In many ways A Natural Disaster feels like the tonal and musical success Anathema were shooting for with Alternative 4.  After moving into more alternative and post-rock with Judgement and A Fine Day To Exit (the sound of which I always thought was “what if Coldplay and Radiohead had a baby and it preferred metal?) the band shifts back to something darker and more reflective.  It’s a thick, lush record that stands as one of the strongest in their discography. Continue reading “Anathema: A Natural Disaster (2003)”

With Cavanagh firmly working the clean vocals that would a signature of all their later albums, Anathema started working on the evolution of their music with Alternative 4, which languishes in morose moods, a bit to its detriment.  There are still whispers of the heaviness of previous albums, but when the band goes full-on forlorn, too often the songs get a little lost.  As such, it’s an interesting record of a band finding its footing in a new arena, with some really great tracks and some tracks that lack the bite or claws to dig in and be truly memorable.  Continue reading “Anathema: Alternative 4 (1998)”