| ANATHEMA
JUDGEMENT ALBUM MUSIC FOR NATIONS RELEASE: JUNE 21, 1999 REVIEW: JULY 13, 1999 
The English goth metal gurus are back with yet another good album. The last one, "Alternative 4", was a big step forward for the Englishmen. This album sounds pretty much the same. The vocalist still sings very good and I have nothing to complain about regarding the music. The song material is of high standard too. A song worth mentioning is "One Last Goodbye". The title reveals what it's about. It may be a cliché but apparently Anathema has the ability to handle this subject very well. To be honest I must admit that I am fond of this kind of lyrics. The vocalist expresses sensitivity and softness instead of aggression and harshness. Too many goth metal vocalists tend to have too much of the latter. The album has a total of 13 tracks but there's a limited edition CD available with an extra track. A couple of the tracks are no real songs but merely interludes, so it's not as terrific as it can seem. Another bad thing is that the songs tend to be a little bit tedious towards the end of the album. I experienced the same thing with their previous album "Alternative 4", but this is nevertheless one of this year's best goth metal albums so far. Possibly the best, since most of the goth metal being released seems to be quite pathetic. JOHAN ASTEMARK |
  |