Search - Anathema :: Silent Enigma

One of the best British doom albums

Tom Z | USA | 12/19/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of those albums people tend to either love or hate, without much middle ground existing between the two. I happen to be among the former catagory. To me, The Silent Enigma is a quintessential Doom album. Sure, Vincent hadn't quite reached the peak of his vocal abilities when this was first released but he sings with more emotion on this than any other album. Kinda remiscent of the clean vox of My Dying Bride in some ways. the music is dark and brooding with influences ranging from Pink Floyd to Bathory. They also experiment with innovative reverb techniques that add an extra dimension to the overall ambience. When it comes to an ever evolving band like Anathema it is difficult to say which is the best album because all of them sound so different. Personally, I consider this, Judgement, A Fine Day To Exit and Eternity to be their best, however I know there's quite a few people who would disagree. So in conclusion I'd just like to point out that it wouldn't be a bad idea to just listen to the sound samples and figure out what you like from Anathema because the opinions differ so much."

Masterpiece

Music Lover | South Africa | 11/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I am not really that big a fan of the band, but a tremendous fan of this album!

It is truly a masterpiece. Yes it is dark and melancholy, but it is true art. The soundscape is magnificent, I marvel at the atmosphere they create. The back cover features an angel holding his head in what could be agony or frustration, and that is what this sounds like. Beautiful agony! To quite from the title track: "Happiness in a broken vision".



And most importantly, the album is a cohesive whole, not just a bunch of songs stuck together in a compilation. Listen to the full artwork, not just individual songs, and you might appreciate the journey it takes you on."