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Anathema: A Moment in Time (DVD)

The dark and dreary music of Anathema comes to life in this concert film recorded live in Poland in March of 2006. These UK veterans, who started off as a crushing doom metal band, have evolved over the years towards a more psychedelic and melodic sound, sort of how Pink Floyd would have sounded had they taken on a more hard rock style. Slow and ponderous, with plenty of anguished vocals, keyboards, and heavy riffs, Anathema have built up a very strong following through the course of their career, and the fans adoration here at the MetalMania Festival in Poland is proof positive of their lasting popularity. Backed by the Bacchus String Quartet, Anathema run through an almost "greatest hits" selection of songs here, culminating in the closing cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb". Each songs oozes dark atmosphere and pained vocals, along with plenty of crunchy guitars and symphonic keyboards, and the addition of the String Quartet adds a nice sophisticated edge to the overall sound. Tracks like "Lost Control", "Fragile Dreams", and "Panic" take on new life on stage, as the band really seem to be enjoying the show and giving the audience their all. While some may miss the earlier doomy nature of the band's music, rest easy, as there's plenty of slow and heavy riffs here, especially on the older cuts. The addition of female vocals on a few songs also adds a nice gothic element as well.

A Moment in Time is an entertaining DVD, plain and simple. While the band is rather sedentary on stage and not the most energetic, if you like the music that shouldn't mater much. As far as extras, you get some live video clips from 2004, an interview, and photo gallery.


Track Listing
1) Shroud of False
2) Fragile Dreams
3) Balance
4) Closer
5) Lost Control
6) Empty
7) A Natural Disaster
8) Inner Silence
9) One Last Goodbye
10) Judgement
11) Panic
12) Flying
13) Angelica
14) Comfortably Numb
Sleepless-bonus live video
A Dying Wish-bonus live video
Albatross-bonus live video
Fragile Dreams-bonus live video
Interview

Added: September 23rd 2006
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Anathema Website
Hits: 7788
Language: english

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» SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews:

Anathema: A Moment in Time (DVD)
Posted by Michael Popke, SoT Staff Writer on 2006-09-23 13:32:08
My Score:

Bursting with class, this performance with the Bacchus String Quartet puts the British cult-metal band Anathema in a different light - literally. Mesmerizing production enhances this 67-minute set shot at, of all places, Poland's Metalmania Festival in 2006. Some headbangers are bound to be disappointed by Anathema's shift from heavy doom metal to dark and more atmospheric progressive rock - punctuated by a chilling and appropriate encore featuring Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" - but A Moment in Time just might change their minds. Anathema recently toured with Porcupine Tree and HIM, and both pairings make perfect sense. Hell, these guys could have even toured with The Cure! Vocalist/guitarist Vincent Cavanagh plays and sings passionately, positioning himself a few extra steps behind the microphone stand and leaning in to make himself heard. He wastes no time with stage banter, speaking only to introduce a female vocalist to sing "A Natural Disaster." With the exception of guitarist Danny Cavanagh (Vincent's brother), the other members of Anathema remain shrounded in shadows, letting their emotive music speak for itself. The addition of the string quartet (which consists of members from various European orchestras) for the entire show adds another element of drama - one that's missing from the four bonus performances caught on film during a 2004 set in Krakow without a string section. This brief set doesn't include the band's whole performance that day but reveals Anathema's heavier side and provides a stark contrast to A Moment in Time's main program. It's time to revisit my Anathema CD collection ...



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