Given Anathema's gradual transformation from doom metal merchants to sophisticated prog rockers over the course of many personnel changes since the mid-'90s, an album like Falling Deeper was a logical conceit.
The band first revisited select moments from its catalog on the unplugged offering Hindsight in 2008.
For some, it foretold the end.
Then the band surprised many by returning in 2010 with new ideas and a renewed sense of purpose on the musically and sonically expansive -- yet utterly accessible -- We're Here Because We're Here, which drew raves from critics and fans alike.
But digging into their oeuvre was an unsatisfied hunger for Anathema's founding brothers, Daniel and Vincent Cavanagh (who are in the company of Jamie Cavanagh and John and Lee Helen Douglas here).
For Falling Deeper they've cherry-picked nine more selections from their recorded history and thoroughly rearranged and re-recorded them with arranger Dave Stewart and the London Session Orchestra led by Perry Montague-Mason.
Further, they've enlisted the help of vocalist Anneke van Giersbergen, formerly of the Gathering.
In essence, this set is for longtime fans only.
The music, as beautifully arranged, performed, and produced as it is, doesn't go very far under the surface to get at anything dramatically new in creating a sense of revelation for the listener.
Textures and atmospheres highlight Daniel Cavanagh's already brilliant melodies.
If anything, these embellishments only serve to undermine what was already there and bury it in dynamic arrangements and over-production.
It's a fine listen through and through, but once is enough -- unlike the vast majority of Anathema's standard catalog.
Ultimately, Falling Deeper can only be regarded as elegantly presented mood music.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CrestfallenDaniel Cavanagh | Anathema | Play | 03:07 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 2 | Sleep in SanityDaniel Cavanagh | Anathema | Play | 03:35 | 8 MB | 22 MB |
| 3 | KingdomDaniel Cavanagh, Darren White | Anathema | Play | 04:23 | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| 4 | They DieDaniel Cavanagh | Anathema | Play | 02:12 | 5 MB | 10 MB |
| 5 | EverwakeDaniel Cavanagh, Darren White | Anathema | Play | 03:07 | 7 MB | 15 MB |
| 6 | J'ai Fait une PromesseDaniel Cavanagh | Anathema | Play | 04:22 | 10 MB | 19 MB |
| 7 | AloneDaniel Cavanagh | Anathema | Play | 07:16 | 16 MB | 36 MB |
| 8 | We the GodsDaniel Cavanagh | Anathema | Play | 03:04 | 7 MB | 13 MB |
| 9 | Sunset of AgeDaniel Cavanagh, Vincent O'Connell, Duncan Patterson | Anathema | Play | 07:42 | 17 MB | 48 MB |
| 38 mins | 89 MB | |||||
| 38 mins | 209 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anathema | Primary Artist |
| 2 | Jon Astley | Mastering |
| 3 | Daniel Cavanagh | Arranger, Composer, Liner Notes, Mixing, Orchestral Arrangements, Producer, String Arrangements |
| 4 | Vincent Cavanagh | Producer |
| 5 | Alx Leeks | Management |
| 6 | Andy Leff | Management |
| 7 | London Session Orchestra | Orchestra |
| 8 | Perry Montague-Mason | Leader |
| 9 | Vincent O'Connell | Composer |
| 10 | Duncan Patterson | Composer |
| 11 | Dave Stewart | Orchestral Arrangements, Orchestration, String Arrangements |
| 12 | Gary Thomas | Engineer |
| 13 | Anneke van Giersbergen | Guest Artist |
| 14 | Darren White | Composer |
| 15 | Andrea Wright | Engineer, Mixing |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |
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