Those lamenting the fact that UK atmospheric rockers Anathema never really got to 'finish' their story, put those tissues away and dry your eyes, as Ocean Without a Shore, the new band formed by Daniel Cavanagh and Daniel Cardoso, picks up right where 2017's The Optimist left off. Rather than continue on with the Anathema name in respect to the band members who decided not to continue on, the two Daniel's took the name of the Anathema classic from 2012 as their new band name, and added vocals from Soraia, Petter Carlsen, Oliwia Krettek and Paul Kearns for a sound that sounds, well, like Anathema. Cavanagh, in addition to lending his excellent vocal stylings, contributes pretty much all the guitar, bass, keyboards, and programming here, and the results are as rich-sounding as any vintage Anathema album. Those who have followed his previous band over the last decade-plus, will love the opening brilliance of "Synaesthesia", which is like the long-lost sibling to classics like "The Lost Song", "Thin Air', and "Untouchable". Featuring highly engaging male and female vocals, dripping with atmosphere, and containing a killer heavy metal riff section, longtime fans will feel right at home with this opening track. "Do Angels Sing Like Rain?" is another winner, an upbeat rocker with killer 'call and response' vocals and hard rock guitars, while a revisit to familiar yet welcome themes arrives with "Untouchable 3", Soraia lending some lovely vocals on this lush, dreamy pop/prog song. Maybe time to bring out those tissues after all?
"Ghost in the Machine" is instantly charming, again, the multi-layered vocal attack works so well here, and we also get another sequel in the form of the soaring "Are You There" Part 2". "Still Lake" blends psychedelic, atmospheric pop with big metal guitars, and the uplifting "Take Me With You" shows that this outfit can do straight pop music with loads of catchy hooks, yet still retain those touches of prog and metal for that unique sound. The lengthy title track jumps gears into energetic space rock (love the use of synths and sequencers), though it might be the least successful track here, and the album closes with the grand, majestic sounds of "The Space Between Us", which, remains hard to classify, but it's glorious nonetheless.
I'd be quite surprised if any serious Anathema fan doesn't fall instantly in love with Ocean Without a Shore, an album that brings all those familiar feels but still sounds fresh and vibrant. Weather Systems has delivered a wonderful album here, one that I imagine will be a favorite of many here at the end of 2024.
Track Listing
1.
Synaesthesia 09:11
2.
Do Angels Sing Like Rain? 05:06
3.
Untouchable Part 3 05:55
4.
Ghost In The Machine 04:53
5.
Are You There? Part 2 05:58
6.
Still Lake 05:58
7.
Take Me With You 06:09
8.
Ocean Without A Shore 07:17
9.
The Space Between Us 06:04
Printer Friendly Page
Send to a Friend
