Anathema We’re Here Because We’re Here review

Unfortunately, between 2004 and 2010 Anathema faded away from the scene which they helped build and led since 1993.  In these last six years, they did release a number of free tracks, available from their website, and a compilation called Hindsight.  But people were eagerly waiting for their come back.  The news that Anathema finally were signed up to a label (KScope Records) in 2009, struck the media and fans like a ray of light through a dark room’s window.  As a matter of fact, Anathema’s latest album “We’re here because we’re here”, which is to be released on the 31st of May 2010, is one of the most discussed and awaited albums of 2010 in the metal scene.

Before I listened to the album, I checked out some of the reviews already available on the internet.  As predicted I quickly got a clear image of what this album will sound like.  Like The Gathering, Anathema moved ahead and want to discover new genres, styles and experiment around.  The diehard metal head fans, who still listen to Judgement and The Silent Enigma and mosh around, will not appreciate this album.  On the other hand, those who are more open minded to music, and do not stick to a specific genre, will surely place this album on a pedestal and light a candle in front of it.  From an artist’s perspective, one can easily abstract the fact that between Serenades and We’re Here because We’re here Anathema improved in all aspects, musically, lyrics, production and even style.  They are excelling at what they can do.  They are no longer 20 year old angry and drunk head bangers, so don’t expect any growling and heavy riffs.  There is no comeback like Paradise Lost.  Also, with the permanent addition of a female vocalist, Anathema finally found that missing key note.

So what about the music itself?  One can feel the influence from 60′s and 70′s progressive rock, such as Pink Floyd and The Beatles.  Though the music is just influenced, and not alike.  Anathema seeded their signature ghostly and greatness touch in their songs, like that special touch of a brush on Caravaggio’s paintings.  “Thin Air” is the album’s first track, and although it is a good song, it is the one which I least liked from the whole album.  Therefore don’t scratch your head if the first track doesn’t fit your brainwaves.

It all changes with “Summer Night Horizon”, which is more of a moving song, with the fast piano taking priority over all other instruments.  Then as the third song name suggests, “Dreaming Light”, from here onwards the album has got all this dreamy effect.  Most of the remaining songs can easily fit the end of a poignant film, where a youngster is separated from his mother and taken for war, and while he looks at her fading away from the train’s window, his head leans on the window and tears flow.  If you’re inviting over your friends for an expensive glass of wine, and want them to close their eyes and concentrate on what they are drinking, Anathema’s “We’re here because We’re here” could be the perfect missing piece for creating the chilling effect you need, and impress like real wine vaults do.

With crystal clear production, good mixture of acoustics, deep bass riffs, female vocals, culminating choruses, piano and simplified yet crispy drum loops, finally Anathema reach the Icon status.  Obviously all this couldn’t happen without the excellent vocals.  I’ve listened to all of Anathema’s albums, and in this one, Vincent showed us how perfectly his voice blends with such progressive and atmospheric music.   Now they are a band which can reach new heights, maybe not commercially, unfortunately for them, but in the listeners hearts.

We’re Here because We’re Here track listing:

1. Thin Air
2. Summernight Horizon
3. Dreaming Light
4. Everything
5. Angels Walk Among Us
6. Presence
7. A Simple Mistake
8. Get Off, Get Out
9. Universal
10. Hindsight