Metal Reviews

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Even before buying this I know it'll be album of the year for me.

You've mellowed, haven't you?

Well, I do imagine this will be good mood music.

I've always been fond of Anathema. But yeah, I guess I have mellowed.

I agree. They are very good at what they do. A buddy of mine just got me into these guys a few months ago.

Nice review. I really like the album but after abut 10 or so listens I still feel the 2nd half of the album drags just a tad. It's all very good though, songs 1-5 and then 10 are near perfection IMO.

Heh, thought you meant me for a moment there, what with Anathema, Clutch, Dream Theater etc. Had a post ready about how I was due a load of raw Black Metal, and would duly deliver soon enough.

@ SilentMan - it flows well enough to override any poorer moments for me, of which I can see very, very few. That track with the spoken word bit is the only one I'd drop from the album.

Haha. I guess I meant both of you. It isn't 2005 anymore, we all change, some just more than others.

This is pretty awesome, though I do agree that the 2nd half isn't quite as good as the first. The first 2 tracks are my favorite after 1 listen so far.

I love this one. Of course I haven't actually purchased it yet, I've just had youtube clips playing for the past couple days... but I love every song I've heard.

I normally buy everything, but I downloaded it just this once just because I couldn't wait. Of course I'll be buying it as soon as I can.

Listened through it once, and... it's astonishing. I didn't find the latter half to be noticeably weaker, though. There were brilliant and less-than-brilliant bits interspersed throughout the album. Particularly the first and ninth tracks swept me off my feet.

They're here because we want them to be here.

Mah man. Fantastic album, it gets better with each listen.

I think I've heard two songs from this and they sounded pretty neat. Might check out!

God I love this album. Got it today and finally gave it a proper listen. This will be one my playlist for a while.

After more than a dozen listens, I have to say I enjoy the latter half of the album more. Strange, innit? I don't care much for the spoken bits in Presence, but its ending is marvelously soothing. The four subsequent songs are stellar, especially A Simple Mistake which sounds like a collage of all the best bits on Opeth's Damnation. Get Off, Get Out grabs back to the A Fine Day to Exit days, Universal is a beautiful ballad, and Hindsight an album closer with a few highlights of its own.

By contrast, the first half feels a bit tacky. Dreaming Light and Angels Walk Among Us are a bit too optimistic for me. I can certainly see why others would like these, but I prefer Anathema in their darker, more depressing moods. Regardless, when different people prefer different songs on an album, it's proof of its allround quality.

Album of the year, difficult to exceed.

yup

I like the second half's progression. In all honesty though, I can't say I like one half more than the other, I like this all the way through.

This is "Album of the Year" so far for me. The first six songs are next to perfect. I was also thinking that I must have missed something in the last three albums. I went back and listened to "A Natural Disaster", "A Fine Day to Exit", and "Resonance". I didn't miss anything. This album is just that good. I have followed this band since "Silent Enigma" and this is the best since "Alternative 4" for me. I also believe that it smokes "Alternative 4". Well not smokes, but it is better.