ANATHEMA — Alternative 4 (review)

ANATHEMA — Alternative 4 album cover Album · 1998 · Metal Related Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Peacock Feather
This is the beginning of the band's golden period. The most painful, desperate, depressing, angry release of Anathema - this is Alternative 4. This album, by the way, will be the last for Duncan Patterson and the only one in which the permanent drummer John Douglas did not take part (then he was recovering from drug addiction). The unhealthy atmosphere that hung over the band amid the confrontation between the Cavanagh brothers and Patterson, apparently, had a good influence on how the album itself sounded. The general chaos surrounding the band forced Patterson to leave the band. Well, why bother to talk about it, especially after a few years, the Cavanagh brothers and Patterson have reconciled and even played several concerts together as part of Anathema.

Alternative 4 finally demonstrates the verified rigor of the forms, and the local atmosphere simply oozes with a gallows mood. Vinnie greatly improved his vocal abilities and sang the right way. I must say that many fans of the band love this album most of all, and this is not for nothing, because there is no such anguish, such pain and darkness on any other release of Anathema, even on the next one after Alternative 4 called "Judgement". I don't even know how the band managed to do it in such an unhealthy vibe that hovered over the band… As for me, Alternative 4 tends to open up for me with each new listen, although it would seem that this album is quite simple in its essence, but I like Alternative more and more. Who knows, maybe after a while I will declare this album as the main masterpiece of the band! Most of all, I love tracks placed in even positions around the outro Destiny: that is, the legendary Fragile Dreams, which seems doomed to be played forever on every Anathema tour, the masterpiece Lost Control (the best thing written by Patterson within the framework of Anathema), the minimalistic and sad Inner Silence, as well as the melancholic Regret. By the way, the bonus tracks contain 3 good-quality covers of Pink Floyd, as well as a cover of Better Off Dead by Bad Religion.

Undoubtedly, this is one of the best albums of the Liverpool formation, about which there is no need to say too many words, enough has already been said before me. My personal preferences, however, force me to put this album a little lower than other great albums, but still here are written some of the best things of the band, which are still met by fans at concerts with undisguised delight.
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