Knowing the fine acoustics of the venue I rested assured that the multi-layered yet crisp clean sound of Anathema would be done justice. The more in your face sound of support act Sahara Dust could only benefit from this. And so it did.

Years ago Anathema and opening act Sahara Dust would have fit nicely together on one bill. Former After Forever axe man Mark Janssen put together a new and promising gothic metal act. Now, unfortunately I didn’t know any of their songs but what I heard was a nice mix of fast and slow paced gothic metal with roots in the ‘80s, draped with female opera-styled vocals combined with Mark Janssen’s black metal styled screams and grunts.

Especially in the slow paced songs they got fine melodies and a striking atmosphere. Although their performance was still a little bit awkward, their music sounds promising. Even in a genre where originality is a hard thing to find. Their debut album is on the way.

Back to being a ‘new Anathema fan’. I wasn’t the only one of those visiting the show. I have known the band since their first album; it just never got to me. A few people next to me wondered out loud what all these ‘metal folks’ where doing here. They had no idea of the history of Anathema (plus they missed the support act). They were about to find out.

As Anathema opened with ‘Pressure’, their question seemed to make sense. The metal elements had all but disappeared. But unlike Paradise Lost, Anathema does not deny their history in this respect, and several songs from their metal past were performed, be it with a rock feel. The sound during the first three songs of the set wasn’t very well balanced, which is an absolute requirement for the use of loops and samples in combination with the clear, powerful vocals of lead singer Vincent Cavanaugh and brother Danny Cavanaugh

But after voices, amps and presence got warmed up; Anathema gave the audience a show to remember. Almost the entire ‘A Fine Day To Exit’ album, instrumental pieces, a few songs from their album ‘Judgement’ – ‘Forgotten Hopes’ and a few songs from their metallic past were played in a 2 hour show.

Vincent Cavanaugh’s stage presence is impressive enough to win even my wife’s approval. With the spotlight on him he seems to drown deep in the poetical lyrics and breathes out the loneliness and sometimes sheer deprivation of the songs in a very charismatic way. Fortunately he did find room for a few intermezzo remarks and jokes, kinda took the edge away from the seriousness of their material.

I had wondered about the way they would perform the songs from ‘A Fine Day To Exit’, as the album makes use of some serious studio/production work; something that doesn’t always translate well on stage. With the keyboard player doing his (or her) stuff behind the curtains and the use of effects they managed pretty well. Songs like ‘Looking Outside Inside’ and ‘Barriers’ shimmered in beauty.

The only problem I had with the performance is the lack of depth in the drumming. Too straightforward for my taste, especially in comparison to the layered guitar and vocal performances. Songs played from their metal years obviously didn’t have this problem.

Visiting the show obviously beated doing my Christmas shopping. That’s for sure, even for my wife, who didn’t know the band or their music. And that’s a victory for Anathema. And for me? I guess I’m going to buy all their old stuff. It’s my duty as a fan and as a reviewer.

(Review: Marc Lochs
Pics: Marcia Gransbergen)