A FINE DAY TO EXIT

A huge progression for the Liverpool lad's. Very experimental with various soundscapes. In retrospect, listening to Serenades and then to them today is astonishing. Never have I heard a band take such leaps in sound. The lyrics are extremely powerful, probably the best of any band for quite some time, if ever. The lyrics are focused around melancholic themes in general. You can't help but feel the emotions when listening to the lyrics, no matter how many times you've heard the song. The music is very layered and you find things in the songs that you didn't hear before with each listen. There's also a hidden track after the lush and serene "Temporary Peace." The track comes after about 12 minutes of waves slowly rushing upon the shore, while sounds of the band talking come in and out every few minutes.

Highlight's are: "Release," "Leave No Trace," "Barriers" (it's not called Breaking Down the Barriers!), "A Fine Day to Exit," and of course, "Temporary Peace."

This is one of my favourite albums of all time. So i think ill give a review track by track. Pressure - I think the lyrics stand out the best in this song. Also the layering of guitar piano and vocals make it a great opener. Release - The riff is great from the melodic till when the distorion kicks in with a great solo over the top. Looking outside inside- Probably a little to much like the track before, but still great Leave no trace - The chord progression in the end, builds like a chorus of frustration, brilliant Underworld - My pick from the album. Barriers - Not great, not bad either Panic - Frustration anger and beauty all in the one song, its the release of the frustration built up over the last two songs. The lyircs are cryptic and brilliant, favourite "But throught the holes in my palms i can find a way" Title Track - Meloncoly at its best, brilliant after the build up from the last track. Temporary Peace - The most beautiful serene song on the album, the lyrics the guitar, all to ocean washing over at the end. There is bonus track, i think telling us not to take it all to seriously.

Its introverted its angry its gergeous and its really recomended for those dark moments in life i recommend this album. The artwork is brilliant aswell, very reminiscant Floyds the wall.

"A Fine Day to Exit" was my introduction to Anathema. I had read the glorious and not so glorious history of the band through enough channels to pique my interest. This apparently was their "sellout" album in metal circles, so you won't find it reviewed well on any of those sites, but I got it anyway. At first I found it hard to believe these guys were anything but a Radiohead clone. They sound similar in some aspects. Then I changed my mind to think they were more like The Cure. Then ..... The point is that on this album they masterfully incorporate the styles and sounds of countless other bands. That may not be truly original, but then again, what is? What makes this album truly worth owning is the atmosphere created. It can be happy, angry, or depressing to the point of suicide! They really translate the emotions well into music. Lyrically, nothing stands out to me. I'm sure they are good, but I pay more attention to the music. If you are looking for a stepping off point into Anathema, this is a good spot.

SIMILAR BANDS: Porcupine Tree, The Cure (stretching, but if you like one, you'll probably like the other. at least for this cd), Opeth, Radiohead

This album was the first from Anathema I'd ever heard a couple of years ago. When Pressure started I was delivered into another world, where everything is foggy, spiritual and so strange. The waves of the music swept me away until Panic, and I'd felt that this is what I waited, this is my music, this is me. And then I thought that really it's the fine day to exit. The witchcraft was cut with the last song. I really often enjoy the CD, but most of the time I skip Temporary Peace (I hate Alan's Psychedelic Breakfast by Pink Floyd, and Temporary Peace is something like that). That's why I must give only four stars to this very remarkable album.

Anathema - A fine Day to exit

This was the first Anathema album I bought and it also was the one album that turned me into an Anathema fan.

Since I only knew the "Forgotten Hopes" song that is available on this site, I did not really knew what to expect from this band, but I gave it a shot in the record store and I immediately loved it. The album is so varied; I thought openingtrack Pressure had some weird Coldplay resemblances, whereas my favourite track on this album, Release had a twist of Porcupine Tree and even trip-hop in it. The songs on the album are nicely balanced between the more softer and the more heavier songs. Yes it is not all so quiet and gentle.. but there is a natural vibe of progression when listening to the whole album. The songs themselves progress from quiet beginnings to heavy outings, most notably in the song Looking outside inside. This song starts very mellow but halfway through the old metal origins of the band shine through.

The nicest thing about the variety of moods in this albums is that it all does not feel forced to listen to. I think this album has appeal to both the lovers of metal as well as mainstream rock.

As a last remark, it is worth to mention the addition of a female singer on some tracks, she and Danny perform an haunting, but bit depressing, ballad called Barriers.

To conclude this review I can only say that this is one of the finest albums around in the progressive metal scene: no standout musicians on this album (no real soloing of instruments I mean by that), it is just a brilliant BAND offer!

With this record, Anathema's sound has reached a new dimension. The dark atmosphere is mainly gone, replaced by a more positive feeling: peace.

"Pressure" is a great piano/guitar quiet song - nice opening. "Release" is a great rock song. "Looking Outside Inside" is a classic mix of slow/fast riffing (not the best track on the album though). "Leave No Trace" and "Underworld" are again favorites. "Barriers" is a beautiful ballad featuring Lee Douglas on vocals. "Panic" shows again a bit of agression before the outstanding finishing songs "A Fine Day To Exit" and especially "Temporary Peace", where all the emotional feelings attain their peak.

Rating: 83/100

As many of you stated, this is the first Anathema album I have heard, and it probably is my favorite Anathema album (but A Natural Disaster is really not far behind). There is an undefinable thread linking all songs, a vibe felt throughout the entire album that grows on you. At times reminiscent of Pink Floyd (notice how Cavanagh's voice sounds like Roger Waters in the second half of Looking Outside Inside), Porcupine Tree, Radiohead and even the Beatles (the piano part in opening track "Pressure"). Great lyrics, intense songs, great vocals.

One downfall : the last song "Temporary Peace". I think the album could have ended in a much better manner, and it is kind of a let down to end such a good album with a song that is sub-par in comparison with the rest the songs.

Though I fail to see how it could be categorized as "progressive" even with the above comparisons, I have no doubt that fans of the said bands will definitely enjoy this one.

A very good introduction to this band.

Going into an Anathema album, one can be assured of an emotionally moving, deeply introspective listening experience. Masters of self-analysis through sonic expression, Anathema write songs/albums that serve as soundtracks to a wide range of emotional landscapes. With the release of their sixth full-length recording, we discover the band moving even further away from their metal roots, while merging their familiar Pink Floyd inspirations with the sounds of indie/post/art rock acts such as Radiohead. In fact, this is as far from the band's death/doom metal roots as they have ever been. But that should really be no surprise to longtime followers of the U.K. troupe, as each passing album has been leading up to this very moment.

It is evident from the first glance at the initially head-shaking album cover that there is a conscious attempt to break into new sonic territories. But in grand Anathema tradition, it is this very image that reflects the core of what A Fine Day To Exit is about. Tranquil waters meeting the shore viewed from the driver's seat of a vehicle, complete with a family photo, cell phone (one missed call), and crumpled soda can decorating the dashboard, perfectly symbolizes the desperate need we all feel to escape from the loud chaos of day-to-day life for a sense of inner-peace and harmony. But to what extreme do we go to achieve this serenity? Is it a "Temporary Peace" we long for? How much does the hectic pace of this world have to wear us down before we take the plunge into a state of (possible) permanent tranquility? Anathema seem to have purposely left this open to the listener's interpretation.

Album opener "Pressure" marches along at a piano-punctuated, slow to mid-paced current, with a chorus line stating "No matter where you go you won't get away from me..". It's a coming to terms that no matter who we are, or what our position in this world is, we can never escape from ourselves. We may find temporary getaways through whichever medium we choose, but we always have to return. Those demons that haunt us, even through the closets in our minds we attempt to shut them in, are forever present to remind us of who we really are. Though a strong opening track for the album, there is a sense of hesitation in the delivery of this piece that is initially a bit worrisome. Indeed, the delivery of these constructions is not as emotionally overwhelming as it has been on past efforts. There is certainly not an emotional vacancy at the heart of these songs, but things are a bit more restrained this time out. The outbursts are reserved for certain moments within a track, and usually delivered in a more subtle fashion than we might be used to from this band.

One such moment can be found in "Release". Opening with cleanly picked acoustics, and featuring some beautifully phrased vocal melodies, the track explodes into rise and fall dynamics of emotional tidal waves, before its closing clean guitar notes descend into "Looking Outside Inside". Ever masters of weighty build-ups that climax into soaring passionate waterfalls of glory, Anathema solidify themselves as fantastically powerful songwriters with these compositions. In "Looking Outside Inside", feelings of detachment from all that surrounds us are explored. We've all experienced those moments when we feel utterly alone and separate from all and everything that is moving so fast around us in every direction. Searching for something to hold on to.to believe in.

'.too much is coming through someone please tell me what to do."

The desperation in Vincent's voice mirrors the turmoil of this experience. Cascading from fading embers into a pool of brief distortion, "Leave No Trace" settles down into pleasant tones and serene melodies. Again, a bit apprehensive in approach, until the closing moments when Vincent's pleading vocalizations are haunted by the background cries of "No Future.No Warning". This is as classic Anathema moment and one of the highlights of the album. Lost in a world sick with disillusion and deceit, we lose sight of a deeper meaning. Searching high and low for something to hold onto, pleading for someone to hear us.We need things.

In a world of justice, "Underworld" would be a sure "hit" for the band, with its emo-rock styled fashion and big, powerful chorus ("This feeling is over me."). But there is no justice in the world, so it will merely stand as another highlight in the band's illustrious career. When the psychedelic strains of "Barriers" set in, you know you are in for a classic introspective Anathema moment. As is often the case with this band, the "mellowest" moments on an album are usually the "heaviest", and "Barriers" is no exception. With vocals shared by guitarist Daniel and the angel-voiced Lee Douglas, it poses the question "How did we get here?". In an age when we have made great advancements to become more "connected", how is it we often feel so disconnected?

A quick change of pace is delivered in "Panic", easily the most rocking song on offer. The quick rhythm and verse delivery catches the listener off guard, while the Cavanagh brothers sculpt a seemingly nonsensical image through their vocal tirades. But we know better. A stunning chorus melody and some great, quick fills by drummer John Douglas make this an enjoyable (fun Anathema?) ride through the chaotic confusion and daily blur of life. But perhaps the most significant moment of this piece comes at its end, when the tranquil clean guitar melody grabs you from the spinning cycle and places you in a silent meadow, allowing you to feel nothing but the warmth of the shining sun.

Anathema are all about atmosphere and feeling, and the deeply penetrating title track displays both aspects to stunning effect. The haunting atmosphere that forms the foundation of the first two verse/chorus sections builds climactically, making this a great exercise in peak-and-valley dynamics. When there is no one left to rely on, when it seems that we are alone in our alienation, we turn to ourselves to try and sort it all out. It's the relation between lines like ".no longer have the will to survive." and "You've got to face it head on.cause this ain't right.." If you close your eyes to this one, you may feel like you are the one sitting in that very car watching the shore. Talking to yourself.trying to make some sense of it.

.But those waves are calling. You can hear them as they usher in the brooding intro to "Temporary Peace". More than just a song, this is a clear example of how music can be more than just music. It takes you out of yourself. It can overwhelm your senses and embrace your very soul. The dark mood switches to intoxicating serenity as Vincent, together with Lee Douglas, beautifully expresses words of sincerity and realization.

"There's so many, many thoughts as I try to go to sleep but with you I start to feel a sort of temporary peace as we drift in and out."

The closing moments of this song are paralyzing, breathtaking beauty. This tranquil harmony in sonic form conveys the grasp of just a moment's peace. While the final acoustic strings are picked, the waves roll on, effectively ending a thoroughly moving listening experience.

As compelling an album as this is, it does not rise above its predecessor, Judgement, which is this band's crowning achievement. It also feels uncomfortable placing it above their 1996 effort Eternity. The more restrained emotional expressions and the lack of lead guitar work from the unparalleled Daniel Cavanagh are initially a bit disappointing. Though the question of whether or not these aspects would be appropriate for this material or not is valid. But this aside, A Fine Day To Exit stands as a fantastic effort. Anathema don't just write albums, they construct experiences. They continuously release stunning works of sonic self-realization and awareness, questioning the world around us, digging deep within for a truer meaning. They're just aren't very many bands producing such emotionally challenging, thought provoking music as Anathema.

after deciding not to change the band's name due to the radical change of their sound, Anathema overtly let their Radiohead influeces loose and the result was this fine album... this great leap from their previous releases to this fresh sound is the perfect justification why this former doom/death metal band deserves a conspicuous place in this site..

this may never have been achieved if it wasn't for bassist's Duncan Patterson, and main composer of the band, leaving... whether this was for the best or not, i don't know... now Duncan is more of a producer merely preserving a trip hop band called Antimatter and Anathema are two years without a contract..

still, AFDTE is a breathtaking, deeply emotional, sometimes pissed, sometimes mellow, dramatic, stressed, moving piece of art... highlights: release, leave no trace, panic, a fine day to exit, temporary peace...

the only reason for this 4 stars rating is cause i believe that compared to Alternative 4 or Eternity, AFDTE is a little bit weaker..

4.5 stars ANATHEMA have the ability to bring the listener into whatever world they bring to life through their music. The subject at hand is a man who feels the only way out is through suicide.The band received a lot of criticism for the perceived notion they were promoting suicide. The cover of the record would suggest our subject drowned himself in the waters. And the title of this work is implying,"It's a great day to die", like there's nothing wrong with suicide. Of course the band is against suicide and were quite angry at the accusers who obviously didn't bother to listen to this record in the first place. At the end of the last song "Temporary Peace" you can here our subject walking away from the water talking to an imaginary person, saying we need to ask for directions to get home and telling his imaginary friend to quit looking at him with his or her face all screwed up. I'm guessing he's feeling guilty about trying to end his life. Then you hear one of the band members say in a crazy voice several times "What about cats, what about dogs, what about chickens !" Implying I believe, that our subject may not have lost his life but he did lose his mind. A fine day to exit indeed. All speculation of course. After a long silence this hidden track comes on at 15 1/2 minutes that has a 60's folk feel to it. I like it. Interesting that in order to read some of the lyrics in the liner notes you have to hold it up to a mirror.

"Pressure" opens with piano and a good beat with vocals follows in this excellent mid-paced tune. Guitar ends it. "Release" opens with gentle guitar as vocals come in. Great sound. A fuller sound arrives 2 1/2 minutes in. Nice. A tasteful guitar solo 4 1/2 minutes in. This is one of my favs. "Looking Outside Inside" again has a good beat with vocals. A change before 2 1/2 minutes as he sings "Let me go" then it gets powerful. Nice ! It settles back down 5 minutes in to end it.

"Leave No Trace" has a good atmosphere with strummed guitar and vocals. "Underworld" is a powerful song with a nice heavy sound. "Barriers" features male and female vocals in a light soundscape that does get fuller. It's still laid back until late. "Panic" is an uptempo rocker with fast paced vocals. "A Fine Day To Exit" is pretty amazing. Gentle guitar and fragile vocals with lots of atmosphere. It kicks into gear 3 minutes in. Great sound ! It settles again before 4 1/2 minutes before it starts to build again. Haunting synths 6 1/2 minutes in as it blends into the final track "Temporary Peace".This is another favourite. Love the lone guitar line as you can hear the waves. Vocals then drums come in as it builds. Female vocals join in. Gorgeous sound after 2 1/2 minutes. Vocals stop after 4 minutes as we can hear the waves only until those spoken words from our subject that I alluded to earlier come in around 8 minutes and end before 10 minutes. Silence until the PINK FLOYD-like song comes in around 15 1/2 minutes.

Just a fantastic album, and my third favourite from this great band.

Emotionally Challenged.

It's almost uncanny how much Underworld sounds like an A Perfect Circle track, and how much in tune Cavanagh sounds to Maynard. Now that this is out of the way, I must say I am in awe of the intricacies of the band and how they change from album to album without losing their identity. They have gone away from progressive metal almost entirely and now are more an "art" band, attempting to create poetry in sound much not too dissimilar from Radiohead.

The melancholic lyrics are wonderful as always, and the playing is excellent and restrained, making sure not to go into noodling territory. The only track that really grinds my gears is the abysmal Panic which sounds pop-punkish in nature and quite a contrast from the band's usual quality. Other than this, much of the record is very solid, low-key, and artistic.

I'd suggest this album as a darker alternative to the modern style of Porcupine Tree. This album has lots of class and although it does not capture me spiritually as it has many others, it is still one heck of an album and fairly impressive given the band's roots.

IT'S EVOLUTION, BABY

The evolution reached by Anathema is reflected in this album, even when they are considered a Progressive Metal band, at this point they have more an Art Rock style. All put together, the Anathema sound in this album is more relaxed than in the beginning of their career. Simply the best title for this work, because in fact it's a good day to escape and enjoy far away of this chaotic and unpredictable world.

The album has an excellent start in which Leon Douglas's voice stands out with the help of the rest of the instruments. Spiced with a little bit of drama, "Pressure" leaves out all the pretensions and takes you to an atmosphere full of calm and anguish at the same time, in someway achieved by the guitar fade outs made by Daniel Canavagh.

"Release" follows the same line of the opening track; it has some interesting vocal harmonies, and as the song goes by, the rhythm is increased and is finished in a pretty melodic way. This is one of the most notable songs during the album.

The mystery and depression appear, "Looking outside Inside" has the Radiohead's style charm as the song gets heavier and heavier while it gets to its climatic point and returns slowly to the same start point.

"Leave No Trace" remarks very well the vocal job, the included melodies are simply lovable, full of helplessness in the presence of life's injustice. This is another track to follow.

The album goes on through a rollercoaster of changing emotions in "Underworld", in which the distorted guitars present themselves again. The vocal backgrounds fit perfectly with the main voice. In spite of this, it's one of the weakest tracks included in this release, because of the lack of progressive elements in its basic structure.

"Barriers" is one of the saddest moments, it really gets you high and makes you feel every single word written, there is also a girl that sings along with Leon and makes a pretty decent collaboration.

"Panic" has this Neo-Punk style, sincerely I skip this song, just because it just doesn't offer too much musically.

"A Fine Day to Exit" is, without a doubt, my favorite in this album. The Post Rock style guitars, the ambient sounds, the voice, everything joins to make of this song about the lack of faith and despair felt in those hard moments.

"Temporary Peace" was a very promising track; unfortunately that long silence minimizes the acquired strength with the previous song.

As a final note, this job delivered by this band from the United Kingdom has its great moments without getting extraordinaire. The lack of changing rhythms takes away some power, but I can't deny that this is a pretty enjoyable album that it's worth to listen to. I'm going to give it 3 stars.

New themes and new sounds mix with the band's classic style, creating an album that is open to outsiders while letting the band stretch its shoulders with experimentation. "A Fine Day to Exit" has something for everyone.

More so than on previous albums, "FDtoE" sounds as if the band invested a significant amount of time polishing their playing and the album's production; it is crisp and classy throughout. The performances themselves sound very orchestrated, featuring a group dynamic which makes the songs feel artful and mature-- different than "A4" and "Judgment". Vocals are enjoyable and easy to sing to, while not leaving the listener as emotionally drained as on previous works. The album ends on an excellent note of poignancy and contentment.

As a whole though, "A Fine Day to Exit" is lacks the impact of some of the band's other albums, but makes up for it with its fine performances.

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

Paraphrase of my thoughts upon starting this album:

I'm sitting here with a butter knife, because Anathema is wrist-slitting music. Yes, I slit my wrists with a butter knife, because I am a pretentious prog-rock fan who can never take the easy way out. I need a challenge in everything I do. It's also because when I listen to albums for a review, I sit in an empty room with the music, but I allow myself to have some buttered toast because that isn't too complicated that I can't enjoy it without compromising my ability to analyze the album. So all I've got to work with is that knife. Of course I'm not going to stick my fingers in the toaster because burns hurt way longer than cuts and I can't stand pain. The guy whom I've arbitrarily made up and placed next to me for this part of the review has noticed that my wrists are not cut. Why aren't they cut? No, it's not because my butter knife didn't work (how dare you assume that I am incapable of cutting with a butter knife); it's because I can't figure out why I feel the need to cut my wrists. Is it because this music is depressing in nature, or is it because it is fricking boring and I'm looking for anything to take my mind off of this music long enough for me to get through so at least I can say I listened to the whole thing and my scathing criticism will be legitimate? Of course, I need to know why I'm doing it. Much like challenges, I need a reason for all of my actions. *Note* Quick thinkers might notice that all of my actions thus far seem very arbitrary. You're thinking too hard. Focus on what's important: I've found myself stuck in a room with Anathema and a butter knife, and I am confused.

Paraphrase of my thoughts upon listening to this album:

Hey wait a second! This doesn't sound like Anathema at all! This sounds like...something else! Good idea, guys! Judgement was as good as your old sound was going to get, and you knew that it was time to try something else out. Ah, I know what this sounds like: a little bit of old Anathema mixed with a heap of old Radiohead and other various alternative rock bands. Interesting choice... Oh, this second track isn't bad... Wait, this is still depressing, and I am still bored. Where did I put that knife? Oh no! It fell down the vent in the floor! I suppose I was never going to to get around to cutting anyway. Well let's see how the rest of this goes... Hey female vocals on track six; I kinda like that... Wow, this song "Panic" is terrible...

Paraphrase of my thoughts upon finishing this album:

One fine day

Now firmly established as a mainstream band devoid of their early doom metal sounds, Anathema returned in 2001 with this superb album. Following on from the style they adopted on their third album "Alternative IV" and developed on "Judgement", "A fine day to exit" sees Anathema becoming ever more accessible.

The opening "Pressure" may actually have even worried fans, such is the commercial nature of the song. It has highly melodic multi-tracked vocals, superb guitar work and some well place piano, all adding up to a potential hit single. When followed by the delicate acoustic guitar intro to "Release", it all adds up to a highly tasteful and appealing introduction. The song builds gradually through some Porcupine Tree like repetitive riffs, the power and volume being subtly notched up all the while.

We continue to explore overtly commercial territories with "Looking outside inside", a sort of cross between U2 and "The wall" era Pink Floyd. "Leave no trace" is pure Radiohead, the remorseful vocals being more than a little reminiscent of songs such as "No surprises". The pattern continues on songs such as "Underworld" and "Barriers" but suddenly with "Panic" the band decide to let rip with a straightforward slice of driving rock. This upbeat pop rock song is quite different to anything we have been led to expect up to this point, but makes for a welcome diversion from the serious music we associate with the band.

It is though to the final track "Temporary peace" that the prog fan will look in anticipation of something truly memorable. This 18½ minute piece dwarfs the other tracks on the album, and is on the face of it the longest song the band have recorded up to this point. The track turns out to be something of a disappointment though. The first part is a song very much in the style of the other tracks on the album, and up to that standard. After the 5 or 6 minute mark though this disappears, to be replaced by ambient sounds, muttered talking and long sections of virtual silence. The track concludes some time later with a sort of hidden track, quite out of keeping with any style adopted by the band. Indeed, it would perhaps have been better if "Temporary peace" had simply been listed as a 5 minute track, the remaining time being unmentioned.

In all though, a superb album by Anathema which consolidates their transformation to a highly appealing band who thrive on strong melodies and sophisticated arrangements. Recommended.

And then came perfection: A Fine Day to Exit is my personal favorite album of Anathema ? and indeed one of my favorite albums of all time. It is one of those rare records where everything just falls into place: the concept, the songs, the production, and the overall ebb and flow of the album, which makes it impossible not to listen to the whole thing in one mesmerizing sitting, over and over again.

The powerful concept hits the listener immediately from the front cover, designed by renowned artist Travis Smith. Through a car windshield, we see the view of a deserted beach leading into the sea. Scattered across the sand, the shoes and clothes of a man. A cell phone with a missed call and a family portrait lie in the car dashboard, next to two empty cans of beer and a post-it that reads: "A fine day to exit". Impossible not to fear the worst: a man has taken his own life. But, as we open the gatefold CD booklet, a second pane unfolds to complement the front-cover picture: here, we see more landscape, a bottle of whisky, a gun and, reflected in the rearview mirror, the eyes of the man ? alive. It's such a powerful change of perspective on the whole story that never fails to move me each time I open the booklet. And it is a most fitting visual representation of the album's poignant concept of struggle and rebirth, of the pain of hitting the bottom and the staggering realization that it's possible to come back up, that we do have that inner strength in us.

This message of darkness and light is perfectly translated into sound by the band. A Fine Day to Exit retains the dark, melancholic mood of its predecessors (Judgment, Alternative 4), but it assuages it with soothing tones of hope. The album is a fantastic emotional rollercoaster, moving from tense, sinister pieces like "Pressure" and "Panic", to downright depressive songs like "Leave No Trace" and "Underworld", to more peaceful moments ("Barriers"; "A Fine Day to Exit"; "Temporary Peace"). This variation of moods and atmospheres traces a beautiful arc of emotions that perfectly captures the album's concept of struggle, heartbreak and eventual healing and release. Most importantly, the sequencing of songs, and the way each piece naturally flows into the next, provide a strong sense of progression that continuously propels the album forward, like in a novel or in a movie, making A Fine Day to Exit a compelling album to listen through from start to finish.

The individual songs themselves are beautiful pieces of music. Anathema had been experimenting with dynamics and post-rock crescendos since their very early albums, and on A Fine Day to Exit they finally show that they have mastered these techniques. The songs move seamlessly between quiet parts, with acoustic guitars or piano, and louder sections with guitar distortion, drums and shouted vocals ? reproducing within each track the contrasting flurry of emotions that characterizes the album. Although each track contains verses and choruses, the distinction between these lies more in the loudness and intensity of the music than in what's being played. This is a trick Anathema use frequently through the album: the piano/guitar riffs often change only slightly between verses and choruses, and the main difference lies instead in Vincent Cavanagh's vocal lines and how loud each part is played. This gives the songs a circular feel, almost like if they were in constant flux, which contributes to the hypnotic, magnetizing quality of the album.

Every song is a highlight of its own, but if I were to point out the most outstanding moments of the album I would single out the initial duo "Pressure"/"Release", which are a fantastic way to open the album ? their compelling, tense mood providing the perfect way to captivate and draw in the listener. "Leave No Trace" is another amazing track, very downcast and heartrending. "Panic" stands out for being the fastest track of the album and for Vincent's quick-fire singing that gives the song a punkish edge. The closing pair "A Fine Day to Exit"/ "Temporary Peace" is another standout moment of the album ? the calm, cathartic closing melody of the latter being a particularly high-point of Anathema's discography. But there are really no weak tracks or fillers here, not a single note on the album that I would rather skip or change.

In this respect, the album's production is top-notch. On A Fine Day to Exit, Anathema recurred to the services of Nick Griffiths ? renown for co-producing Roger Waters's solo albums as well as engineering Pink Floyd's most iconic release "The Wall". To these ears, the album's sound is fantastic. It is deep, dark and lush, and it strikes a great balance between heavier and softer moments. There is a lot of emphasis on the use of piano as lead instrument ? more so than on every other Anathema's release. There is also a fair share of programmed loops, sound effects and samples (I love the sampled vocals intertwined with the guitar solo on "Pressure"), which add to the special mystique of the album. The guitar sound also deserves praise, particularly the balance between acoustic and distorted guitars achieved on tracks like "Release" and "Looking Outside Inside". Most importantly, the production managed to give the music that elusive quality of being layered, classy and complex while at the same time retaining the immediacy and accessibility of pop music. To some, this will make A Fine Day to Exit a non-metal album, and that's probably right: the metallic content of the album is fairly thin, and the album falls more into the camp of dark, atmospheric rock and not too far away from what Radiohead were trying to do at the time. Personally, whether this is a metal album or not does not matter the slightest to me ? as long as the music is as good as this.

All in all, I consider A Fine Day to Exit the apex of Anathema's discography - the band's own "The Wall", so to speak. It contains many of Anathema's most memorable songs; it has a strong concept that is perfectly converted into music; and it has a great sound overall. The album unfortunately did not get the success it deserved, mainly because it was released at a time where the band had already lost many of their early-day metal fans (who probably said farewell to Anathema around the time Alternative 4 came out) and still had not gained traction in progressive rock circles (where the band will obtain accolades in the following decade, with the release of We're Here Because We're Here and Weather Systems). With hindsight, however, A Fine Day to Exit is where Anathema truly matured into an entity that transcended the boundaries of heavy metal to become a significant force in contemporary rock music. I highly recommend the album to fans of any genre. This is a masterpiece.

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

Another step further in the surprising evolution of this wonderful british band!

"A Fine Day to Exit", of course has nothing to do with the first doom metal Anathema albums... And It's also far away from the gothic and enchanting "Alternative 4". Maybe it's a bit similar to the previous "Judgement", but less acoustic and with a more alternative feeling, taking elements of bands like Radiohead... Maybe it can be difficult to accept this change, but after a few listenings, it's ovious that the band did not lost any quality in this transformation progress.

The album opens wonderfully with Pressure, where we can notice that this is obviously still Anathema, but with a different orientation... Nevetheless, through the album we can find some tracks in a similar style of previous works, like Leave no Trace, in the best "Judgement" vein, and Underworld, wich reminds me to the hardest parts of the same album. Songs like Looking outside Inside and Panic are more experimental, and others like A Fine day to Exit, Barriers, along with the named Pressure, help to configure this renewed Anathema orientation.

Maybe I miss some of the old Duncan Patterson's bass lines, and the genuine melancholy of "Alternative 4" and "Judgement", but "A Fine Day to Exit" shows that the last thing that the brothers Cavanagh want, is to repeat themselves. And they achieved their intention, because "A Fine Day to Exit" is different of the rest of their albums, but it sitll has the typical elements that make this band so special, and recognisable.

Best tracks: Pressure (I really love the chorus...), Release (great acoustic intro, and marvellous electric guitar melodies... One of the album's little classics), Leave no Trace (maybe the best track here), A Fine day to Exit (the most melancholic song, and it's a perfect example of the departure with the previous Anathema albums...) and Temporary Peace (great ending... And another marvellous chorus)

Conclusion: If you are waiting of another "Alternative 4", or a new "Judgement", then you'll be dissapointed with "A Fine day to Exit"... Because it's a definitive departure from the more gothic style, a departure that we could anticipate in "Judgement", and he is fully stablished. It has a more alternative rock orientation, and more variated, and it opens a new and proggier way for the band that was continued in "A Natural Disaster". Luckily, this album is only a little step under the quality of the previous two albums, and if you did not like this gothic and depresive style, then maybe you'll find a satisfying experience in "A Fine Day to Exit". Excellent!

My rating: ****

After the Floydian rock marvels called Alternative 4 and Judgement, Anathema changed their style and sound to let a new influence come to the fore: post-rock and Radiohead. It's no huge departure from the previous albums but the dense and less immediate nature of the music will cost you a bit more time to fully absorb it. The music is highly textured and organic, it builds and grows, ebbs and flows like the waves of the sea. It is made up of 9 beautifully arranged high quality songs. It is mostly calm and slow but without a dull second and with an emotional impact ranging from fun emotions like sorrow and pain to longing and from craving to ecstatic outbursts of passion.

It's also one of those few albums that is more than the sum of its songs. From the first second to the last, this album flows so naturally that it becomes one continuous experience, dragging you along in its lush and brooding atmosphere. It is hard picking highlights again, but the calm and brooding tracks at the end like Barriers, A Fine Day To Exit and Temporary Peace rate amongst the most gorgeous music ever for me.

Their style has become a very personal mix of atmospheric rock and melancholy, less in debt to the Wall-era Pink Floyd sound of the preceding albums. But it's no use comparing Anathema to any other band anymore, they have become fully their own and surpassed their idols at their game here.

I have the last four Anathema albums, and find them all to be excellent. I love how this band has evolved from a rather average doom metal act, to classy neo-prog band with an undercurrent of sinister gloom. Yet they seldom get heavy or thrashy, by and large this is soft music. But soft music that only could have come about by first being heavy.

A Fine Day, I find to be their very best. 4.5*. Judgement I think is their second best, but Fine Day takes the musical concepts they really started refining on Judgement to a new innovative level. The songs are also very strong, and as a whole, the album holds together musically and conceptually.

I'm hoping my review will tick the average over 4*, becuase its currently at 3.8* and thats just a little too low in my opinion. This is truly satisfying music.

'A Fine Day To Exit' - Anathema (8/10)

In releasing another album, another evolution occurs. This can be said for almost every Anathema release, but 'A Fine Day To Exit' signifies the end of the doom phase for Anathema, a phase that (to this point) encompasses much of the band's history. 'Eternity' showed the band beginning to adopt 'post metal' into their mix; and this fine album shows yet another development in the bands sound; losing the metal for a more mellow and down-to-earth approach.

What used to be the band that innovated one of the most grim genres on the planet has now changed into something that I'm sure even the 'indie' kids could now appreciate. 'A Fine Day To Exit' is by no means a commercial album; but it does have alot more of an accesible sound than even the predecessor 'Judgement' had. What we have here are songs that resonate a warm but haunting art-rock sound.

As far as the songs themselves go, many of the songs are fantastic, with there being only a few moments of exception ('Panic' and 'Looking Outside Inside' both do very little for me.) Still, the band has seen better days. 'A Fine Day To Exit' has not the paralyzing moments of inspiration that 'Judgement' had, nor the overall album cohesion of 'A Natural Disaster' but it's a fine album for those looking for a good, melancholic art-rock album to get into, and a fitting gateway for one of the most emotive bands out there.

A perfect example of a four star album.

Mediocrity at its best...

...And it's not even metal...

I'd been interested in Anathema for a while, and I picked this one up out of interest due to it's high ratings here and on other sites. What I got was basically an hour of uninspired pop, average, clichéd rock with little connection to metal or prog, rather a collection of insipid songs which really hold no interest to me at all. A lot of the stylistic sound is borrowed from bands like Radiohead and Porcupine Tree who have well developed their style, and Anathema is unable to execute such a sound without feeling blatantly unoriginal or uninspired.

To begin with, the opener is basically a 6 minute pop track which really holds no interest for me, and doesn't seem clever or original in any way at all. The rest of the tracks aren't much better, perhaps a bit less boring and terrible. The production is incredibly average, the lyrics are pretty horrible, and I really find it hard to sit through this whole track. Other tracks are a pathetic attempt to make heavy rock, with tracks like the incredibly forgettable 'Panic' and the horrible 'Looking Outside Inside'

There are a few moments of good music - namely the first 3 minutes of 'Temporary Peace' (why this track goes for 18 minutes of silence with 2 incredibly irritating and uninteresting 'hidden tracks') and the title track isn't too bad either. Although these are far from post-metal, progressive, and are far and few between the constant mediocrity. What's more is the album art is horrible!

This album really has no place getting a review of more than 2 stars on a progressive rock site, or being labelled as one of the best post-metal albums. It's simply not prog, post-metal, or good when it gets right down to it.

I usually will not dislike, or poorly rate, music or albums based on their progressive credentials, but this one really does not have a place recieving a decent rating on a site of this nature, let alone an average of >4 (as of when I write this review.)

2/5 stars for this one, although I'd struggle to recommend this one to anyone. If you're looking for post (or prog) metal, look elsewhere!

Beautifully composed

If I am given this album and my eyes are kept closed not to see the CD sleeve or the computer screen and no information on who is playing the music, I will definitely refers the kind of musig this CD is in the vein of Radiohead, U2 or Muse (not really, because Muse has heavy and fast tempo tunes). Or if I can push the nevelope further, I can connect it with RPWL, Carptree, Sylvan last releases and the like. Well by describing this sort you can guess what kind of music these guys are playing in this album.

And then if the giver of the CD tells me that this is an album by a metal band. And I would spontaneusly respond: "What?!! You say this is metal man? Give me a break!". Yeah, you can test it yourself and agree with me that this is NOT a metal album at all as the music is ambient (reminds me to Pink Floyd), beutifully composed with a british pop mind. Pop? Yeah, you might consider it lake that because almost all tracks are basically easy listening - and of course enjoyable!

And finally the giver of the CD lets me know that this is an album by ANATHEMA a metal band. I would then say: Oops ..!! No wonder the album is titled "A Fine Day to Exit" (from the noisy metal music - I think. What do you think?).

Whatever category you might say about this album, it's still a very good album and it's very enjoyable - even though it sometimes gets me bored with similar vein all the way from start to end. But sometimes I need to runaway from the complexities of prog music, and this album can be as relaxing ground. It's very enjoyable music especially while sipping a cup of kopi tubruk .... Keep on proggin' ...

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

This type of prog has slowly started to come in to fashion, ever since Porcupine Tree's popularity seemed to ensue.

Anathema, originally a death metal doom band, decided to ditch the growling and go for a more experimental and alternative sound.

I think these guys are at the head of true British modern prog (along with Porcupine Tree & The Pineapple Thief), because they just can't make a bad album. I never think they have made an extraordinary album, but they sure have made something special everytime, this album being one of them.

I think the artwork says it all, I don't know what it says, or what the music itself says, but it does say something pretty darn good.

1. Pressure ? Reminds me of Planet Telex (first song on Radiohead's The Bends) Great intro for an album. Great chorus. 10/10

2. Release - Love the Pure Reason Revolution vibe to the song. Great build up throughout. 10/10

3. Looking Outside Inside - Got some nice poppy influences and some great instrumental work. 8/10

4. Leave No Trace - Great chorus. The acoustic playing reminds me of Opeth. 9/10

5. Underworld - Sounds like if Porcupine Tree could still make those amazing chorus' like they used to. Best song on the album. 10/10

6. Barriers - These guys seem to draw their strength from songs like these. Dreamy and soothing. 9/10

7. Panic - I like the punky & frantic feel to the song. Reminds me of Trembling Willows by Pure Reason Revolution. 9/10

8. A Fine Day To Exit - Full of post metal build ups and atmospheres. A bit samey to be honest. 7/10

9. Temporary Peace - Great ending. The vocal are amazing. Very soothing. Simple, but wonderful. And then we fade out with waves. 10/10

CONCLUSION: Not a masterpiece, but a damn good album.

A "Experimental/Post Metal" band that has, in my opinion, worked at a very high and consistent level throughout their career. A Fine Day to Exit, despite the opinion of others, is my favorite Anathema album of the Naughties. The sound of A Fine Day to Exit foreshadows the arrival of another English band to the prog scene--though this one is somehow thrown into the "Psychedelic/Space Rock" subgenre: OCEANSIZE.

5 star songs: "Looking Outside Inside" (9/10), "Leave No Trace" (9/10), "A Fine Day to Exit" (9/10), "Temporary Peace" (9/10);

4 star songs: "Pressure" (8/10), "Release" (8/10), "Barriers" (8/10), "Panic" (7/10), "Underworld" (7/10).

4 stars for this consistently excellent album.

This is a somewhat odd album to describe the sound of. Those of you that are already familiar with the bands work will, of course, not be worried by this, it sounds very Anathema-y. For those that are approaching the band for the first time, we find a band continuing a transition away from their birth as a metal band, and producing, as a result, something that sounds a little like semi-acoustic piano-led doom metal. If that sounds odd to you, perhaps you will appreciate that this is a band with a fairly distinct sound, and one that is hard to fit into words.

Unlike some of their earlier, this album does contain key memorable tracks; notably, of course, album closer 'temporary peace', a song that is something of a live favourite, and a highlight of the band's discography to date. It is followed by a distinctly odd hidden bonus track, in which one of the Cavanagh brothers can be heard ranting about dogs, cats and chicks, over the top of another talking in a cross between awkwardly bitter poetry, and complaining about being lost. For the most part, however, this is a serious album, filled with the usual lyrical brilliance covering all bases of emotional negativity ? loss, isolation, pain, death, etc.

Despite this, the album does feel a little more uninvolving than previous releases. The stronger tracks (barriers, panic, temporary peace) are counter-balanced by some which seem to mistake sorrow for dreariness (leave no trace). There is enough good here that it doesn't matter so much; the dips in quality are only occasional and forgivable, and the moments in which they get it right, they create beautiful, moving music.

This isn't a bad album (even by Anathema's own high standards) but it's not their best either.

3/5

A Fine Day to Exit ? 2001

10 ? Best Song: Underworld

Okay, so this is an utter divorce of the past. I love it when a band has progressed so fary beyond their homeland that they run the risk of becoming lost in the unfamiliar territory, but with Anathema, organic 1990's rock was never too far away from home (well, maybe on that nasty debut), so I applaud them for sticking their noses in books that aren't real, rather they are hollow metaphors to pass onto you, my illustrious readers. I don't care where you go. But at this point, yon fans of yore may be asking yourselves: Why should I care about a Fine Day to Exit when I could simply go and buy a Modest Mouse album or something?

Well, that's true. In the grand scheme, this album is little more than a footnote of the beginning of the new decade. Most of the songs follow similarly simplistic patterns and there's very little excitement to be passed about. It isn't until the fourth song 'Leave No Trace', that the band decides a little intensity is necessary, and even then that fades off into the liquid sunset. 'Underworld' is the one true rock song. The guitars pulsate and grind cleanly.

'Temporary Peace' is a sort of fluke. It's no epic at all. It's a six minute relaxation piece to soothing ocean waves. The rest is silence and blabbering and uselessness. This is their sixth album now, and they've gone from one extreme to another, but I openly admit to preferring the latter.

This"Experimental/Post Metal" category doesn't speak to me at all. What does it mean anyway???

"Anathema" has brought me lots of different feelings throughout their career: from totally adverse (their first two albums and a couple of EP as well) to great pleasure with "Eternity" and "Alternative 4". I should say that the evolution was superb and the result great.

Their previous album ("Judgement") was not top notch but still good. I would rank this album in the same division. There are few outrageous songs featured on "A Fine Day To Exit". It is more of a combo of decent numbers after all. I really wouldn't recommend this one.

If you want to discover the band from its best angle, both "Eternity" and "Alternative 4" as I have mentioned before should be your entry. This one is just a collection of desperate and uniform songs.

Decent vocal harmonies like during "Underworld" are quite pleasant but I can't really succumb to their "Porcupine Tree" style of music while they perform "Barriers". I am not saying that this song is not a good one, but hell! More personality would have been welcome.

The upbeat and punkish "Panic" is one of my fave at this time of the album: a superb beat, sweet vocals, incredible pace and great drumming job. This combo of positive elements is just great: a fantastic song it is. The shortest but the best so far.

But what about the longest one? An over eighteen minute epic with lots of "waves" sounds which from another generation and a middle part filled with spoken words which is rather dull. I have been listening to true and great epic songs for almost forty years. This one is just below average.

Anyway: to summarize my feel, I can't rate this album with more than three stars. It lacks of innovative ideas and sounds too much as a PT album. Three stars still because it is a good album, but no more.

7.5/10

While A Fine Day to Exit continues to display and mature side of Anathema I love so much, is not an album that matches the masterpieces that were its predecessors.

Yes, there are a lot of great music here, but overall the album is not as impressive as Alternative 4 and Judgement. And I must say, I thought the voice of Danny Cavanagh suffered a regression. At moments he seems to be of tune (?), And although I like your tone seems to me that he still does not have the vocal ability of the two latest releases from the band. I think he was singing in Judgement best. I can not tell if this is a production problem, because this is very good - in fact every album offers a better quality output than the predecessor.

One of the strengths of the album is the entrance of Les Smith on keyboards. Although he played for just two albums besides this takes its ethereal sounds of pianos and contributes greatly to the sound that Anathema is developing from Alternative 4. We have the participation of Lee Douglas, whose crystallineand sweet voice only adds to the atmosphere transcendental aim to pass these songs.

4 stars

3.0 Stars. Leave no trace of their metal past

A fine day to exit (AFDTE) shows the band making quite a radical change to their sound. While it was clear from Eternity to Judgement that they were slowly removing their doom metal past what could not be expected was that they would replace it with very bleak alternative rock with a few hints of Pink Floyd influences (only hints, nothing more).

Now I come from a Alternative rock background so the music here is well within my comfort zone. The best way to describe AFDTE is to imagine Radiohead creating long and drawn out songs where there are not too many changes in flow and are quite one-dimensional in what they are trying to achieve. In fact despite me listening to these songs for quite some time its difficult for me to remember them. That does not mean that they are bad, it just means that AFDTE is more about the mood for the whole album and not about specific songs.

So what is that mood? Well its a very unhappy and restless atmosphere which hardly ever lets up. While this is not a fast paced album (only "Panic" is fast) the melancholy is relentless and the energy is quite high. Most of the songs finish with a climax and all the pain in the band's hearts are poured on you which makes for a very intense experience. As with most of Anathema's material they focus on emotion and less on technical content (so don't expect anything complex) and as usual they are very successful. I have never failed to be moved by this album, but the negative content does take its toll so repeated listens can be difficult. People who struggle with depressive themes are not advised to get this album (or anything before WHBWH).

I don't want to focus on individual tracks because it would be boring for everyone, but I do want to focus on the last track "Temporary Peace" which is both the highlight and train wreck of this album. The song starts on the downbeat and depressing mood which has dominated everything up to that point, but then it transforms into a very warm and hopeful song which really stands out from the rest of the album. It makes for a perfect closer after less than 6 min of running time and it finishes with waves in the background...

...Or I should say it SHOULD finish there. The waves carry on for several minutes and then it gets really stupid. The album has been very serious to this point and then they ruin everything with them shouting thing like "What about the dogs!? What about the cats!? What about the Chickens!!!?" at the top of their lungs for several minutes. After giving one of the best 6 min of their career they do that! What were they thinking? The song falls into silence and then comes back with a hidden track which is another silly song and again is a mood killer.

If I were to rate this album just on personal opinion it would be a low 4 stars, but I have to take into account the lack of Prog and that AFDTE's appeal is not as diverse compared to their other releases. So 3 stars is fair. Overall this is a good effort from the band and does not suffer from weak material which can often happen when a band changes their sound so significantly. But its not as eventful as their other albums and not a good starting point. I would focus on either Judgment or the following two albums after this one.

Anathema finally settled in and defined their sound after changing from the doom metal of the early years. This was quite a stretch from their original sound and of course it alienated many old fans. But their sound was now established to a mostly somber and atmospheric sound. The topics of their lyrics were still bleak, but the lyrics were also more realistic and personal than before. Their sound took on the best sounds of Progressive greats like Porcupine Tree, Pink Floyd and Opeth (at their most mellow) and even took on sounds of Archive (trip hop-py sound except with less electronics...."Barriers" sounds so much like Archive that you would think it was if you didn't know any better) and there was no more growling vocals. The Cavanaughs were still at the helm as they would almost always be, but other members kind of came and went. But the music was beautiful but still quite dark.

This album was the first of their best work. There were still some weak tracks in the middle as the band explored a few different sounds to keep some variety in the music, but the album definitely begins and ends strong. More keyboards and acoustics are added to the mix and sometimes even drive the sound. The guitar here in this album is more atmospheric and instrumental as the band explores the sounds that they can get out of the instruments.

The best tracks are the ones that have the most feeling and emotion. These are "Pressure", "Release", "Looking Outside Inside", "Leave No Trace", the title track and the hidden acoustic track "In the Dog's House". The rest of the songs are good, but lack some development and are a little hard to remember. But you can hear the effort the band is making in exploring this new sound and it is a very worthy effort. Things would continue to get better with subsequent albums.

This album isn't quite up to masterpiece status yet, but it is close. The album's first 4 songs are worth the price of the album and the weaker tracks really aren't that weak, they just don't have as much of a personality, but they are still good. The improvement in the sound is obvious, it is well polished and the vocals are much much better. 4 strong stars signifies that this is still an excellent addition to your collection. Definitely a band with positive movement.

The Liverpool lads showed promising hints of open and progressive eyes on this release that is devoid of doom metal/rock influences keeping melancholy spirit instead of depressing one. Songs are well constructed, sometimes up beat and dynamic but mostly reflective and static. Vocals keep getting better every release and this album handles them well. "Looking outside well" shows higher pitched screaming vocals. As usual, instrumental focus is on guitars, less on drums and bass. There are no jaw-breaking solos or instrumentation so it may put some proggers off. Catchy alternative rock chorus is on "Looking outside well" bordering with post-grunge. "Leave no trace" is a haunting ballad that reminds me of Scandinavian melancholy. The title song is perhaps the most varied song with dynamic and quiet sections. The only real letdown is the 18-minute song that has quite a lot meaningless silent minutes.

With that creative vector that Anathema has formed, it was hard to guess which way the band would move on the next release. And so it turned out that the Liverpudlians decided to try to experiment not only with the sound, but also with the format of the material, because they planned to make a concept album, the first in their career. The essence of the concept is the progressive movement of the lyrical hero down the spiral (almost like in Trent Reznor's 1994 masterpiece The Downward Spiral) straight to suicide. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it?

However, do not rely on chewing the meaning and plot from the mouth of Vinnie or anyone else from the group - the canvas of Anathema is cut into unequal pieces, which, with all the desire and perseverance of the listener, will not reveal the true storyline. And band members themselves, it seems, did not fully understand exactly how and in what order to listen to the compositions they wrote; in the 2015 remaster, the intro of A Fine Day, which was thrown out of the original release, is added, which resembles Panic in its nervousness and despair, and the original songs are mixed in a radically different order (for example, the same Panic and the Pressure opening the album are located in the middle of the album). However, I personally prefer to listen to the album in the original order.

And how are things going, actually, with the music? It was just a wonderful alt-prog-rock record. As you know, all the best of 2000' alternative starts with one name ? Radiohead. This infection, which I do not like with every fiber of my soul, has turned heads of our Liverpool heroes. Another thing is that I really like the ideas of Radiohead, but the way they implement these ideas, I'm sorry, I can't stand it, and I'd rather listen to the Radiohead-esque album from my favorite Anathema, who made these ideas in the best possible way. By the way, even now this album is often underestimated and not remembered at the mention of the name of Anathema, and I can not even find any explanation for this phenomenon. Although, probably, the matter is in several existing factors, the main of which is that 2 years before A Fine Day to Exit, Judgement was released. The uneasy fate of the successor to the great album also befell A Fine Day to Exit. Moreover, the focus on alt-rock confused even many fans of the band's last 2 albums. And very wrongly, because this album, despite the concept that runs through all the songs as a leitmotif, is full of treasure. These are the first 2 songs, slow Pressure with a haunting chorus and Release with a slight touch of electronica, and wonderful alt-rock Leave No Trace, written by Vinnie, and psychedelic-evil Underworld and Panic, and tragic Barriers (again a duet of Danny Cavanagh and Lee Douglas) and the title song. Anathema also did not forget about the concept itself, and their lyrical hero ends... (?) And then the Liverpudlians cut the story short, leaving it up to us to interpret the end of the album, whether the hero really killed himself in the cold ocean or decided to wait. The answer to this question will be given 16 years later, but this is already another story.

In the end, we have a unique work in the Anathema discography, which is underrated by the fans, but no less beautiful in its melancholy and depressive nature, and I think the band has finally reached maturity on this album. And although between Judgment and A Fine Day to Exit, I would still prefer the former for, let's say, greater ambition and elegance, the feeling that this work did not come from here, A Fine Day to Exit is valuable precisely for the band's attempt to do something extremely separate from the rest of the work and at the same time deeply beautiful.