Customer Reviews

Eternity

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Straight and to the point: I own close to 300 cds, and this, my friends, is the best of all of them. By a long shot. From the intro track "sentient" to the outro track "acension" (both godly instrumentals) this CD is pure perfection.

It is like a book that you open.. it catches your interest right away... it brings you to emotional highs and lows... and finally comes to a glorious conclusion.

Duncan Patterson, bassist of the band at that time, a musical genious, and an important influence in me, has written much of the material in this album.

This is where Vincent Cavanagh finds himself trapped between the passionate growls from The Silent Enigma (previous album) and the soft, harmonious vocals seen in Alternative 4 (latter album). This experimental mixture of singing and growling is, in my view, what makes this album so unique.

The Cavanagh brothers are in an all-time emotional downhill caused by the death of their ill mother. The consecuence: the most depressive lyrics you will ever read. If you understand this album, you will definately cry more than once listening to it.

Halfway though the album appears a cover of Roy Harper's "hope". Almost identical to the original in structure, Anathema's version differs only in one thing: it's got 100% Anathema's sound. But the loyalty to the original version is such that you can picture Roy Harper as the puppet master, pulling the strings and playing his own song through the band.

When "Eternity pt3" arrives, you can feel that the end of the album is coming. It's impossible to explain why, but this song's overwhelmingly powerful chords spell climax like you have never heard before. Then, "cies on the wind" sets the tone for the perfect ending for this album: "acension". When the music fades out.. you are not left wanting more.. everything has been said.

This is the concept album by definition. I don't even see the CD as a collection of songs. It is one entity... this is not one of those CDs from which you take a few songs to make your "best of". This CD itself is a "best of".. actually it is simply "best". It has been made to be played from start to finish, uninterrupted. You will never use the "random" option in your stereo.

This is Anathema at their best. But be warned: its not an easy album to get into. There are those who say that it's the band's worse album to prove it.

First off, this should not really be classified as a metal album. Anathema are for all intents and purposes, an art-rock band, sort of a modern-day Pink Floyd. What sets this band above mere art rock and makes this quiet, dreamy music more than new age background music is sheer emotion. This is one of the most persuasive musical evocations of melancholy I've heard. Cascading keyboards, guitar acoustics and fragile crooning wash over the listener like waves, threatening to drown. The vague lyrics seem to romanticize death and suicide. Listening to this album makes me want to swallow a bottle of sleeping pills, and I mean that as a complement.

This is, quite simply, a brilliant work from a great band. Nothing on it really stands out, but rather, the whole album itself. The songs compliment each other excelently. Personal favorites are "Far Away" "Hope" and "Angelica." A lot of people say this album is boring, but i dont think they picked up on the raw emotion in it. At the end of Eternity II i literally felt like i was being accelerated, it was kind of like a high...and any band that is capable of doing that deserved 5 stars

This was the first Anathema album I ever heard. The moment the first track 'Sentient' majestically drifted from the speakers I knew this was going to be a great album. I wasn't wrong. Powerful and emotional, the kind of album I would like to play just before I die.

Because of it's passion, emotion, and depth, this is my favorite album of all time and an essential for any doom fan. I have easily listened to this album 250 times and it has not yet failed to earn my undivided attention. Sissy as it may sound, this album has also been a good friend in dark times.

If I were stranded on a deserted island with a stereo system, but could have only one cd...this is the cd I'd choose. Even more telling, if I were somehow rescued from that island but couldn't bring the cd with me and never listen to it again, I'd stay on the island listening to Eternity. Yes, it's that good. It transcends music, it goes beyond anything I've ever heard. It's the most cohesive album ever written, and not to mentioned perfectly produced, from the first note to the last. Every human emotion appears in this cd. When I die, at my eulogy, I want this cd to be playing in the background. If I ever get married, it shall be playing too. The saddest thing about listening to Eternity, is that I know, despite their other great albums, there will never be another cd in my lifetime that I will like more...or even half as much. I'm just thankful that I heard about it and bought when it came out. It's as much a part of my life as my left foot; in fact I think I'd rather have the cd over my left foot. Buy this cd; buy 20 copies of it! But be patient with it; it takes a couple of months to really get into. Once you do, you'll never be able to get it out of your system. It will be the one thing in your life you turn to. My favorite track is Eternity Part 1. The other thing that is so great about the album is that the music captures the emotion, the meaning of the cover art work, which is also my favorite. Do you think we're forever? Yes, I'm sure of it.

Having been listening to Anathema since Serenades (having bought pentecost iii and crestfallen after The Silent Enigma but before Eternity), I was not expecting the level of change that the band had released here.
This was a complete departure from not only their previous work, but, in a lot of ways, metal itself. Pink Floyd references were many. I think in some ways the Pink Floyd reference was overstated by critics, as Anathema were definitely on their own journey now.
The songs had become much more mellow, and the vocals much cleaner. Atmosphere, melody, and and a much larger dynamic range now ruled the music. Repeated motif's and a recurrent lyrical theme were instituted, at a time when concept albums were somewhat out of fashion. This helped, rather than hinder, the mood for Anathema.
There were a number of strong tracks on this album, including all three Eternity tracks, Far Away, Angelica and of course, the cover song, Hope.
All in all an amazing album, maybe only marred by a production and recording that were not at the same level as the music itself.

This is certainly the most underrated album of all time. Ranks up there with the best progressive rock albums of the early 70's. I love the fact that Anathema weren't trying to make a trendy album in any way. This is a true work of art!

It is difficult living, and it is more difficult to live without the loved one. Loneliness drags our soul and our wits to the darkness and leaves us hanging from the rope, sometimes feeling death aproaching us, and sometimes begging for one last hope. This is the Eternity album; an album about the sorrow of unrealized love. It starts with Sentient, and dark, weeping ambiental melody that prepares you for what is coming. Angelica and The Beloved are the two first dosis of pain for your soul. I specially recomend the track Radiance, and the third part of Eternity. But it doesn't matters what I say about, hearing the complete album with earphones is one of the best experiences in my lifetime, even though the suffering it means.

i liked "judgment" a lot...and allmusic said this is anathema's best. so i bought this cd. bad mistake.

quite simply, it's boring.

both "judgment" and "alternative 4" urinate on it from a great height. get them instead.