Anathema (band)

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Anathema
Anathema band at a concert in Mega Club in Katowice, Poland 2004
Anathema band at a concert in Mega Club in Katowice, Poland 2004
Background information
Origin Liverpool, England
Genre(s) Early
Death doom metal
mid
Gothic, Progressive metal
Now
Alternative, Atmospheric rock
Progressive rock
Years active 1990–present
Label(s) Peaceville Records
Music For Nations
Associated
acts		 Antimatter
Cradle of Filth
My Dying Bride
Serotonal
The Blood Divine
Website www.anathema.ws
Members
Vincent Cavanagh
Daniel Cavanagh
Jamie Cavanagh
Les Smith
John Douglas
Lee Douglas

Anathema are an English band from the city of Liverpool, which, together with Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride, helped to develop the death/doom sound, a subgenre of doom metal. However, their album Eternity was a departure from doom and metal, and signaled their transition to atmospheric rock.

Contents

[edit] Biography

Anathema was formed in 1990 as a Death metal/Thrash metal band, initially under the name 'Pagan Angel'. In November of that year, the band recorded their first demo, entitled An Iliad of Woes. This demo caught the attention of several bands from the English metal scene, allowing Anathema to play gigs with bands like Bolt Thrower and Paradise Lost.

At the beginning of 1991, the band adopted its current name, and gained a lot of attention with the release of their second demo entitled All Faith Is Lost, resulting in a four-album deal with Peaceville Records. Their first release under the label was The Crestfallen EP in November 1992. They took the material from that album on the road, touring with Cannibal Corpse.

Serenades, Anathema's debut LP, attracted a lot of mainstream attention, propelling their "Sweet Tears" music video onto the MTV playlist.

Anathema's first European tour was in 1994, and was closely followed by gigs at the Independent Rock Festival in Brazil.

In May of 1995, vocalist Darren White quit the band, eventually forming The Blood Divine. Rather than recruiting a new vocalist, the band decided that guitarist Vincent Cavanagh should assume White's roll. This new formation debuted by touring with Cathedral in the United Kingdom.

The release of Eternity came in 1996, relying more on atmospheric sounds, and starting the transition to clean vocals; the album Judgement would later consolidate this style. A European tour followed the album's release.

The second member to leave the band was drummer John Douglas, who departed in the summer of 1997. He was replaced by Shaun Taylor-Steels, formerly of Solstice, who would also later play drums for My Dying Bride.

Alternative 4 was released in 1998. During this time the band underwent many line-up changes. Bassist Duncan Patterson quit due to musical differences and was replaced by Dave Pybus of Dreambreed, where Duncan had played bass for a short period. Martin Powell (who had played keyboards and violin for My Dying Bride previously) also joined the band. Finally, John Douglas returned to the drums.

In June of 1999, the album Judgement was released, marking Anathema's complete shift from the doom metal genre, focusing instead on slower and more experimental songs. This new sound has been likened to artists such as Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley, and to a lesser extent, Radiohead. However, the essence of the band remained the same. Their songs continued to express a feeling of depression and, more often than not, desperation.

During the same year, Martin Powell switched positions with Cradle of Filth's keyboardist Les Smith, came to be an integral member of Anathema.

Shortly before the release of A Fine Day to Exit, Dave Pybus announced his departure from the band and later joined - ironically - Cradle of Filth. He was replaced by touring bassist George Roberts, and later by Jamie Cavanagh.

In March of 2002, Daniel Cavanagh announced his departure from the band, joining Duncan Patterson's band Antimatter. However, he later rejoined Anathema in 2003 for the release of A Natural Disaster, and started their European Tour. This accelerated the changes in Anathema's tone, towards the atmospheric and progressive, as exhibited in album tracks 'Flying' and 'Violence'.

Upon the closing of their label Music for Nations after its purchase by Sony BMG, Anathema found itself without a record label, despite having completed an extensive tour of the UK with popular Finnish rock band HIM in April 2006. During their search for a new label, the band have adopted a more 'DIY' approach to music release, embracing the internet and releasing songs via their own website, for which fans may donate a monitary sum of their own choice. Despite the obvious lack of label-based tour support, the band continues to play dates across Europe, guitarist Danny Cavanagh also playing the odd low-key acoustic concert.

The band's newest album was originally to be titled 'everything'. It's release date has been pushed back several times, sparking much controversy and speculation amongst fans. In August 2007 Danny Cavanagh responded by posting a blog to the bands myspace page, announcing that the new material would be played on a full European tour prior to it being recorded, and that the new album would consist of perhaps fourteen songs broken up over two discs. Now tentatively titled 'Paradigm Shift'. During a concert in London he said that Steven Wilson would produce the new album. The beginning of record session is announced. It's January, 2008.

[edit] Band members

[edit] Current members

[edit] Former members

[edit] Discography

[edit] Full length

[edit] Demos

[edit] EPs

[edit] Singles

[edit] Compilations

[edit] Contributions

  • Peaceville 4 : "Lovelorn Rhapsody" (1992)
  • In The Name Of Satan (Venom tribute) : "Welcome to Hell" (1994)
  • Under The Sign Of The Sacred Star : "A Dying Wish" (1996)
  • Slaytanic Slaughter II (Slayer tribute) : "Read Between the Lies" (1996)
  • Peaceville X : "Better Off Dead", "Goodbye Cruel World", "One of the Few" (1998)
  • Super Summer Swinging Sounds (Kerrang! compilation) : "Make It Right (F.F.S.)" (1999)
  • Peaceville Classic Cuts : "Empty" (2001)
  • Monsters of Death Vol.1 (DVD) : "Sweet Tears" (2005)

[edit] Note on discography

There is Internet speculation that a split EP by My Dying Bride and Anathema exists, released by Peaceville in 1998. This EP does not appear in either band's official discography nor in the Peaceville catalogue. The songs listed as appearing on the alleged EP are the covers that My Dying Bride and Anathema recorded for the Peaceville X compilation, released in April 1998 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the label.

[edit] Videography

[edit] Promo video

[edit] Official live

[edit] Bootlegs

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anathema_%28band%29"
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