ANATHEMA - A Natural Disaster
December 5, 2003, 21 years ago
(Music For Nations)
Classic albums are about moments of sublime epiphanies and metaphysical splendour. Anathema's always bordered that edge, but the Cavanagh brothers have never struck the foresight nerve enough to genuinely push into the bounds of the upper sphere. And if classics are about moments, it doesn't take A Natural Disaster very long to induce euphoria. It's as quick as track two's all of a sudden conclusion, an ending that is immediately followed by track three's synth line (reminiscent of eerie, low-key outrage out of every depressing grey day). A vocoder effect is then added over this music: sum effect is indescribable (Anathema calls it 'Closer'), truly bringing one into the inner depths of your mind and pure logic and beginnings that have no ends. The rest of the record is a more concise/less sprawling version of A Fine Day To Exit, but where Exit longed to be Radiohead so bad it hurt, A Natural Disaster finds Anathema finally comfortable in both the metal zone ('Pulled Under') and as a band that can still record like a non-metal Anathema instead of sounding like others. That's an important accomplishment for the band, mostly because it'll lead to longevity and bear musical fruit well into a future that has no confining elements. In the end though, 'Closer' is one of those tracks that's just been added to the elite list of songs I'll take to my grave. There isn't more to say than that.
