1) Anathema wa… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with the name Anathema.
1) Anathema was a band from Liverpool, England, UK primarily known as one of the pioneering and leading death doom metal acts, incorporating growling, poetic lyrics and complex arrangements into the traditional doom riffage. Later in their career, beginning with "Eternity", they moved away from this sound into more melodic, atmospheric rock.
Anathema formed in 1990 as a doom metal band, initially under the name Pagan Angel. In November of that year, the band recorded their first demo, entitled "An Iliad of Woes". This demo caught the attention of several bands from the English metal scene, allowing Anathema to play gigs with bands like Bolt Thrower and Paradise Lost.
At the beginning of 1991, the band adopted its current name, and gained a lot of attention with the release of their second demo entitled "All Faith Is Lost", resulting in a four-album deal with Peaceville Records. Their first release under the label was "The Crestfallen EP" in November 1992. They took the material from that album on the road, touring with Cannibal Corpse.
"Serenades", Anathema's debut LP, attracted a lot of mainstream attention, propelling their "Sweet Tears" music video onto the MTV playlist. Anathema's first European tour was in 1994, and was closely followed by gigs at the Independent Rock Festival in Brazil.
In May 1995, vocalist Darren White parted with the band, eventually forming The Blood Divine. Rather than recruiting a new vocalist, the band decided that guitarist Vincent Cavanagh should assume White's role. This new formation debuted by touring with Cathedral in the United Kingdom.
The release of "Eternity" came in 1996, relying more on atmospheric sounds, and starting the transition to clean vocals; the album "Judgement" would later consolidate this style. A European tour followed the album's release.
The second member to leave the band was drummer John Douglas, who departed in the summer of 1997. He was replaced by Shaun Taylor-Steels, formerly of Solstice, who would also later play drums for My Dying Bride.
"Alternative 4" was released in 1998. During this time the band underwent many line-up changes. Bassist/songwriter Duncan Patterson quit due to musical differences and was replaced by Dave Pybus of Dreambreed, where Duncan had played bass for a short period. Martin Powell (who had played keyboards and violin for My Dying Bride previously) also joined the band. Finally, John Douglas returned to the drums.
In June 1999, the album "Judgement" was released, marking Anathema's complete shift from the doom metal genre, focusing instead on slower and more experimental songs. This new sound has been likened to artists such as Pink Floyd, Jeff Buckley, and to a lesser extent, Radiohead. However, the essence of the band remained the same. Their songs continued to express a feeling of depression and, more often than not, desperation.
During the same year Martin Powell switched positions with Cradle of Filth's keyboardist Les Smith, who came to be an integral member of Anathema.
Shortly before the release of A Fine Day to Exit, Dave Pybus announced his departure from the band and later joined Cradle of Filth. He was replaced by touring bassist George Roberts, and later by Jamie Cavanagh.
In March 2002, Daniel Cavanagh announced his departure from the band, joining Duncan Patterson's band Antimatter. However, he later rejoined Anathema in 2003 for the release of "A Natural Disaster", and started their European Tour. This accelerated the changes in Anathema's tone towards the atmospheric and progressive, as exhibited in album tracks "Flying" and "Violence".
Upon the closing of their label Music for Nations after its purchase by Sony BMG, Anathema found itself without a record label, despite having completed an extensive tour of the UK with popular Finnish rock band HIM in April 2006. During their search for a new label, the band have adopted a more 'DIY' approach to music release, embracing the internet and releasing songs via their own website, for which fans may donate a monetary sum of their own choice. Despite the obvious lack of label-based tour support, the band continues to play dates across Europe, guitarist Danny Cavanagh also playing the odd low-key acoustic concert.
The latest album and first in seven years, "We're Here Because We're Here", was released on May 31, 2010. The album was mixed by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree, who has described it as “definitely among the best albums I’ve ever had the pleasure to work on.”. The album was proclaimed "Prog Album of the Year" by Classic Rock magazine, describing it as "A flawless, life-affirming comeback and a gold-plated contender for album of the year". Ville Valo of the band HIM recorded vocals for the song "Angels Walk Among Us".
On July 6, 2011, it was announced on the band's official page that their album of re-interpretations, "Falling Deeper", will be released on September 5, 2011. The album will be a follow-up to Hindsight and will contain new orchestral versions of songs from the past, as well as a version of "Everwake" featuring the vocals of Anneke van Giersbergen. On September 12th, Les Smith's departure due to "creative and musical differences" was announced on the band's website.
On 16 April 2012, the band's ninth studio album, Weather Systems, was released via Kscope. The album entered the UK album charts at No. 50 and the German album charts at No. 19.
On 8 November 2012, Daniel Cavanagh announces at Anathema's official homepage that Daniel Cardoso is joining the band as a full-time permanent basis as a key element of the band.[10]
On 2 December 2012, Anathema announced their first concert in India. Anathema has performed at IIT Madras as part of the Saarang Rock Show on 12 January 2013.
The band's recent live album, named Untouchable, was released as a double vinyl album on 24 June 2013. The album is a recording of a special one-off gig at the ancient Roman theatre of Philippopolis in 2012, where the band were joined by the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra. The set was released on Blu-ray, DVD and CD under the name Universal, with an alternate track order, on 17 September 2013.
According to the bands official Facebook site they are currently recording their new album in Norway and it will be released in 2014.
On 28 March 2014, the band announced their upcoming studio album to be called Distant Satellites. The album came out on 9 June on the Kscope label, and is produced by Christer-André Cederberg in Oslo, Norway. Several tracks were mixed by Steven Wilson. Different from previous albums is the use of more electronica on this album. The album is released in 4 different versions, a cd, vinyl, Media Book, and a Deluxe version.[12] Tour dates have been announced starting 22 May in Istanbul, Turkey, then throughout Europe and 3 dates in August 2014 in Australia.
Following the success of their short Australian tour, an acoustic tour was announced for New Zealand and Australia in 2015. Daniel, Vincent and Lee performed these show without the other band members. Later that year, the band released an acoustic live album and video entitled A Sort of Homecoming, consisting in the record of a concert at the band's hometown Liverpool Cathedral.
Anathema went on their Resonance Tour through Europe in April 2015. These concerts served as live retrospective efforts, featuring songs throughout their catalog, including from their debut album Serenades. Former vocalist Darren "Daz" White and former bassist/keyboardist Duncan Patterson joined the band on stage for these concerts.
In 2017, the band released The Optimist, which won Album of the Year at the Progressive Music Awards.
At the end of August 2019, it was announced that Anathema would be leaving the Kscope record label and had signed a new deal with Mascot Label Group. Anathema planned to release their 12th studio album in 2020. However, Anathema announced an indefinite hiatus on 22 September 2020 due to hardship with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, the band management confirmed in the bands Facebook that the band had split up.
Members:
Current lineup
Vincent Cavanagh - lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar (1990-2020)
Daniel Cavanagh - lead guitar, vocals (1990-2002, 2003-2020) (Lid, Antimatter, Leafblade)
Jamie Cavanagh - bass (1990-1991, 2001-2020)
John Douglas - drums (1990-1997, 1998-2020)
Lee Douglas - vocals (2000-2020)
Daniel Cardoso - keyboards (2012-2020)
Former members
Darren White - vocals (1990-1995) (The Blood Divine, Dead Men Dream, Serotonal)
Duncan Patterson - bass, keyboards (1991-1998) (ex-Antimatter, Dreambreed, Íon)
Shaun Taylor-Steels - drums (1997-1998) (ex-Solstice, ex-My Dying Bride)
Martin Powell - keyboards, violin (1998-2000) (ex-My Dying Bride, ex-Cradle of Filth, ex-Cryptal Darkness)
Dave Pybus - bass (1998-2001) (Dreambreed, Angtoria, Cradle of Filth, Darkened)
Les Smith - keyboards (2000-2011) (ex-Cradle of Filth, Antimatter, Ship of Fools)
2) Anathema was a British anarcho-punk band. They released two demos, "Shit You Choose to Take" and Make the Fighting Cease" in 1984 and 1985 respectively.
They also appeared on Mortarhate’s anarcho-punk compilation "Anti Capitalism" with a re-recording of the "Make the Fighting Cease" song “Your Ulster”, as well as appearing on the 1985 “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Theres a Better World” compilation tape and the second part of “Ha! Last Week I Saw This Fella With Your Tife” tape, also released in 1985.
3) Anathema was an Italian heavy metal band from Milan, Lombardy, formed in 1986. They released a demo, "Salem Lunacy" in 1989.
4) Anathema was an Finnish death metal band from Iisalmi, formed in 1989. They released a promo and a demo in 1991.
5) Anathema was a thrash metal band from Colorado, United States, formed in 1987. They released two demos, "The Trauma Never Ends" in 1988 and "Knife and Gun Club" in 1990.
6) Anathema was a thrash metal band from Levittown, Pennsylvania, United States, formed in 1989. They released one demo, "Spiral of Hatred" in 1990.
Don't Look Too Far
Anathema Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hold me down
And I'll be yours for evermore
God bless this mess I'm in
For it is time
To be rid of a certain sin
And if I'm really here
Then I feel fine
A freelance child
You bring it all back
This world is eating me inside
Don't look too far
Missing a degree of warmth
A name without a face
I'm losing grip all the same
I sever the line that divides
I sever the feelings inside
I sever between you and me
And I want to learn to fly
Bring the pain right back again
Is this all there is of me
Hearts and minds, find the time
That in the end there was no
possible reason for anything
Rant & rave
In the eyes of the beholder
You've gotta face this straight on
You've gotta go head to head
If you want to understand
And begin to turn this thing around
The lyrics of Anathema's song Don't Look Too Far touch upon a variety of themes including introspection, self-doubt, and the complexities of human relationships. The singer starts by acknowledging the weight of his emotions, stating that if he begins to feel lighter, he needs someone to hold him down, otherwise he fears he'll be lost forever. The lyrics then offer a prayer of sorts, seeking divine help to rid oneself of a particular sin. The singer seems to be grappling with a sense of dislocation and separation from the world around him, represented by the plea to not look too far. By admitting to feeling lost and incomplete, he seeks to reconnect with the world and find a sense of belonging.
Throughout the song, the lyrics hint at a wider sense of tragedy or loss, both personal and universal. The sense of displacement and disorientation expressed in the lyrics is accompanied by a search for meaning and understanding, a search for glimpses of hope and redemption.
Overall, the lyrics of Don't Look Too Far are deeply introspective and poignant, grappling with the complexities of human emotion and relationships. The song is a powerful reminder of the importance of introspection, and the need to understand oneself in order to better navigate the turbulent waters of life.
Line by Line Meaning
If I begin to feel lighter
If I start feeling less burdened or relieved
Hold me down
Stop me from feeling too free or reckless
And I'll be yours for evermore
I will be loyal and committed to you indefinitely
God bless this mess I'm in
May God help me with my problems or difficulties
For it is time
It's the right moment for something important to happen
To be rid of a certain sin
To get rid of a particular wrongdoing or immoral act
A cool breeze down my spine
A refreshing or invigorating sensation in my body
And if I'm really here
If I am truly present and alive
Then I feel fine
Then I feel good or comfortable
A freelance child
A person who lives by their own rules and free spirit
You bring it all back
You bring back memories or emotions from the past
This world is eating me inside
The world is causing me a lot of pain or despair
Don't look too far
Do not search for answers or solutions that are overly complicated
Missing a degree of warmth
Having a lack of emotional connection or affection
A name without a face
A person who is unknown or unfamiliar
I'm losing grip all the same
I am still losing control or stability in my life
I sever the line that divides
I break the barrier or separation between things
I sever the feelings inside
I disconnect from or suppress my emotions
I sever between you and me
I create a rift or distance between us
And I want to learn to fly
I want to break free or achieve something great
Bring the pain right back again
Experience the same pain or trouble once more
Is this all there is of me
Am I only capable of this or is there more to me
Hearts and minds, find the time
Emotions and thoughts should work together to find a solution
That in the end there was no possible reason for anything
In the end, there was no explanation or justification for anything
Rant & rave
Speak or act in an angry or uncontrolled manner
In the eyes of the beholder
Beauty or truth is subjective and varies from person to person
You've gotta face this straight on
You must confront this issue head-on
You've gotta go head to head
You have to directly confront or compete with someone
If you want to understand
If you want to comprehend or make sense of something
And begin to turn this thing around
And start making a positive change or improvement
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL CAVANAGH, DAVID JOHN PYBUS, JOHN JAMES DOUGLAS, VINCENT CAVANAGH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind