee Douglas with her wonderful vocals were all up to the challenge.

"Distant Satellites" is a very different album from "Weather Systems", or anything else they've done, for that matter. It is different, yet somehow instantly familiar. It includes everything that makes them Anathema, but adds new and exciting elements to their already excellent formula. If you've never heard Anathema, their formula (in their last few albums, anyways) includes soaring guitars, amazingly catchy melodies, spiritual lyrics, and emotional flow both vocally and structurally. They are the masters of melody, and they remain complex and progressive even while being simple and accessible. They are truly masters of their craft.

This new album, then, is no different in those terms. The melodies return in force, such as the serene beauty of "The Lost Song" parts 1-3. And, yet, there is something different here. The melodic lines are somewhat more complex, less in-your-face, and more organic. This especially shows in the song lengths, most of them being over five minutes. This allows for more growth and more progression. Indeed, then, the melodies on "Distant Satellites", while not being as instantly lovable or recognizable, are certainly more difficult and possibly will have a longer "shelf life" in my mind. Yes, the orchestrations seem to be lower key, as well, allowing the vocalists to express themselves more personally then ever.

There are other improvements, too. I feel that the musicianship is more fervent and on a higher plateau of difficulty than Anathema has tried. Drummer John Douglas, especially, plays amazingly well from start to finish, accenting the music with awesome pounding and fills. The rest of the band are at their peak, too, with Vincent and Lee being especially great with emotional and meaningful vocal performances.

"Distant Satellites" is different in more meaningful ways, too. Utilizing post-rock/metal structures is nothing new for Anathema, but they really do perfect them here, as on "Dusk", a dark, climactic song. Yet, there is a sense of continuity between tracks, too. This is obviously the case between the three parts of "The Lost Song", but it's also apparent throughout the album, as if Anathema is telling us a story, convincing us of our true selves and our connection with the universe and with each other.

This album is wonderful in the first half, but my excitement reached new heights in the second half. Anathema has taken it upon themselves to change things up a bit. They wanted to progress their sound, but make it all seem so natural. So, in the second half, the album climaxes with one of the best songs, simply called "Anathema". But then, we are thrown for a loop somewhat, as "You're Not Alone" features a hefty portion of electronic vibe. It's great, but the best is still to come.

Next, "Firelight", a darkly ethereal instrumental track that is completely electronic, is thrust upon us, and is followed up by what may possibly be the best song Anathema has ever produced, "Distant Satellites". This track combines everything that has ever made Anathema great: soaring melodies, climactic structure, gentle spirituality, amazing vocals, and now an electronic beat that is both complex and catchy. Vibrant, mesmerizing, and pure, this track elates me every time I hear it. It takes this album, and my heart, to new heights. The album finishes with a gentle ballad that just seems so fitting, yet it still has the strong electronic influence.

So, is "Distant Satellites" a winner? In every way! Is it their best album? I don't know; it has the potential, but it might take time, just like "Weather Systems" did. What I can tell you is that this new album is more mature, more progressive, more interesting and eclectic, and less formulaic then anything Anathema has crafted yet. It does sacrifice some accessibility and some instant likability for these things, but I respect their decision massively, and I fully expect to see "Distant Satellites" at the tops of many lists at the end of 2014.

4.5 stars

Many steps backward from Weather Systems.

Distant satellites is a very unbalanced and badly flowing album. The level of quality fluctuates significantly through out the album.

Now there are some very solid songs in Ariel and the title track, but there's just not that much else going on here.

And A song like You're not alone makes me really wonder what was going on while making the album, since its far bellow their capabilities.

Also I don't feel like the electronica works very well either.

Overall, while I would describe WS as a 5 star album, DS is barely a 1 star.

Anathema are one my all time favourite bands. Their music resonates with me on an intensely emotional level that no other band does. Their music is pure emotion. Distant Satellites shares many similarities with their previous two releases, but at the same time pushes the band into new territory which is particularly apparent in the albums second half with the electronic influences. There is also a darker vibe to the music, which I find to be a welcome change from their recent output. With the songs themselves I enjoy every track on the album, but without doubt the highlight is the title track Distant Satellites. One which I gladly rank as one the band's best songs in their extensive catalogue. Like all Anathema albums, Distant Satellites will take you on an stirring emotional journey. For me this is the best album of the 2014 so far.

Anathema, Nosound, Steven Wilson, Frequency Drift and thousand of other bands from Kscope has a sound that for me... doesn't work.

They have everything but Rock on their music, they have Ambient, Post Rock, Alternative Rock, Indie Pop, Electronic.... but not Prog ROCK.

I tried several Anathema albums, including the 'everybody's love' last album Weather Systems (2012). I told myself that this music wasn't for me and that I wouldn't listen to it again, but what can I say, I'm a hopeful guy, so I gave it a try on their new album Distant Satellites (2014).

For the fans, that mainly are not Prog fans but Post- Prog-Kscope fans, it'll hit the nail, right on the head. It's Pop but full of 'somber-teenager-dark-angst-don't-know- where-I'm-going' kind of music. But this time without excitement. I admit that even if it's not my kind of music Anathema had some puzzled melodies on the previous album, here it seems so... dull, for the new mass of fans they got on the last couple of years.

'The Lost Song, Part 1' is interesting, 'Dusk (Dark Is Descending)' despite of its horrible lyrics too. The rest of the album is just... I don't know, teenager music I suppose, a kind of desperated melancholy that doesn`t really seems to be true, for me it looks as if it's just for the record, if you know what I mean. At some point it seems I'm listening some Coldplay or some 30 Seconds To Mars, which definitelly doesn't help the album at all. Not to mention that a track like 'The Lost Song, Part 3' is just a rip-off from Radiohead's Amnesiac (2001) era (but without the power of the original).

Side note: 'You're Not Alone' is one of the worst excuses to record a song ever, it's almost ofensive to this song to be in an album considered to be from a 'Prog Rock' band.

They say that Anathema's music is supposed to be something more profound, something to be appreciated with calm, with attention, that it's beautiful music. But it's hard when most of the time the music on the album reminds you of something else and it's hard when the lyrics are so adolescent and meaningless. I pass, there's thousands of real soulful records around.

Possibly the fans will never agree with me, possibly many people will just say that I'm full of bull****... Well, I say that I'm right and that in a couple of years this kind of music will be burnt. Releases like this (and dozens of other copy bands) will burn this so called sub-genre so hard that no one else will want to listen to it in a few years. Well, that pretty much sums this album for me RIGHT NOW.

Pass, next one, please.

4.7 Stars.

Distant Satellites is their 11th album and marks a significant change from their last album Weather Systems. I was initially very impressed with their last effort due to its high emotional intensity. But that feeling quickly went as the songs were just too similar to each other to give any lasting appeal. Fortunately the band have learnt from their mistakes and created something that will retain my interest for the foreseeable future

WS consisted of mainly positive and life affirming tracks that started slow and then reached a grand climax at the end. DS has songs of the same nature (such as The Lost Song trilogy), but they also draw from everything they have done in their past (excluding the first 2 albums) to create one of their most diverse records. Only A Natural Disaster has more variations in styles however unlike that album DS hangs together and has a united identity instead of being a collection of songs. All of the songs on DS try to give an epic feel, however they use very different genres and methods to add variation and unpredictability to this album .

The sound of DS can be split into 3 different styles. The first style is the energetic Prog-Pop style they used heavily on WS. The Lost Songs and Arial belong to this style. These songs begin slowly with either a repeated melody or with strings. Both Vincent and Lee are excellent at expressing their emotions and both are allowed to shine. The song then builds in intensity and noise and then reaches a climax which is often drawing on the load parts of Post-Rock.

So how have they progressed this sound since WS so that it does not sound like a clone? Well for one thing they are no longer just doing happy songs. In fact almost all the songs on DS are tinged with some sadness and melancholy. This adds some depth to the songs and more importantly individuality, something WS seriously lacked.

The second type of songs here (Dusk (Dark Is Descending), Anathema and You're not alone) are similar to that found in the Judgement-A natural Disaster era. Fans of the old Anathema should have a lot to enjoy here as they have the intensity and depressing nature that was so essential to their sound back then. However unlike those songs the band have picked up more ideas which gives these songs a more unique feel and it lets the band be more experimental at the same time.

I want to focus on the song Anathema itself a bit as I see it as one of the best if not the best song they have ever done. Its a good thing that I and many fans feel this way because naming a song with the band name this late in their career is full of risk. It has to be excellent otherwise its a huge embarrassment for them. But they really deliver with Vincent giving every bit of emotion he has and it also has one of their most intense and heavy instrumentals ever (outside of their doom material). They really hold nothing back and bring back that Metal which has been dormant in them for so long. General Prog fans should really like this one, you cannot get any more epic than this!

The third and final style is the use of electronic rock and ambient which the band have never really done before and so is new territory for them. These songs do not obey the slow build-up rule and are allowed to go wherever the song should go to be more artistically satisfying. I hope that the band continues to explore this area more in the future because they are very capable with this genre and can combine it well with Post-Rock.

Musically this is one of the best albums they have ever done. My only real complaint on DS is the lyrics, which are a bit hit and miss. They are too clichéd and do not have the same raw power that albums like Alternative 4 and Judgement did.

So why am I giving this masterpiece status? Partly because the band have created a album that has the best elements of their entire discovery onto one album while still keeping a common thread thought the album. Partly because apart from the lyrics there are no real weak parts in this album. But mainly because this album manages perfectly to be both accessible and adventurous. They seem to have got both the complexity and emotional balance just right. Up until WHBWH Anathema have always had a bleak and depressing atmosphere. They removed most of it in their last two albums which were successful, but it was beginning to wear itself thin. Now on DS they have got the best of both worlds and this feels like the most complete release they have done in a long time.

Right now I feel that this is the best album they have ever done. I might change my mind over time (after all Judgement and WHBWH are amazing albums and I have not had this album for very long), but I'm confident that this will always be a 5 star album. Unless you are a fan of metal this is where Prog will most likely be going for the foreseeable future. Its highly accessible for wider audiences but at the same time is original and a major step forward for the band.

I have not written a review for a little while, however I simply had to mention my appreciation for this fantastic work by Anathema. When I was a teenager I got to see these guys playing various venues in London, usually in support of bands like Paradise lost etc. They always had something special about them, and 'The Silent Enigma' was simply a masterpiece of the scene. Anathema then started to evolve and so did my personal musical tastes, resulting in many years away from their music. A few years I got back into Anathema and have enjoyed catching up with their later releases, but as much as I liked the music, there was nothing totally outstanding....until now.

Distant Satellites is on a different level. I can listen to it over and over again, liking it more on every spin. It is a risky album on their part - what with the female vocals entering the frame on a more regular basis, and the use of steady beats making an appearance too. I had read several reviews that mention these things, and it should have ruined this album for me - but it doesn't.

I am not going to go into the individual tracks, but as an album 'Distant Satellites' really is a return to the heights of 'The Silent Enigma'.

Stunning, New, Memorable and Deep. Definitely essential.

Anathema have been widely praised for their latest effort, and they are riding the wave deservedly. But, greatness is hard to achieve all the time and this doesn't match up to their last two albums whilst also reminding me of the good points of earlier albums.

It opens with an incessant beat and keyboard synths. It doesn't really grab you on first listens like the opening songs of the two previous albums, but it has interesting interludes which set it up and in time it weaves its spell before flying to great heights at the end.

'The Lost Song Part 2' is pure magic. Anathema don't get any better than this. Beautiful intro before Lee's trademark trill comes in and a wonderful 3 something time signature kicks in. A beautifully building song before the slight pause and pure spine tingling climax. Masterful. The (hopefully) single edit will be short enough to make it on to radio, not that we care about singles, but bank balances do.

'Dusk' is a good song, with some nice changes, particularly the melodies in the middle section, but it's not a song that I would single out as greatness. 'Ariel' sees Lee's vocals return to the lead. Again, this is another good song with some nice strings before Vince delivers his impassioned vocals. Perhaps it's the simplicity of the lyrics, they just don't jag in your brain, but that said it's radio friendly.

'The Lost Song Pt 3" has a syncopated drum rhythm and a nicely unexpected vocal melody shared between Vincent and Lee. Again, there is a positive vibe to the lyrics and the song is good but doesn't quite reach any great heights.

It's interesting to see a song bear the name of the band after all these years. The lyrics can equally be interpreted as being about the band's history or about a relationship (same thing I guess). Once again we get the building climactic ending, it doesn't get old, it's one of the high points of the album.

'You're not Alone'. Through its repetitive sampled vocal and drum loops you would think that it would be annoying, it is in a way but then the guitars cut in. Not filler, but an interlude with some nice atmospherics. Quite heavy.

'Firelight' is your real interlude, perhaps fadeout track. Nice organ work and calming, goodnight?.but then 'Distant Satellites' rears its electronica head.

There's been elements of this album that remind me of Portishead (not a bad thing) and the title track adds to it. Some hate the electronica. Me, I don't mind it, it's just that the song, whilst having potential seems rushed. The repeated vocal melody of "Let it take me away, etc" combines detrimentally with the repetition in 'You're not Alone'. From there I could almost imagine myself in some trance nightclub that I didn't want to be in, losing interest and wanting it to end. Perhaps if there was more variation in that melody or they built on the melody more it could have been special. 'Take Shelter' is again kinda of nice, building nicely, but it's really just filler to these ears, the song they put on when the lights come on at the end of the gig.

So, overall, to me it's a 3.5, -0.5 to match PA guidelines. There's a little bit of a disconnect with the lyrics and some of it seems rushed. It's still the music I want to hear, but I may turn it off after 'Firelight'.

In Transition

Something occurred to me a few months ago about Anathema, whilst I was watching last year's Universal concert film, a stunning live show recorded in an amphitheatre in Bulgaria. I was supposed to be blown away, and to a certain extent I was, but for some odd reason, hearing 20 songs by this band played back to back made me really notice how formulaic they are. While most bands stick to the age-old verse-chorus formula, Anathema tend to just pick a relatively simple motif (preferably in 5/4) and build on it a tiny bit at each repeat, with a new melody or a new instrument, until after a few minutes it's just on fire with brilliant colours. And then it will cut, the band will drop down to near-silence, and they'll start again with a different melody (but keeping some link to the first one) and make the second crescendo even bigger and more beautiful than the first. Comparisons to Godspeed You! Black Emperor are actually rather apt, even though Anathema seem far away from them in genre. Anathema have essentially invented themselves a song format to beat until death. And it's incredible, and I love it, but it happens in nearly every song and I could almost see this band running out of steam soon.

Firstly - I must begin with saying that over the last two years Anathema's Weather Systems has become my second favourite album of all time, and the band also my number 2. I remember saying that I had low expectations for the follow-up to that album, since topping something perfect is often very difficult, but I also said than anything less than an 8 would be somewhat disappointing. So, I guess by definition, this album is a disappointment, because that score was indeed not met, but there are a couple of things I didn't expect from this band that have sort of kind of made up for that.

Distant Satellites is a transitional album. I've always hated the term "transitional album", because it always seems to be excusing a band of a weaker album, but this is certainly what it is. The way I see it, there are two types of transitional albums:

1. Getting sick of the old style but not really wanting to change out of fear of fan hatred and resulting in a generally weaker album

See: The Incident, and I guess Anathema's own A Fine Day to Exit

2. Knowing what style to pursue next, but not wanting to jump right into it, so producing an album with a couple of glimpses of the new sound that isn't quite as cohesive

See: Autotheism, The Hunter, and even Opeth's Watershed if Heritage wasn't such a big change

In a sense, Distant Satellites is both of these at the same time, divided conveniently down the middle with the band's own self-titled track (moronic idea if you ask me). The first half of the album sees Anathema pulling out some pretty by-numbers tracks reminiscent of the last couple of albums, but none of the songs really stand out above the stuff on those records, and it ends up being just "pretty good", in the same way that an album like The Incident was. The second half, however, sees some brand new stuff coming in, with the band diving headfirst into electronics, with particular influence from Drum and Bass and Vocal Trance fields. It's definitely a new sound for them, and it brings some great new possibilities for the future of their music, but here it does feel a bit like an afterthought, and coming in only in the second half of the record doesn't really help the cohesion of the album.

I'll talk a bit about the first half though, because even though it's weaker than the previous albums it's still pretty good. Opening with the first two parts of "The Lost Song", it's clear that Anathema are trying to cash in on the winning formula of "Untouchable" from Weather Systems. And even though they are repeating themselves, I don't mind, since I absolutely fell in love with that idea. Like Untouchable, both these first songs share a melody that soars over the crescendo, and also like Untouchable, the first part is upbeat and quick, energetic and intense, whereas the second is melancholic and moody, focusing on piano over guitar, and once again having Lee Douglas sing lead. The first part has an absolutely awesome drum beat that runs through the whole song, a never-changing 5/4 groove that I have honestly never heard before (and I've heard a lot of 5/4 grooves). It's ever-so-slightly off-kilter, yet the skipped beat adds a great pace to the song, picking it up and making it quite lively. But there's a downside to this beat, and that is the awkwardness of putting vocal parts over the top. Both during Part 1 and Part 3 (which reprises the same beat), Lee and Vincent are struggling to make their vocal parts mesh with the instrumentation, regularly settling to just holding one note for a whole bar. As much as I like the chord progression and rhythm, vocally Part 1 doesn't really hit home until near the crescendo, with the "My life? like a hurricane" lyric and that epic finish on the drums.

But as much as I like moments in these tracks - Parts 1 and 3 have some absolutely chilling harmonies between Lee and Vincent, I can't help but tssk at the blatant rehashing of Untouchable, and the truth is that neither of these songs have melodies that even touch (har har) the glory of the first 11 minute of Weather Systems. And then there's the unnecessary inclusion of Part 3. Sure, it has some great harmonies and that nice beat again, but what does it do that isn't already done in the first two parts? I honestly feel as if this song is here so the band doesn't completely rip themselves off.

The two tracks that come in between The Lost Song Parts 2 and 3 both sort of feel half-finished, and neither of them really add much to the album, although they both have nice parts. "Dusk", with its dark and moody opening and use of quick beats, immediately reminds me of "The Storm Before The Calm", and like that song, I'm not really a massive fan. It's decent, and it does break the pattern a bit, but I feel the unnecessary over-emotion in the chorus, as well as the weird attempts at dissonance in the vocal harmonies make the song a bit annoying in my ears, but unlike The Storm Before The Calm, it doesn't have the absolutely phenomenal last couple of minutes to redeem itself. It tries, I'll admit, but the pleasant last few minutes don't quite amass to enough to really blow me away. And then "Ariel", which bases itself entirely around a quite nice 7/4 piano melody, comes in and really never changes throughout its length. I do enjoy that melody and I enjoy some of the other melodies that come in later on, but it's just too empty to compare with their material of recent times. And then we have the band's pretentiously self- titled track (is it supposed to make it more significant or something?) which is probably the best song on the album to be completely honest, but all it takes to be that is to do the good ol' Anathema crescendo, but with a better melody than the other tracks. The guitar solo here is blisteringly intense, calling to mind all sorts of Floyd comparisons, but I do also feel it's trying really hard to be that, and without the melody to back it, it really doesn't come off as anything more than just 'good'.

But after that, the album takes a headfirst dive into a completely new sound, beginning with "You're Not Alone", a spastic three-minute onslaught of DnB beats and repetitive vocal lines. Probably the biggest compliment I can give this album is how well-produced the beats here are. Too many times we've seen rock bands go into electronic music with absolutely no knowledge of how to construct a good beat, and ending up sounding embarrassingly bad, but Anathema have actually got a great hand in this, all of the beats here scutter all over the place, using surround sound and timbre excellently. "You're Not Alone", as a song, is essentially a less compelling version of "Pulled Under at 2000 Metres Per Second" from A Natural Disaster, and although I can commend the beat and the rather heavy finish, both the guitar and vocals in this song get rather annoying, especially the way Vincent takes a massive breath every few seconds in the vocals. If you're going to electronically make drum beats, why not electronically edit the vocals so they don't sound strained?

The song finishes straight into "Firelight", which is honestly a poor transition, despite being a transitional track. After a few minutes of organ/synth things, it builds into the title track (the album's title track, not the band's title track) with another very nice electronic beat. I would actually call this track the best on the album instead of the other title track, but at 8 minutes with only one real melody to hold it, it does drag on an awful lot. But the melody here is excellent, as are the instruments and electronics. Most of this track reminds me an awful lot of Above & Beyond, and not just the electronic side - both the vocal melody and piano feel very much like something an electronic artist would do, yet somehow still sounding like Anathema, which does show how well they could transition into this style. The final track on the album, "Take Shelter" contains another good beat, but I'm not entirely certain this fits with the music - the beat is rather quick and paced, yet the music is slow and melancholic. But it starts to make sense as the beat smoothly transitions into acoustic drums and the song rises up into pretty much the best crescendo on the album.

I realise that I've been a bit harsh on this record, but I assure you that that is basically because of my constant comparing it to Weather Systems. Compositionally, Distant Satellites is easily the weakest output of this band since 2001, but at the same time, it feels like the beginning of a new chapter, which is an incredible achievement for a band with 20 years behind them. The album has no outstanding tracks, but a collection of "pretty good" 7/10 tracks does add up on the whole. This may be a transitional record, and it may be a weaker composition, but I, and many others, completely expected this band to just decline and leave after Weather Systems. I suppose in hindsight, it does feel normal for them to change up and keep going, but I'm still impressed that they've done it. Distant Satellites isn't a hiccup, it's a realignment. I'm sure that once the band settles into their new style, their compositional genius will return in full form. Weather Systems felt like the absolute best thing they could ever do, but Distant Satellites has grabbed me by the neck and yelled "Hey, we aren't finished yet!". It's not likely this album will gain the same praise that the last two albums have gained in the future, but it still shows so much promise for the future of this band.

8.1

Originally written for my Facebook page/blog: www.facebook.com/neoprogisbestprog

Exquisite, refined rock

I'm not an Anathema fan and have owned only a few of their albums over the years. I've had one or two earlier albums and also a more recent release, Universal. The latter was very well done but like the earlier ones, never quite grabbed me by the throat. I wasn't expecting much with this one either but man did they execute here. They not only grabbed me by the throat, they threw me to the ground and pummeled me with clubs. Kidding, yes. I've seen some describe the band's sound as "heavy chill" which is a reasonable phrase, but I've always been just a bit let down by the similarity of the ride, track to track. That has changed with this one because the material is so instantly melodic and pleasurable, the sound so sweeping and cinematic, dramatic, the sonic equivalent of soft focus photography. The tracks play out in epic fashion, often including lovely, sentimental keyboard parts that soon build into pounding heaviness sometimes augmented by electronic atmospheric coloring. I love the heavy emphasis on piano and strings at play, very lush and dreamy to contrast the heavy parts.

What pushes it to another level completely is the quality of the harmonies between Cavanaugh and Lee Douglas, simply captivating and emotionally resonating for this listener. The arrangements and the songs themselves are just so much more interesting to me than anything I've heard them do before. It's also consistent as hell and emotionally moving throughout. Some folks seem disappointed with the album and I've seen some reviewers give it one star. Anathema may be in a tough spot similar to Porcupine Tree now. Many fans don't want them to change from a sound they love, others don't feel they can top previous achievements, so in essence expectations shape one's opinion. "Distant Satellites" may be Anathema's "The Incident" one reviewers notes and I think that's a good analogy. There is going to be some gnashing of teeth, but I personally find both albums to be stunning. I do believe this moody yet uplifting album will be in my top picks of the year, very satisfying.

Prog, post-rock, metal, borderline mainstream rock?

10 albums in, and it's hard to really know what to call this style of music, other than Anathema-style.

Yes, this is Prog Archives, so technically this is for progressive acts. Whilst this Liverpudlian 6-piece can't be said to produce much that could be considered prog rock, they could always lay claim to being progressive in their style of music, in much the same way Radiohead have moved through the gears from Grunge, Alternative, Prog, Avent Garde and now' Radiohead. With Distant Satellites though, I'm no longer sure that even that is now true of Anathema as it appears they have found their niche and their signature and are sticking with it resolutely, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. Satellites has some elements that are virtually interchangeable with Weather Systems , most notably the high-tempo, uplifting opening track, segueing into a soulful, pop-ballad second part. Similarly, the album closes with another variant of the chilled / spatial epic and you can also rest assured that each song is going to be loud and powerful at some point. Where their latest offering differs though is some of the texture and sound, with a more dolly mixtures style of song choice and order. Where Weather Systems benefited from a very consistent mood, theme and quality in the opening two-thirds (before a sharp nose-dive for the last three tracks), Satellites mixes things up a little bit, a little more in the style of A Natural Disaster, with some strong electronic flourishes and a high emphasis on atmosphere.

The afore mentioned 2-part Lost Song opens the album and serves as a reliably recognisable introduction, in much the same way Untouchable did. The time signature (5/4, is it?) is at least something novel and makes for an interesting edge to the song which is otherwise very similar to Untouchable in both its steady build to the satisfying midway arrival of surging guitars and also the way it can't quite keep the momentum going and loses its way a little toward the end. Lyrically it is simple and raw and anthemic, albeit in a punctuated way.

The way in which Part 1 gives way to Part 2 is also unerringly similar to Weather systems. A slow-paced, piano drive pop ballad serves to contrast to the rocking opener, but this one belongs solely to Lee Douglas vocally, unlike the duet from Weather Systems. Lyrically, this is very familiar territory, but the effectiveness of the song is raised significantly by Lee's finest vocal performance to date and some very polished production.

Dusk (Dark is Descending) is where Distant Satellites' problems start to become apparent. Dusk is a fine song in many ways with a reasonable acoustic riff, strong vocals and lot of passion, but it's also dripping in anonymity. A strong album needs consistency and a steady flow of good songs. By track 3, the stall is normally set: with Weather Systems we had the excellent, operatic storm surge of The Gathering of the Clouds that blended perfectly with the somber, emotional coda of track 2 and segued masterfully into Lightning Song. We're Here didn't have the same thematic conceptual link, but at least had some very fine contrast to the powerful Summernight Horizon with Dreaming Light's peaceful ode to love and life. Dusk, on the other hand, feels like pure filler and smacks of the same by- the-numbers construction methodology last heard on The Beginning and the End, which helped to bring the end of Weather Systems down with a dull thud. There's nothing remotely wrong with Dusk per se. It's just uninspired, derivative and without focus. It feels like it's been phoned in and it's a loss of momentum that occurs too early in the album.

Ariel, track 4, brings us back to Weather Systems territory and provides another radio- friendly anthemic bookend to the louder, more guitar-driven rock that had preceded it. The lyrics are simple again and the duet vocals work reasonably well, with Vincent Cavanagh's soaring voice accompanying a heavy mid-section and some well-considered chord progressions that were withheld from the start. Daniel Cavanagh's almost whispered vocal line at the end is another nice touch.

Breaking tradition with the songs that only have 2 parts (and I include The Storm Before the Calm in that too), the 5th track on the album is probably Distant Satellites' strongest moment. The Lost Song, Part 3, is an alternative take on the long-forgotten riff that served as the DNA to the opening two tracks on the album. It's a re-tread of part 1, to be sure (which presumably came first), but it's the stronger of the two, with alternating vocalists and more substantial lyrics and a satisfying climax that doesn't lose momentum or rely on repetition.

Anathema, the eponymous track, seems to be well revered amongst fans and it does offer a very apt tip-of-the-hat to their more classic Judgement-era Metal. The lyrics are decent and the vocals soaring (when are they not), but ' neat repeating piano hook aside ' it perhaps doesn't go where it could have gone and just culminates in an archetypal gothic metal guitar solo at the end, which probably goes on a few bars too long. It's good, but it's not the anthemic masterpiece that some might have you believe.

Track 7 marks the entry to Electronic territory and the beginning of a shaky path for the band, veering from sublime, to mundane, to ridiculous over the course of the next 4 tracks. You're Not Alone serves as Danny's sole lead vocal, although it's probably as much a bona fide vocal as Nick Mason's is on Pink Floyd's One of These Days. I've seen a review mention The Gathering of the Clouds as a reference point for this song, but they are poles apart: one is a swirling maelstrom of overlapping vocals and operatic orchestral, complimenting perfectly the songs it follows and precedes; the other, sadly, is a stark, loud and brash ode to Hail To The Thief-era Radiohead which runs maybe 60 seconds too long (and it's barely 3 minutes long as it is) and which sports a cool drum-and-bass loop, but then murders a great Steven Wilson-sculpted guitar thrash but replaying it at least twice as often as it should.

Next is probably the best 6 minutes on the album. Firelight is a Wine Glasses (Pink Floyd outtake) style serving of pure electronic ambience, cycling through some beautiful chords and ending on a lovely note that segues seamlessly into the title track of the album and the place where many Anathema fans have been polarised. Distant Satellites, the song, has been long in the gestation and had only recently found the right incarnation in the form of what could easily be described as club trance. How the song has finally been captured fits the band right now and where one of the directions they want to take their music. I get that and I think for more than half of its running time it works a treat. The electronic drum loop is marvellous and accompanies Firelight's warm organ sound perfectly before Vincent's dreamy pop-vocals come in. If you heard this on the radio, you might struggle to think that this was from a band that exists in the Prog world (however they may or may not respond to such labelling) or whether this was from something altogether more radio-friendly and main stream. My response to this is that there's nothing wrong with having a pop song thrown into the mix (there's at least one on every Steven Wilson band record) and the vocal hooks on this one are a knock-out, even if it does, for some reason, reminds me of Under Your Thumb by Godley and Cream.

But sadly, for me, and in a fashion too common on this LP, it loses its momentum just over half way through. After the baseline and the analogue beats have kicked in, we are promised another bi-polar Anathema experience as vocal chanting almost summons the track to ascend and reach a crescendo, only for it to plummet back to the median. When I first heard the song, I was sensing an extended instrumental sequence and then a surging final act, much like Genesis' sublime Tonight, Tonight, Tonight and, in truth, much in keeping with Anathema's tried and tested formula from recent records. But instead, what we're left with is a muted club 'doof-doof' beat, coupled with a harmless synth line that, whilst fine, isn't what it could have been and doesn't seem to suit the song. That the chorus returns and repeats itself far too often, somewhat spoils the effect of its first appearance, particularly as it doesn't work as well over the higher-tempo beats than it did over the synths and loop. The last thirty seconds of electro-dance outro and ok, but the damage is done and each time I hear this, I am left with the ironic notion that ' on this album at least - this was the one song that desperately needed an Anathema-branded surging climax, whereas there are plenty of others that need exactly that amputated from their production. Where songs like Thin Air, A Simple Mistake and Universal changed tact, pace or style half way through to resounding effect, Distant Satellites tries to do the same, but falls short.

After the potential high of Distant Satellites, Take Shelter becomes just a neat little footnote and a pleasant enough climax to the album: nothing more. It's well produced, although the drum loop doesn't really work, and has a fitting sense of closure to it, but it's more of an extended coda to another song altogether, rather than a song in its own right.

And there we have it. I've been on and off writing this review for a few weeks now and wanted to wait until had stopped playing the record endlessly to truly put it into context. Whilst I remain a very ardent (and recent) Anathema fan that will look forward to their next album (and especially to their first appearance in Australia in August 2014), I am left a little disappointed by the LP as a whole. It borrows much from both We're Here Because We're Here and Weather Systems, and every time it does, I find both predecessors superior. It's only where Distant Satellites departs from the tried and tested that it succeeds, but this is more sound and style then song structure and those experiments don't always work.

Whilst Anathema's destiny is interesting and promises much, there are aspects of their music that they need to try and evolve (particularly the monotone lyrics and highly repetitive themes of dreaming, new life and finding a soul mate), but also others where they need to look back to their previous works for inspiration. Yes this is probably a transitional album, and that's okay (if I can forgive Radiohead the truly uninspiring King of Limbs, then I can forgive anyone), but I've always found myself saying that their next album needed to be the masterpiece and this one wasn't, meaning the next one needs to be. I also think that, much as they want to avoid the 'Progressive' label, they would benefit from embracing some of the staples of the genre. When they've come close to this (the sublime Violence, the Floydian epic and the bombastic Calm Before the Storm), they've generally always pulled it off.

As much as the band should embrace new directions and fresh styles that inspire them, they also need to remember that great albums are born of great songs and an artistic direction and theme that captures a listener. It's an album that captures all of these elements that I would wish for next.

Anathema to me can do no wrong. After their last album being an epic masterpiece, and their previous effort being a brilliant album in its own right, I was so incredibly stoked for this album.

The band have shown an almost found love for what they do after coming back from a hiatus in 2009, and their new reinvigorated sound means that the band have been able to release albums consistently every 2 years.

Musically the album takes a darker move than compared to their last two albums and touches upon some sounds from "A Natural Disaster." While "Weather Systems" was very much a bright and joyous album, this one touches upon more melancholic feelings. There are some very beautiful and joyous moments throughout, but this is definitely one of the bands darkest albums in the past few years.

The album also seems to have two very noticeable sounds. While the first half is very much a prog rock album, the other half dwells on more experimental and electronic sounds. Now it does make the album a little less cohesive, but it does make the album that much more interesting.

The opening track "The Lost Song Part 1" is an epic opener. Opening with some beautiful strings the song goes into an offbeat drum pattern with some brilliant instrumental decorations. A brilliant and passionate vocal performance from Vincent and Lee also adds a lot of depth to the song.

One of the biggest growers on the album would have to be "The Lost Song Part 2." While "Ariel" was tugging at my heart strings these past few days, this one has probably over shadowed it. In fact, this is definitely up there with my favorite Anathema songs and would probably be one of the most beautiful songs ever written. A beautiful arrangement and some heart felt vocals from Lee, the track can almost bring a grown man to tears.

My personal favorite track on the album would have to be "Ariel." An almost sister song to "The Lightning Song", it is a more melancholic departure for the band. Incredibly beautiful with some brilliant clashes and crescendos.

One of the darkest tracks on the album would have to be "Anathema." Building up and climaxing into and epic chorus and a pretty amazing ending guitar solo, the song is a very emotional track with some brilliant clashes and crescendos throughout.

"You're Not Alone" is a very interesting track. With some electronic beats and over layered vocals, the song bursts into a heavy and clashing ending. Probably one of the heaviest songs on the album.

The title track is an interesting take for the band. Focusing more on the electronic sound of the band, its a very soft song with some beautiful melodies. I do feel the song does drag on a tiny bit too long, but it is pretty good nontheless.

The albums ending "Take Shelter" is a very soft and beautiful way to end the album. With some light falsetto vocals from Vincent and trip hop inspired beats, the song ends very beautifully...as an Anathema album should do.

In conclusion, I don't prefer this to their last album "Weather Systems." But in all honesty, "Weather Systems" is probably one of my favorite albums ever recorded. This album is a brilliant follow up and a masterpiece of songwriting. Experimental and a step in the right direction, the band have again proved that they are probably the most interesting musical act going. This album takes a good bit of time to digest...but when it does, the after taste is sweeter than honey.

9/10

Genres: Progressive Rock, Experimental Rock, Electronic, Symphonic Rock, Art Rock, Post Rock, Pop Rock, Hard Rock, Trip Hop

Country of origin: England

Year of release: 2014

I'd heard very mixed reviews about this album so was pleasantly surprised when I finally got to know it. It always takes me a few listenings before I get into any new Anathema piece, but this is beginning to get under my skin nicely.

Not a drastically different direction, and possibly a bit 'nice' now and then, but overall I'm liking Distant Satellites quite a bit. Very 'post-rock', very atmospheric and actually quite mature in the songwriting department, and with some really great harmony vocals going on. What I really like is the journey this album takes us on - it starts off good and just gets better as it goes along, with 'Firelight' and 'Distant Satellites' being standout tracks for me.

Not quite up to the standards of 'We're Here Because We're Here', but certainly a good 4 star album.

"Distant Satellites" is the 12th full-length studio album by atmospheric rock act Anathema. The album was released through Kscope in June 2014.

"Distant Satellites" treads an alternative/semi-progressive atmospheric rock path that is similar in sound and style to it´s predecessor "Weather Systems (2012)". The music is polished, dreamy, and slow building. Usually starting out mellow and then slowly building towards louder and more intense climaxes. The by now trademark melancholy of the band´s music is as prevailent here as it´s always been. This is not depressive music though and although it´s not exactly happy music either, there is an uplifting spirit about the whole affair, that makes "Distant Satellites" a predominantly light melancholic album rather than a dark depressive one.

The male vocals by Vincent Cavanagh and the female vocals by Lee Douglas are the center of attention on the album and they share the spotlight equally. Atmospheric keyboards and guitars, and a well playing rhythm section complete the band´s sound. Anathema have also included some electronic drumming on the album, which to my ears is a very successful move.

The first part of the album features organic drums, but when the 7th track "You´re Not Alone" kicks in, the music style changes a bit as a result of the electronic drums. It becomes more ambient and I´m reminded of artists like Massive Attack and Morcheeba. The short instrumental "Firelight" continues the ambient sound and the title track which follows is also quite ambient and features electronic drumming. The latter reminds me a lot of Coldplay and could in an edited version (this version is 8:17 minutes long) easily get radio airplay. It´s the perfect example of how far Anathema have come since their early doom/death metal days. It´s not unusual for Anathema to tweek their sound during an album. They did the same on "Weather Systems (2012)". They do it skillfully though which means that their core style and atmosphere are intact throughout.

"Distant Satellites" is packed in an organic and pleasant sounding production which fits the music perfectly, and all in all it´s another high quality release by Anathema. If I have to voice a minor complaint it would be about the lyrics, which are at times a bit too simple, naive, and starry eyed, and not exactly written with the greatest finesse. I´ll even go as far as to call them teenage-angsty, which is a bit odd to me, as I know these guys (and girl) are in their 30s/40s. Oh well...they are fortunately sung by strong voices and wrapped in beautiful melodies, so it is a minor complaint and a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is still deserved.

It's my birthday so I gave myself time to listen to and review a new album of a band that's new for me. It is time to introduce the English band "Anathema" which has done eleven studio albums between 1993 and 2014. The genre "Experimental/Post-metal", I have no idea what it is but it(the genre title) doesn't sound good. I would like to call it boring music but I cede. This eleventh album by Anathema: "Distant Satellites" from 2014 has a red and quite anonymous cover and it features the musicians "Vincent Cavanagh"(voice, guitar, vocoder), Danny Cavanagh(guitar, keyboards, vocie), Jamie Cavanagh (bass), John Douglas(drums, keyboards) and Lee Douglas(voice).

I am sorry but after some listening to this music I can't help but feeling bored and a bit tormented. I have hard to see charm and hear lovely music in this even if I try. I found the compositions whiny and the performances so unvaried that I felt it was all the same song. That hadn't of course been a problem if it was a good song. Of course the album has great moments! Just as the landscape has its valleys are there mountains to climb and views to oversee. This lowland has some hills of which the second part of "Arial"(6/10) is the highest. From that hill you can stand and feel the power of being a living man. But the climbing uphill was whiny as usual. The track with the famous name "Anathema" had similar merits(6/10) that made me overlook my difficulties. The instrumental ending of "Take shelter" wasn't bad at all(6/10).

The other compositions weren't necessarily bad but definitely boring and I do not recommend this record to anyone. I know music is a matter of taste and this was not in my taste. Though do I recommend one song: "Ariel" for its instrumental second half and I feel generous enough to give the record two stars.

Only two years after releasing a strong album like Weather Systems, Anathema are back with another full-length, Distant Satellites, written, produced and recorded pretty much by the same team that was behind Weather Systems (the lineup is unchanged and both albums were recorded and produced by Christer-André Cederberg, who also played bass on both releases). Partly because of this, Distant Satellites feels very much like a continuation of Weather Systems, albeit less inspired and generally weaker in the quality of its compositions.

To put it bluntly, the overall impression I have when I listen to this album is that on Distant Satellites Anathema started running out of fresh ideas and resorted to recycling the formula that had worked so well on the previous couple of albums. This impression comes from the fact that Distant Satellites has a very similar sound, songwriting style and production as Weather Systems and We Are Here Because We Are Here (WAHBWAH). The sound is lush and deep, with lots of emphasis on the piano and the orchestrations (curated once again by 70s cult-musician Dave Stewart), which often take complete control of the arrangements. The guitars are most noticeable by their absence ? this is probably the least guitar-driven album in Anathema's whole discography (though there is a shimmering guitar solo on "Anathema" that is worth checking out).

In terms of songwriting, Distant Satellites follows the same post-rockish approach of Weather Systems and WAHBWAH. The tracks are typically based on a single motif repeated and stretched out for the whole duration of the song. The variation mainly comes from the arrangements, with orchestrations, choirs, percussions and the occasional distorted guitar adding or subtracting layers to increase or decrease the intensity of the music. As a result, there is a lot of play with dynamics in the 10 songs of Distant Satellites, each piece slowly building in intensity to achieve a cathartic climax at the end. Personally, I find this songwriting approach a bit too static and unadventurous. Granted, Anathema managed to write some great songs with this formula (Weather Systems, in particular, contains some fantastic tracks), but I feel that, by this point, Anathema had somehow reached the limit of what they could actually achieve with this type of songwriting, and Distant Satellites inevitably suffers from the law of diminishing returns in this respect.

The structure and flow of Distant Satellites are also similar to that of Weather Systems and WAHBWAH, adding to the general impression of dealing with a formula repeated one time too many. The album starts with two twin-tracks, "The Lost Song Pt 1"and "The Lost Song Pt 2", like Weather Systems had started with the duo "Untouchable Pt 1" and "Untouchable Pt 2". The two "Lost Songs" are not as similar to each other as the two "Untouchables" (where "Pt 2" was essentially an acoustic re-arrangement of "Pt 1"), but there are still common musical themes being swapped across the two parts. Moreover, both pairs of songs play on the idea of having a slightly more metallic first-half sung by Vincent Cavanagh, followed by a mellower second-half sung by Lee Douglas. It's a good way to open the album, as the two "Lost Songs" are probably the strongest pair of tracks on the whole Distant Satellites, although neither reaches the heights of the "Untouchable" suite.

The album then continues with a more up-tempo track ("Dusk"), in the same way as Weather Systems did with "The Gathering of the Clouds", but again, in terms of quality and impact on the listener, the comparison is strongly tilted in favour of the previous album. Distant Satellites then transitions into a mellower phase, with the soaring, cinematic ballads "Ariel" and "The Lost Song Pt 3" (a final reprise of the opening pair of tracks), but neither song really leaves a strong impression. Finally, as on Weather System and WAHBWAH, the second half of Distant Satellites is a darker and more heterogeneous affair. Perhaps the most distinctive and original aspect of this part of the album (and the whole Distant Satellites, in fact) is the experimentation with electronica, which features heavily on "You're Not Alone" and the title-track "Distant Satellites". The experiment only partially succeeds, though, as "You're Not Alone" is not really something to write home about (it sounds like a b-side from a Radiohead album). The title-track is slightly stronger, although it is too long and repetitive.

Thematically, Distant Satellites continues to dabble with the sort of new-agey, "love-is-all-you-need" philosophy that has inspired Anathema's lyrics since WAHBWAH. I believe the word "love" actually appears on every second track on this album. Nothing's wrong with that, to be clear. It's just that this "positive vibes" approach does not particularly resonate with me, so I struggle to connect in a deeper way with the songs on Distant Satellites as well as on the previous two albums.

Overall, I think that Distant Satellites is the weakest Anathema's album since the band left behind their doom origins. It feels very much like a washed-out copy of Weather Systems and WAHBWAH, trying to repeat the winning formula of those earlier albums but without success. To be honest, I am not a huge fan of those two albums either ? they feel too much like a collection of singles rather than properly cohesive full-lengths -, but at least they were redeemed by some great individual songs that I consider among the best tracks Anathema have ever written. Distant Satellites is instead rather lacklustre in this respect, with no song that really stands out in the way that "Thin Air" or "Untouchable Pt 1 and Pt 2" did. Fortunately, on the next album, The Optimist, Anathema will shake things up a bit, looking back to their "golden" period (1998-2003) for inspiration and delivering their strongest album since 2003's A Natural Disaster.

[Originally posted on www.metal-archives.com]

Distant Satellites is another marvelous addition to Anathema's excellent library, although it repeats the winning formula that the group has used in the previous two albums. While it doesn't break new ground, it does succeed at creating a poignant and well-crafted experience.

The album opens in what now seems to be the band's distinctive sound: an sensitive, artistic, a driving melody that builds and builds to a rousing and cripplingly emotional climax. In this case, we begin at the end, as Cavanagh's lyrics tell the story of catharsis after meeting the spirit of a lost love. The response, by what I assume is the spirit, features singing by guest vocalist Lee Douglas, whose gorgeous voice will probably leave you in a puddle on the floor. This opening passage is Anathema playing it safe, but also playing to their strengths, and it leaves an impact

The songs that follow continue to float the listener on a sea of tidal emotions; rising and falling in equal measure as the two voices lament for their lost love. Many will find the lyrics somewhat trite and simple, but more will hear them as poetic and soulful, telling a story in a way that is ambiguous enough for the listener to project themselves into the emotions. This, I think, is one of the most powerful features of Anathema's songwriting; it creates feelings of empathy in the listener that hit harder than any other band in my library.

The band creates sounds that are lush a delicate, electric and modern. The instrumental moments peak on "Anathema", with an elegant but very powerful by guitarist Cavangh. For me, that standout songs are those which drift into the somewhat electronic and ambient; these songs aren't as epic as the rock tunes, but they change the tone and feel, contributing to variety on this otherwise pathos heavy album. Unfortunately, you probably won't remember much except for the melodies in "Lost Song".

Part of me is disappointed in Distant Satellites because it's so similar in theme, sound, and content to recent albums, but Anathema is so good at making this kind of music - which continues to have an effect on me - that I still enjoy the experience. If you know and like Anathema, you'll enjoy Distant Satellites, but it's not their best album by a long shot. In terms of production and performances it's faultless, but for me it's good but not essential because it accomplishes the same thing the band's other albums do, but not quite as well.

Songwriting: 3 - Instrumental Performances: 3 - Lyrics/Vocals: 4 - Style/Emotion/Replay: 4

After two rather similar (although fantastic) albums, Anathema tried to evolve their sound... But was it in the right direction?

The album starts brilliantly with the powerful The Lost Song Part 1, which follows the patch of Weather System but with a cleaner production, leaving a bit the familiar wall of guitars from previous releases. And we can also hear how Vincent sings even better than before! The voice of this man has no limits.

The Lost Song Part 2 is one of my favorites here thanks to the very sweet Lee's vocals and precious arrangements. The magic of Anathema is still here and it continues in Dusk despite its cheesy lyrics. This tune starts with the typical fast acoustic guitar and slowly increase its intensity towards and epic ending. This is pretty good, but maybe this Anathema formula sounds a bit old and overused here... Time for a change.

And Ariel is not really a change, but it's breathtakingly beautiful nevertheless. Marvelous vocals, great piano melodies, and a prodigious guitar. This song is pure magic, and one of the highlight of the album and also in Anathema's career. It's like that all that Anathema tried after A Natural Disaster came together in this very song. Just perfect!

Sadly The Lost Song Part 3 brings nothing really new to the other two, despite its powerful bass lines. It tries to recover the most alternative moments of A Fine Day To Exit and A Natural Disaster, but it fails. It's not bad, but it pales in comparison to the four previous tracks. But then comes Anathema! An autobiographic song which supposed a return to the Judgment's (and maybe Alternative 4) sound bit with an orchestral filter. Very intense and with great vocals from Vincent... Again.

And what the hell happened after this moment, guys?

When I first listened You're Not Alone I thought "Ok, it's just another experimental track... No luck this time. Let's hear the next song" And the next song is a very insipid keyboard instrumental track named Firelight. "Ok, the title track is of course better..." And what we found with Distant Satellites is a very ugly electronic rhythm for a very repetitive, not interesting and uninspired song. I just can't believe it! The album was very good till Anathema. And what's all this mess?

But Take Shelter starts good. And I thought "This will be a good Anathema song"... But no! The unnecessary electronic rhythms are back for a song which end in a pretentious and bombastic way, really inappropriate. It brings some melodies from the first songs back, but that's not enough to leave the listener really pleased with this very irregular album.

Conclusion: Distant Satellites is maybe the most irregular Anathema album. It has great songs like The Lost Song (Part 1 and 2) and Ariel, and some of their worst and more shameful moments (You're Not Alone, Distant Satellites) I think it's honorable, even necessary, when a band tries to evolve their sound. But the experiment that Anathema made in some of the songs included in Distant Satellites is just dull and wrong in my opinion.

It's by no means a bad album. It has even unforgettable moments, but there are other I would rather forget.

Best Tracks: The Lost Song Part 1, The Lost Song Part 2, Dusk, Ariel, Anathema.

My rating: ***

For the tenth album in their career, the Liverpudlians approached the status of inveterate prophets in the field of the so-called "post-progressive". The sea and cloud spheres have already been passed on the previous 2 full-length albums, and it's time to conquer space and its reliable, but so Distant Satellites.

It would seem that the time has come to explore new ways to communicate your philosophy and experiment with them, but no matter! The band seemed to intuitively feel that it still has something to say since the days of Weather Systems, and the first 2 songs already evoke a direct association with the Untouchable dilogy. Yes, structurally, the first 2 parts of The Lost Song really repeat the masterpiece dilogy. Does this mean that it is necessary to brand Anathema for self-plagiarism? Not a damn thing! I don't know how they do it, but The Lost Song has something different from the Untouchable, plus, I think it was on this album that the duo Vinnie and Lee finally found the optimal balance for the group in terms of vocal parts. Only one thing is unclear: why do we need a frankly useless and unnecessary third part? Well, to hell with it, actually.

In general, it is still a big mystery to me how this band still does not have the same popularity as its colleagues from Muse and Radiohead. The desire of the band itself not to be so mainstream? To be honest, for me, hits like Ariel, which is dedicated to Danny's newborn daughter, or the tense Dusk, would be just monumental rock hits of the 2010s, in an age when the aforementioned bands are now releasing outright hack work, blood from the nose is needed by bands like Anathema. And the title track for the band was just a wonderful epitaph, in which the guys finally expressed everything they wanted to say in these 11 years since the release of A Natural Disaster, and crowned it all with a magnificent and sensual solo.

After such a catharsis already in the middle of the album, the band begins to think about how to finally explore these attractive outer spaces with a mixture of "cold" and technological, but such attractive electronics. And if the very bold You're Not Alone (the most unusual song of the new Anathema) demonstrates rather a chaotic flight on a rocket and going into space, then the title track for the album already demonstrates these cosmic deposits in full. It is amazing how, even in the experimental and transitional field, Anathema shows his mastery in conveying the atmosphere and his notorious "philosophy". And Distant Satellites is a great example of this: Vinnie's sensual vocals, beautiful synth passages, juicy trip-hop beat-everything works at 100% and delivers exorbitant pleasure as much as the most beautiful hits of Anathema. Take Shelter is just a great finalizer of this album, even if it loses a little bit of the title track in the impact on the listener. Although many fans did not appreciate the band's electronic endeavors, I welcomed them with great and undisguised pleasure.

Distant Satellites is a transitional album in all respects, which is slightly inferior to its two predecessors, but it is still an excellent release with its own special atmosphere and a solid set of songs, among which "electronic" things stand out strongly. It's just a pity that they won't get a good development in future. Fortunately, this does not concern the Distant Satellites themselves in any way.