This new release, Universal, is a live recording of the opening show of the European leg of their tour following the Weather Systems
release. This show was in the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis,
with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra and documented by Lasse Hoile,
the acclaimed film-maker.
Anathema,
at the time of the live recording, was a 5 piece band comprising
Vincent Cavanagh (vocals, rhythm guitar, keyboards), John Douglas
(drums), Jamie Cavanagh (bass), Daniel Cavanagh (vocals, lead guitar,
keyboards) and Lee Douglas (vocals), but added a 6th member, Daniel Cardoso (keyboards), the month after the recording.
Universal
is a 2 disc (CD and DVD) live release containing 12 audio tracks with a
total running time of around 79 minutes. “The Storm Before The Calm,”
which is track 5, is the longest track with a playing time of 9:12
minutes and “Everything,” which is track 6, being the shortest at 5:35
minutes.
I did notice that of the 12 tracks on Universal,
9 of them come from the two albums prior to this release, and I did
have a quick listen to hear the evolution from the early doom laden days
to the more atmospheric prog band they have become. The concert allows
the band to showcase tracks which highlight the mood and atmosphere that
comes across in their studio work, but also to “crank it up a bit” with
a full orchestra at their back.
The
opening tracks, “Untouchable Pt 1” (6:56) and “Untouchable Pt 2”
(5.43), grab the listener from the start, with the sound quality a touch
or two above many live recordings. The band are quickly into their
routine with clear vocals and crisp guitar work, and throw in some
superb harmonies and it is soon possible to forget that this is a live
recording. The orchestra certainly lifts the atmospheric stakes and adds
a touch of grandeur to the proceedings, before taking “Pt 1” out and
gently into “Pt 2”, opening as it does with some simply stunning piano
and solo voice. The track continues to build in intensity with the voice
of Lee Douglas and the orchestra starts to become more and more
integral as the track moves along. An excellent start to this live
album, which will ensure that the listener wants to hear more of the
music on offer..
Tracks
like “Everything (5:36), “Dreaming Light” (5:39) and “Thin Air” (5:51)
have gentle starting points which build to a high level of intensity and
then gently take their leave. There are countless examples of superb
musicianship on display, but the guitar passages on “Flying” (8:10) are
truly amazing. A slight aberration, to this reviewer, was the track
“Closer” (5:43) which because of the style, just seemed to be out of
place on the album.
An
excellent album which is certainly worth getting hold of, and settling
down to listen to a band which is “Flying” at the moment, and yet again,
I have been very impressed with the overall sound quality of this live
album. Followers of the band will certainly be happy with this release
and it should also serve to garner in a few new listeners to the band.
Key Tracks: The Storm Before The Calm: The Beginning and The End: Flying
Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-MuzikReviews.com Staff
October 20, 2013
For Questions Or Comments About This Review Send An Email To info@muzikreviews.com
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