Take shelter (Anathema) (LP 672 - 673)

Anathema  distant satellites (CD, Kscope, 2014) **** 

Anathema  the optimist (CD, Kscope, 2017) **** 

Genre: Prog rock

Places I remember: JB HiFi (Palmerston North)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: The Lost Song Part 3

Gear costume: Endless Ways 

Active compensatory factors: These are the final two Anathema albums to report on. Two albums in six years isn't too unusual these days.

Covid-19 can be blamed for the band's hiatus since the optimist (yes, lower case). 

A real shame - because every subsequent release was getting better and better.

The distant satellites (yes, lower case) album is a cohesive, beautifully played, wonderfully sung suite of songs, that builds momentum throughout. There are lyrical passages (thanks to Daniel Cavanagh's lovely keyboards, and metal guitar drive-bys mixed up for a spirit of innovation and then there is Lee Douglas on vocals (with Vincent Cavanagh). She's just great!

Their latest album to date is the optimist, a kind of sequel to a previous album A Fine Day To Exit. Both are concept albums. Now I am a sucker for a good concept album, so these are right up my alley. Except the story line isn't too clear to my befuddled brain.

Nevertheless, worth exploring, and Lee's vocals are a standout on Endless Ways and Ghosts.

Where do they all belong? And that's it for Anathema. Next up in the prog section is Ian Anderson's solo stuff.

Hindsight (Anathema) (LP 566 - 567)

Anathema We're Here Because We're Here (CD, K Scope, 2010) *** 

Anathema Weather Systems (CD, K Scope, 2012) ****

Genre: Prog rock 

Places I remember: JB Hi-Fi (Palmerston North)

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Everything (WHBWH)

Gear costume: A Simple Mistake (WHBWH) 

Active compensatory factors: These two are linked in my imagination by the spoken word sections - used much more affectingly on Weather System.

I like some songs on We're Here Because We're Here (the two above are standouts) but Weather System seems much more cohesive as an album and Lee Douglas is more successfully integrated into the band. Plus Vincent Cavanagh's vocals are really strong throughout the album.

Weather System is an appropriate title too. I get a really strong autumnal feeling from the record - great for those pre-winter lead in months.

Where do they all belong? A couple more Anathema albums to go before we're up to date.

Emotional winter (Anathema) (LP 485 - 487)

Anathema Judgement (CD, Music For Nations/Sony, 1999) ***

Anathema A Fine Day To Exit (CD, Music For Nations/Sony, 2001) *** 

Anathema A Natural Disaster (CD, Music For Nations/Sony, 2003) ***  

Genre: Progressive Rock

Places I remember: The Warehouse (New Plymouth); Real Groovy Records

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: One Last Goodbye (Judgement)

Gear costume:  Closer (A Natural Disaster)

Active compensatory factors: The first Anathema CD I bought was A Fine Day To Exit - based on a recommendation from my then hairdresser at Headquarters in NP. As we chatted over a haircut we got to talking about music we liked - and she seemed to like the same prog metal bands I did.

Anyway, I got a copy based on the cover - reminded me a lot of Hipgnosis' approach and really liked the sounds - not metal at all really - more progressive and therefore more to my taste.

I backtracked and bought the other two over time.

I don't spend much time listening to the messages - they have a doom metal background which still surfaces in the themes and lyrics on these albums. Instead, I'm a day person! I let the sounds wash over me - my choices above are good examples of that.

Where do they all belong? Four more CDs to come from them after a seven year gap from A Natural Disaster. 

Fragile dreams (Anathema) (LP 65)

Anathema alternative 4 (Vinyl - Peaceville, 1998) **

Genre: Progressive rock

Places I remember: Cost $15 from the Hastings Warehouse, 2016 (a few weeks ago). Yes I still buy vinyl, wherever I can find it.

Fab, and all the other pimply hyperboles: Actually, nothing special has lifted itself into my brain and I've had it on high rotate. So this is something of a random choice from YouTube.




Active compensatory factors: I'm a fan of Anathema. I love prog, both old and modern so I snapped this up on vinyl when I saw it in the Warehouse.

Sadly though it's, at this stage, a definite meh.

I'd played it over and over - hoping each time for a tune to leap out at me/ stick in my brain/ worm its way into my consciousness.

But all I'm left with is...meh.

Where do they all belong? Anathema have a deep back catalogue - more to come that is definitely more memorable than Alternative 4.

Let creation reveal its secrets by and by (Jackson Browne)

This post's album cover round up theme is -  nature. Often this means a tree (or trees) or a sylvan glade. Clouds are also a biggy, so are waves (of dreams). You can't beat a moody landscape!