People who know me can testify that I feel very strongly about music, that I take it seriously, and that when I talk about it – I talk about it with passion. That’s because I believe that music is the most powerful artistic force on this planet – people can paint, write or film whatever they want, but a beautiful image can’t hold a candle to a stunning melody brought to life by the right instruments. I listen to music because it’s there that I find the empathy, the emotional shelter and the non-talking friend that will never answer me, present me with questions or judge me.
That doesn’t happen when I listen to Hip-Hop, Trance music, Reggae or Rihanna. My musical upbringing is varied enough that I can allow myself to completely ignore these types of music (some more often than not which I consider an industry rather than a group of musicians) and concentrate on what moves me. That’s something that British super-band Anathema has been doing for a while now, from the moment I first popped Judgement in the player and heard One Last Goodbye for the first time as few years ago.
Evolution
This shapeshifter of a band has been honing its sound over the years with such masterworks as A Fine Day to Exit and, more recently, We’re Here Because We’re Here, and the result is the mind-blowing Weather Systems. Preferring atmosphere and richness to over-complicated structures, Anathema didn’t create songs here that follow the traditional verse-chorus-verse-solo-chorus template you might expect from a rock band. What Anathema has done here is beyond words. Verbally, it cannot be expressed.
Weather Systems is all about emotion. There’s teamwork here - the lyrics tell the listener about feelings, and the music induces them. When Daniel Cavanagh set out to write Weather Systems, he said that “the music is written to deeply move the listener”. Well, Mr. Cavanagh, Mission Accomplished. When you put your earphones on and start playing this record, you will close your eyes, listening so closely you might find yourself trying to breathe the sound, just to soak it all in. With a full band, two vocalists, several effects and an orchestra going on, you’ll have your work cut out for you, especially on the 5.1 mix that comes on the special-edition DVD.
The album starts with a fast-picked acoustic guitar and Vincent Cavanagh’s rich vocals, introducing the listener to the two-part Untouchable, which sets the tone for the remainder of the album – emotional, powerful and draining. You’ll hear more of the fantastic Lee Douglas as well, and by the time she’s finished with Lightning Song, you will be infatuated with the album (and her). You’ll want to listen to it time and time again - when you’re on a bus, when you’re working, when you’re just about to hit the bed at night – one song, just one more, and then another.
Experimentation Breeds Creativity
As with their previous works, it’s when Anathema goes all experimental on us that they shine most. Emotional Winteroutshone everything on Judgement with its 5/6 groove, A Simple Mistake swept me off my feet with its incredible transitions. Obviously, every band’s most experimental songs often end up being their most memorable, and indeed, The Storm Before the Calm is something very, very memorable. Its initial groove might make you think you’re in for a rocker, yet soon enough the song becomes a mesh of guitars, drums, winds and electronics that sounds like a nightmare more so than anything else. No solos, no vocals, just this… noise. It keeps going for several minutes, disturbing you to the core. You look at the timer and see there are four more minutes of song to go.
Just when that happens, the aural storm subsides and you’re treated to the peak of the album, a punch of band and strings that reaches into your chest, grabs your heart and tears it out so softly you enjoy it. When I listen to this song, I know how right I am dismissing the “industry” in favor of this (Thank you, John Douglas). Fortunately, despite not peaking at the end, the album dodges tedium and carries on being the amazing masterpiece that it is, and by the time it’s done, you’ll be drained, numb and pleased.
Conclusion
When I say music can be empowering, it’s pieces like Weather Systems that immediately spring to mind. Anathema’s sound is evolving in ways that I absolutely love. The addition of the orchestra (especially an amazing outro to The Lost Child), the stronger emphasis on Lee Douglas as a vocalist, the incredible melodies and the whole atmosphere of the album make it one of the strongest, most powerful collections of music that I’ve ever heard. It sends shivers down my spine, shakes me around and leaves me speechless every time I listen to it, it’s just that powerful. The band has evolved its sound to a place of completeness, and Weather System is the musical paragon that I’ve been looking for since I first heard Anathema’s very own Judgement or Opeth’s Damnation.
All I can say is that I wish the world had been populated with more musicians like Daniel Cavanagh, bands like Anathema and albums like Weather Systems. If music is anything more to you than a means of passing time, you should listen to Weather Systems. I urge you to.
Score: 10/10
View and buy Weather Systems on Kscope
No comments:
Post a Comment