CoC : Anathema - Eternity : Review

Anathema - _Eternity_
(Peaceville, 1996)
by: Pedro Azevedo (8 out of 10)

First let me get one thing off my chest: no matter how good Anathema are right now, I liked them better with Darren White in the _Serenades_ era. But I will be doing my best to keep this off my mind and review the album for what it's worth. Anyway, this is Anathema's second go with Vincent Cavanagh on vocals. After _The Silent Enigma_ proved Anathema hadn't lost it musically and also showing Cavanagh as a competent vocalist, I expected a lot from _Eternity_. The digi-pak version is damn long, around 70 minutes, since it features two acoustic reprises. The album starts off with a sad, interesting intro, very good. Tracks 2, 3, and 4 were the ones I liked the most at first listen, and still are right now. Also remarkable is track 7, "Suicide Veil", which brings us to the unfortunate fact that this album tends to be all about suicide, which is something I can't stand. Still, this is doom, right? Well, yeah, right. Anathema are even doomier than on their previous effort, actually, but the album's overall feel is softer than before. The guitars aren't so crunchy and Cavanagh's voice isn't raspy anymore. He now sings with clean vocals. There are some moments in which he sounds a bit like Aaron from My Dying Bride, almost weeping, which is great. However, he frequently uses a "sing-a-long" approach which doesn't seem to work too well. Wrapping up, all I can say is that Anathema have gone lighter, but they're still very talented. This album has some very good songs, some excellent doom moments, but there's a bit of a significant part of the album which I felt didn't keep up with the quality I expected, which they deliver throughout most of the album. A very good effort, nonetheless.

(article published 4/2/1997)

CHATS
8/12/2001	A Bromley	Anathema: Inner Resonance
7/8/1998	P Azevedo	Anathema: Delusions of Silence

ALBUMS
11/27/2012	P Azevedo	7	Anathema - Weather Systems
12/8/2010	P Azevedo	9.5	Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
9/17/2008	P Azevedo	9	Anathema - Hindsight
1/31/2005	P Azevedo	9	Anathema - Were You There?
1/30/2004	P Azevedo	8	Anathema - A Natural Disaster
7/3/2002	P Azevedo	9.5 / 9	My Dying Bride - For Darkest Eyes DVD Anathema - A Vision of a Dying Embrace DVD
10/19/2001	P Azevedo	7.5	Anathema - A Fine Day to Exit
8/12/2001	P Azevedo	9	Anathema - Resonance
7/7/1999	P Azevedo	9	Anathema - Judgement
7/8/1998	P Azevedo	9	Anathema - Alternative 4

GIGS
5/29/2009	P Azevedo	Anathema / Oblique Rain / Leafblade	Sunset of Age Is Still Far Away
1/14/2002	P Azevedo	Anathema	Their Special Friend Pinky
11/20/2000	P Azevedo	Mayhem / Anathema / Hatesphere / Bronco Busters	Judgement Night