Anathema - London Review

2010's We're Here Because We're Here, Anathema's eighth studio album, was arguably the moment when the current era of the band began. It was the band's first album in seven years, and marked the end of a period of internal strife and fallings-out with a collection of songs that certainly made their mark and put the band back on the map. It was also the start of a period of more commercial success for the Liverpool-based musical chameleons, and one that saw the band finally shed all semblance of their early metal influences - which in truth the band had been slowly moving away from since the mid-1990s. We're Here Because We're Here firmly entrenched Anathema as one of the modern go-to British progressive rock acts, a position that they still hold today and have only further secured with their most-recent three studio albums - some of which surpass the glory of We're Here Because We're Here in my opinion. Regardless of the superior quality of some of the band's more recent albums, there is no denying that We're Here Because We're Here is an extremely important album for Anathema - both creatively and in terms of cementing their current sound. The band's renaissance grew from We're Here Because We're Here's success, and it is held in high regard by critics and fans alike for a reason. It is, therefore, unsurprising that this year, the album's tenth anniversary, saw the band looking back at one of their most defining works and celebrating its legacy. 'Classic album' tours are popular at the moment in the rock and metal world, so a tenth anniversary celebration of We're Here Because We're Here seemed right on trend - and a chance for the band to look back and reflect, something that they do not often allow themselves to do. With a new album in the works, and presumably a lengthy touring cycle to follow its release, the We're Here Because We're Here anniversary tour was not the longest in the band's history but it made sure to cover their main European fanbases - and, in the UK's case, take in some special venues. The show I opted to attend was in London, at the world-famous Palladium - a new venue for me. The Palladium is not a regular stop-off for rock and metal acts, so it was great to finally get the opportunity to visit the legendary venue; a place that has seen so many of the world's greatest entertainers grace its stage. Unsurprisingly, this was also Anathema's first visit to the venue as performers and it was great to see the band in a venue fitting the scale of their music. All too often the band find themselves crammed onto tiny club stages, so seeing them in a theatre with excellent acoustics and a large stage was certainly a treat. This was clearly a thought shared by many, as the venue looked to be almost sold out. There were a few empty seats dotted around, but the place was packed - which helped to create a strong atmosphere throughout the evening.

There were two support acts scheduled to play for the crowd before Anathema took to the stage, with the first being a largely-acoustic set from Paul Masvidal. Masvidal, who is known to metal fans as a member of both Death and Cynic, is a musician who has tackled many different styles of music throughout his career - with his recent solo work seemingly among the most laid back and 'straightforward' of his canon. Far removed from the technical death metal of Death or the jazz-fusion of Cynic, Masvidal's set was very atmospheric. He was armed with only his acoustic guitar, with the exception of the opening moments where he coaxed some spacey sounds out of an electric guitar, with some gentle keyboards and sound effects being played through the PA to back him up. While I have a great amount of respect for Masvidal as a musician, as some of the Death and Cynic material that I have heard previously is hugely impressive, his solo work is actually quite dull - and very far removed from his usual jazzy style. The songs were pleasant enough, but after a while they really all started to roll into one. The style employed throughout was very similar from song to song, and it would have been nice if there had been a bit more variety in the set. All in all, Masvidal's set was, for me at least, a bit of a lacklustre showing that did little to showcase the impressive musician that he is. I felt that the crowd's reaction throughout was somewhat muted too, so I would not be surprised if more than a few of those in attendance shared my view.

The Norwegian five-piece Rendezvous Point fared better however, with the progressive metal act impressing throughout their fairly short set. Not the heaviest of metal bands, Rendezvous Point also employed plenty of atmospheric elements - but with the added dry riffing of Petter Hallaråker (guitar/vocals) and the kinetic drumming of Baard Kolstad. There were elements of djent and tech metal in the band's sound, which is not a genre of music that I have ever really liked, but there were plenty of big melodies to be found within their songs to keep things interesting. While the band ground away and whipped up an angular, atmospheric storm, frontman Geirmund Hansen displayed his really impressive voice - with plenty of soaring melodies coming from him throughout the band's set. I listen to quite a lot of prog metal, but I often skip over the more 'modern' sounding bands. While I appreciate what bands like Haken, Riverside, and Leprous (who also, incidentally, feature Kolstad) bring to the table, I often find their dry production style and angular riffing hard to get into. While Rendezvous Point certainly had elements of those styles, and at times that influence was extremely prevalent, the melodies throughout were excellent. I think that this was, in part, due to Hansen's vocal presence as he employed a much more 'old school' approach to metal vocals as opposed to the approaches taken by some of the band's name-checked above. His voice helped to bridge the gap between the old and new in terms of prog metal, with the occasional burst of shredding lead guitar from Hallaråker also having the same effect. There was a lot to like about Rendezvous Point, and I think that they are a band that I will be checking out in more detail going forward despite my general dislike for the angular end of the prog metal spectrum.

Once the stage had been cleared of the support acts' gear, the lights went down once more and some atmospheric music filled the venue. The modern Anathema sound is characterised by atmospherics, so the choice was appropriate, but this floaty vibe was dispelled not long into the opening number Thin Air. The band made the decision to play We're Here Because We're Here first, respecting the album's original running order, with a selection of other material filling the evening's second portion. As Daniel Cavanagh's (guitar/keyboards/vocals) chiming guitar melody filled the venue, the Palladium erupted, and the atmosphere only improved as the song ramped up couple of minutes in as the song took on a more muscular tone with Vincent Cavanagh's (vocals/guitar/keyboards/percussion) tougher guitar rhythms. It was the perfect opening track, and it really set the tone for what was to follow. While Thin Air, and a couple of the album's other numbers, are set list regulars many of the songs from We're Here Because We're Here have not been played live by the band regularly for a while. The more rocking Summernight Horizon was one such song, with current touring bassist Charlie Cawood creating the song's strong groove, as was a beautiful rendition of Angels Walk Among Us - which has always been a favourite of mine. The latter was one of the highlights of the early portion of the night, with Vincent and Lee Douglas (vocals) teaming up perfectly for the ethereal vocal harmonies while the atmospherics swirled around the venue. It flowed into its companion piece Presence with ease too, with the album's spoken word section washing over the audience while Douglas sang the simple vocal refrains. More well-known tracks such as Dreaming Light and A Simple Mistake also hit the spot however, with the former in particular being a highlight with the bleak, yet melodic, vocal approach really tugging at the emotions - with Vincent proving why he is one of the most underrated British rock vocalists of all time. Another highlight, surprisingly, was the industrial-tinged Get Off, Get Out. It was during his introduction of the song that Daniel finally acknowledged the band's founding drummer, who's role seems to have largely been relegated to percussion in recent years, John Douglas' absence and explained that he was unable to participate in this tour (which I had been musing over the beginning of the show when only five people took to the stage). It was a shame that he could not have been present to participate in a rare live outing of one his compositions, but the track went down well with its strong grooves and cold synths - courtesy of Vincent behind his stack of keyboards. An epic take on Universal, with a soaring guitar solo from Daniel, and a rare outing for the post-rock instrumental Hindsight brought We're Here Because We're Here to a close, and the band rightly received a standing ovation from the large Palladium crowd as the final song's last notes chimed away.

I had thought that the band might take a short intermission after the album portion of the night, but they decided just to play straight through - with the second half of the evening filled with songs from their other recent albums. With the first half of the night filled with some lesser-played numbers, the rest of the show was largely packed full of setlist staples and fan favourites, with each song receiving a strong reaction from the crowd. The upbeat Can't Let Go, driven by a simple beat from Daniel Cardoso (drums), kicked off the second half; but it was perhaps the more epic Springfield and Closer than really got everyone going. Springfield, as always, was extremely atmospheric with its sparse vocal arrangement and rolling piano melodies; while Closer was the set's heaviest and most experimental moment with Vincent's sprawling keyboards and effects-drenched vocals, while Daniel laid into his guitar for some of the most metal riffs of the night. The song was a lengthy number, and received another standing ovation, but there was still more to come and the bar was arguably raised further by the closing four numbers. Distant Satellites has really become a favourite of mine over the past couple of years, and it contains one of Vincent's best vocal performances in my opinion. He sung the song from behind his keyboards with his usual fragile approach, with Douglas adding delicate harmonies as the electronics and synths swirled around. The percussive ending, with Vincent banging on a floor tom while Cardoso gave his drum kit a work out, is always a pleasure to hear live and the beats really reverberated around the Palladium perfectly - with the venue's crystal clear sound really helping to bring the band's songs to life. A Natural Disaster has always been a showcase for Douglas as a vocalist, and the soaring ballad was yet another highlight. She is certainly the band's secret weapon, and it is her understated vocal harmonies and presence that helps to elevate the band to the next level in my opinion. Incidentally, We're Here Because We're Here was the first Anathema album to feature her as an official member of the band, so it was fitting that she got plenty of opportunities to celebrate her decade in the band throughout the evening - with A Natural Disaster being her crowning glory. It was only bested in my opinion by the Untouchable pair of songs, which have long been my favourite Anathema material, which brought the set to a close. Everyone in attendance was on their feet by this point, with the crowd's singing drowning out the band at times. They are a pair of songs that I will never tire of hearing, with Vincent and Douglas once again teaming up perfectly for the duet-style vocals and gorgeous harmonies. The band left the stage briefly after the songs' conclusion, but returned for one more - a version of Hans Zimmer's Day One from the Interstellar soundtrack which may be included on their upcoming album. The spacey instrumental was a great way to end the show, as there was no way Vincent and Douglas were going to top their Untouchable vocal performances, and it brought the evening to a gentle close as some poignant space images flashed up on the screen behind the band as the piano notes filled the venue. The setlist was:

Thin Air
Summernight Horizon
Dreaming Light
Everything
Angels Walk Among Us
Presence
A Simple Mistake
Get Off, Get Out
Universal
Hindsight
Can't Let Go
The Lost Song - Part 3
Springfield
Closer
Distant Satellites
A Natural Disaster
Untouchable - Part 1
Untouchable - Part 2
-
Day One [Hans Zimmer cover]

The band took their bows to huge cheers, and they seemed a little overawed by the occasion. They clearly enjoyed their debut at the Palladium, something that they mentioned regularly throughout the evening, and I think they really appreciated that their fans came out in such numbers to make it possible. It was a great way to celebrate the tenth anniversary of We're Here Because We're Here, and I am looking forward to their next album which, in theory, will be released later in the year.