Is Anathema really all that good?

[Wounded Land]

Hmmm...I'm not hearing the Coldplay comparisons (btw I love A Cold Rush of Blood to the Head). But yes, Anathema really is that good. Their early doom metal stuff is great, and their more atmospheric leanings as of late are awesome too.

NP: Enochian Theory Evolution

[JKL2000]

This is the best song I've heard of theirs, and for some reason I have a hard time getting beyond this one because it's just so good and the rest doesn't seem to compare.

[mnprogger]

yes. yes they are.

[bamamusicfan]

Try We're Here Because We're Here. If it does not work for you, then by-pass. If it works, then stop there.

I agree to start with this one. If you like, then their latest "Weather Systems" is simular, but IMO not as good. Porcupine Tree would be a solid comparison.

[airborn]

[Jacob Holm-Lupo]

As a death metal band they were great. Their "Crestfallen" EP is a bona fide classic of 90's melodic death metal. As a Porcupine Tree clone they are pathetic. They totally lost their magic when they tried to go all prog and atmospheric. It was the contrast between the bone-crunching heaviness and the moments of melancholy serenity that made them something special back in the day.

[Scrotum Scissor]

Try We're Here Because We're Here. If it does not work for you, then by-pass. If it works, then stop there.

I agree. This was the only one from their later roster of releases I found even remotely rewarding. I liked their very first two EP releases back in the first half of the 90s, though. Sounds a helluvalot like "Comfortably Numb", doesn't it?

[Ivory Forest]

Anathema is an excellent band, with some very emotive music with great creativity, melody, and vision! I dont care for some of their newer stuff, but I rank them as one of my favorite bands! Theyre like Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree in many ways, but to state theyre a clone of those bands is far off big time!!! Anathema sounds like Anathema, a sound of their own! Just because Steven Wilson helped with Were Here Because Were Here doesnt mean theyre at all Porcupine Tree clones. They just have a relaxing, ambient, melodic feeling like Pink Floyd, which Porcupine Tree followed in the footsteps of Floyd! If youre a Floyd fan, check out Anathema! Judgement is their masterpiece album in my opinion. But all their albums have some great songs! Their older stuff from the 1990s like the video above was Doom Metal, wouldnt really call it melodic death metal because bands like Opeth, Katatonia, and In Flames stand out more so in that ball park in their heavier days, even though Opeth is a genre of Metal in itself, a band that sounds like no other Metal band.

Here is a recent song here by Anathema to get a better idea of their sound the past 10 years! Its called "A Simple Mistake" The video link above is a very old Metal song by them, and wont do justice to their Prog side. The videos posted by Airborn above are good examples also! But "A Simple Mistake" is my favorite present day song by Anathema. In fact its almost like a 3 part song, the 2 other tracks I didnt post here that link with "A Simple Mistake", but if you hear the album youll see what I mean!


http://youtu.be/RKjJIcqC2I0

[Esoteric]

The band I would like to have signed!! Atmospheric and beautiful. I can "sort of" see the Coldplay thing but they are way "less obvious" just intelligent , well produced art rock. I dont think many of you who only like very noodly music would go for them or those that only like material bordering on death metal but for everyone in between I can see why they have had the success, in fact Im suprised they havent had more mainstream success.

We signed Sanguine Hum because we also felt they were atmospheric and beautiful, although definitely more of a Canterbury vibe going on than with Anathema.