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ANATHEMA The Silent Enigma Peaceville (1995/2003)
I really thought that eleven years would be more than enough to help me learn how to guard myself against the unstoppable emotional force that an album like "The Silent Enigma" can create...how wrong I was! There are not many releases that after so many years manage to have such a strong effect on me, and that is purely the reason why I consider Anathema's second full length album to be one of the most important albums in my record/CD collection.
"Serenades" may have been the impressive debut that we all know and love, and "Pentecost III" did prove that we should expect many great things from these Liverpudlians in the future, yet I really don't think that anyone was really prepared for the emotional journey that Anathema would take us through in "The Silent Enigma". If their previous recordings presented them as a very good band, this nine-track dynamite elevated them to unreachable heights. Yes, Vinnie Cavanagh and Co were now both confident and skilled enough to conquer the world.
What makes "The Silent Enigma" so special to me is that it managed to make Anathema sound so fresh, while still focusing on retaining the same musical elements upon which their previous efforts were built and flourished. Yes, you should still expect to get the same exposure to monstrous rhythmical Doom Metal riffs and heavy vocals as in the past: songs like the opener "Restless Oblivion" and the brilliantly performed "A Dying Wish" contain all these attributes and have quite rightfully been given the title of an Anathema classic.
As far as the atmospheric elements of their music are concerned, the influence of Celtic Frost ("Into the Pandemonium" era) is once again decisive. Listen carefully to how professionally the band has managed to blend classic doom metal with their beloved Pink Floyd atmospheric background melodic themes, and bow gracefully to the breathtaking performance of "...Alone" or succumb to the dark/disturbing nature of the quite experimental "Nocturnal Emission". Finally, allow the beautiful Bathory-sounding melodies of "Sunset of Age" and also those of the same titled composition "The Silent Enigma" to sweep you over and help you release any unwanted emotional energy.
I believe that all the above constitutes a very solid argument as to why you need to make sure that "The Silent Enigma" becomes part of your record collection. Having overcome line up changes (departure of original vocalist Darren White) and having taken all the necessary risks as far as musical direction is concerned, Anathema created a true masterpiece! Look forward to getting your hands on it, and especially the 2003 digipack re-issue which, apart from an interesting re-recording of the classic "Sleepless", contains a brilliantly performed orchestral version of "The Silent Enigma" which I dare say sounds far better than the original.
*****
Review by John Stefanis
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