Anathema Weather Systems

After Falling Deeper, Anathema's orchestral detour into greatest hitsville, the Liverpool band return with a true follow-up to We're Here Because We're Here. What Falling Deeper accomplished was to make the band comfortable with the string arrangements of Dave Stewart; they're used abundantly - and to great benefit - on Weather Systems (produced by Christer-Andre Cederberg with Daniel and Vincent Cavanagh). Guitarist Daniel has written a set of songs that are more daring, harmonically ambitious, and poetically sophisticated than anything he's previously attempted. Vocalist and occasional keyboardist Vincent arranges them for drummer John Douglas, vocalist Lee Helen Douglas, and help from Cederberg on bass. Piano, acoustic, and electric guitars continue to dominate Anathema's latter-day sound, but strings are now an immense part of their textural architecture…

Directed by Lasse Hoile (Steven Wilson/Opeth), Distant Satellites A Sort Of Home Coming is a stunning concert film of Anathema s homecoming show on March 7th 2015 in the spectacular setting of the Liverpool Anglican Cathedral. Anathema have spent the vast majority of their career making music that defies description. Formed in the mid 90s, they have risen to become one of the UK s most cherished and critically acclaimed rock bands…

In the twenty-first century, Anathema have often been mentioned in the same breath as Opeth and Porcupine Tree due to their increased movement towards thoughtful progressive rock structures. It hasn’t always been that way, of course. Like Opeth, the band began life as a totally different musical beast, playing in a melodic death metal style. Shifting line-ups naturally resulted in shifting sounds, and by the time the band signed with the legendary Music For Nations label for their fifth album "Judgement" in 1999, they’d settled on a rather tough but accessible blend of gothy and alternative rock.
Comprising three discs of remastered audio material, "Fine Days 1999-2004" presents a detailed look this important period in the Anathema history, showing the workings of a band very much moving towards the top of their game…

The last three years have been very kind to Anathema, this, after a well-documented period of studio inactivity from 2004 to 2009 that netted only a remake album (Hindsight) and nothing more. So with the momentum of last year’s well-received Weather Systems behind them, the Brits took to Bulgaria to record Universal, a full-blown concert film that showcases the band at their most grandiose and earnest. And since we can’t write anything about the band without mentioning their glorious early-career metal days: This should do even more to pipe down the calls for Anathema to make a sonic retreat.