GTGC Reviews
email: gavinals69@aol.com
  • Reviews
  • Live Music
  • THE SPANISH ANNOUNCE TABLE

Anathema - "The Optimist"

19/5/2017

6 Comments

 
Picture
The concept; basically an abstract idea, plan or thought-out intention...music; sounds formed predominantly by instruments in an arranged pattern to create harmony or to express emotion...but what happens when you put them together? You get often wonderful story-telling and ground-breaking albums...every generation has them, whether you built walls with PINK FLOYD or played pinball with THE WHO back in the day, or whether you were part of the black parade lead by MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, these albums changed music, but it's not often you hear of a concept album based on the same bands own work. Cue ANATHEMA...formed in Liverpool way back in 1990, these scouser's started out as a doom-metal band signed to the PEACEVILLE roster but over the years they have mellowed out considerably, but are no less exploratory in their approach to music. If you are familiar with their work you'll remember an album by the name "A Fine Day To Exit"...the cover being a car dashboard over-looking the sea, a family photo, clothes strewn...it was very suggestive but little was touched upon. With new album "The Optimist", guitarist/vocalist Daniel Cavanagh reveals that they needed a starting point for a narrative; the guy from that album cover, what happened to him? The songs here delve back into it all in a semi-autobiographical sense, did he start a new life or did he pull a Richie James Edwards? Let's dive in...

We open up with "32.63N 117.14W" which, before you try and read that as a word (I know some of you will) is a set of coordinates leading you directly to Silver Strand beach, the location of the car from the aforementioned old album cover...at just over a minute long it's merely an introduction; you can hear the sea on the shore, heavy breathing, and the car starting up with the radio tuning in (He's alive after all!) and it leads into first track proper "Leaving It Behind"...it's got some light tapping percussion over some simple, overlapped and looped electric guitar, almost on edge, as if uncertainty had a sound of it's own...while vocally Vincent Cavanagh draws his notes out with a certain drone, sounding lost, balancing the growing vigor of the music brilliantly...this is a superb start.

The tender vocals of Lee Douglas drape themselves over a sweet piano lead opening and she sings of hope (maybe the woman from the photo) as the track builds in intensity, rising and rising toward a powerful crescendo soaked in longing and musically this will easily appeal to fans of say, THE JOY FORMIDABLE, while the title track, quite contrary to it's very meaning sounds incredibly sullen...it's despairing as our character speaks of needing to run away. Again, utilizing the slow-build, it's an incredibly dramatic song, transcending beyond mere album content, this is lavish, this is art and it's simply wonderful. "San Francisco" continues on our characters journey as an instrumental piece and does a good job of capturing an essence of hustle and bustle of the big city; pacey, frenetic but still structured, like society itself, ending with the sound of trains, suggesting long-distance travel (He really is on the run isn't he!) before lead single "Springfield" takes us to our characters destination. Tortured and emotional, a powerful track asking "How did I get here?!" (By train? It took you three days...leaving San Francisco Civic Center, heading to the Richmond Transit Station, from there, all the way to Chicago Union Station, before the final leg of the journey to Springfield, Massachusetts...THREE DAYS!)

The story continues through further tracks such as the up-beat "Can't Let Go" and then finally closing on the 11 min+ epic "Back To The Start" but, I won't delve into them so much, this IS a story at the end of the day and, well you don't want spoilers do you? I'll let you discover that for yourself...all you need to know is that this album, despite being based on something so incredibly vague and simple has flourished and really, blossomed into an outstanding collective piece of music. It's always a gamble writing a concept album, especially on an idea so seemingly meaningless, but when the music is this good, no one dare complain. Just like the character here, you need, no, you HAVE to be an optimist ahead of this release, I promise you this, you won't be disappointed. On a side note, for those wondering...his train journey cost him upwards of $400...[8] 

www.facebook.com/anathemamusic
6 Comments
Brendan Colgan
30/5/2017 02:49:27 am

I am so looking forward to this album,I have all of their albums since Judgement,Weather systems was my favourite album of 2012, Distant Satellites was another great release

Reply
GavTheGothicChav
30/5/2017 10:33:00 am

This won't disappoint! Beautiful album.

Reply
Simak
30/5/2017 09:18:51 am

One of my favorite bands. Great review ! looking forward for the release !

Reply
GavTheGothicChav
30/5/2017 10:33:52 am

Thankyou! It's worth the wait trust me!

Reply
Nicolas Moroni link
30/5/2017 11:01:10 pm

Hello gav the gothic chav!!!

We are ZAIPH , an Argentinian Band , now established in France since one year

Here i left to you the link of the PressKit of our New Album "NEW ERA", was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound (Germany) , and will come out the 1st July 2017

On the PressKit you can hear the entire Album,


Thanks for your time!!


Nico and Zaiph
Merci!!

https://mega.nz/#F!El0VUA6Z!NnVS-9bbjkNxPGvy0lK0eQ

Reply
Custom-essays link
1/8/2017 01:41:10 pm

Anathema is a technical and less popular term that is somehow associated with optimism. But I have read the entire post till the end that has explained about this term in a great and comprehensive way that everyone can nderstand the meaning.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    News & Reviews

    Gavin J Griffiths, a.k.a GavTheGothicChav, lover of new music and supporter of bands. Inspired by a mixture of horror and comedy, and fueled by a blend of alcohol and sarcasm...if you're a singer / in a band and would like a review written up, please do get in touch via the email address at the top of the page and I'll get back to you ASAP. Much love x

    Follow @GavinJGriffiths

      CHAV CHAT

    ASK GAV!

    Archives

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Acoustic
    Alternative
    Article
    Black Metal
    Blues
    Book
    Classic
    Classic Rock
    Comedy
    Competition
    Compilation
    Country
    Death Metal
    Doom
    Electronic
    Emo
    EP
    France
    Funk
    Games
    Glam Rock
    Gothic
    Grime
    Grunge
    Hardcore
    Hard Rock
    Heavy Metal
    Hip Hop
    Hip-Hop
    Indie
    Industrial
    Interview
    Jazz
    J-Rock
    Melodic Death
    Metal
    Metalcore
    Newport
    New Wave
    Nu Metal
    Nu-Metal
    Pop
    Pop Punk
    Pop-Punk
    Pop Rock
    Post Punk
    Post-Punk
    Prog
    Punk
    Punk Rock
    Rap
    Reggae
    Rock
    Rock 'N' Roll
    Shoegaze
    Ska
    Sludge
    Soft Rock
    Southern Metal
    Southern Rock
    Stoner
    Symphonic Metal
    Synth
    Thrash
    Unsigned
    Urban

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly