The Album Club: "Distant Satellites" by Anathema
 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Satellites.jpg
Kiii's first shot in the Album Club folks. Make him welcome. You know the drill by now...

I'd like to add to this right away that I have been listening to this album every day for the past month. I used like this album, now i absolutely love it. I think it's got the right amount of everything thrown in to make a pretty emotional album. There's a lot of Anathema greatness here. If you're familiar with their Weather Systems album, and if you like that, you'll love this.

I'm only four tracks in and I already love love love this album! I'll be back later in the week, after a few more listens, with a proper review, but this is definitely going to be a "Loved it". Great pick, Kiii! :thumb:

Awesome to hear TH. I sort of had a feeling you'd like it. It's such a treasure of an album.

I kind of feel my fingers wandering towards their discography with the instruction "download now" ....

Their older stuff is a bit different but Weather Systems and onwards is more on point wth this kind of sound. Still listen to their old stuff if you want tho. It's pretty good.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...Satellites.jpg
Anathema - Distant Satellites

While this isn't the first Anathema album I've heard and liked, it's certainly the first one in a while that I felt the urge to listen to it on a daily basis. Distant Satellites was released two years after Weather Systems, and while some people didn't really like the change in sound that Anathema was going for, I feel like it was a step in the right direction.

Don't get me wrong though, they've had released from all the way back in 1993, with Serenades, and while I started listening to Anathema during their Alternative 4 and beyond days, I still find their earlier stuff at the very least, enjoyable to listen to.

Personally though, I'm always going to gravitate toward the Weather Systems and beyond days. Because honestly, that's the Anathema I really truly love right now. The mixture of vocals, especially in Distant Satellites, is so important throughout this entire album that it would feel wrong if the melodies didn't work. If I were to however put this album up against Weather Systems, I'd say this album would take it time and time again. Weather Systems has a lot of great tracks, but this one has Lost Song pt. 1 and 2, and the truly magnificent duo of Firelight and Distant Satellites. They're more towards the end of the album and I like to think they use these two songs as a sort of "epic" before the finale.

Anyway, this album gets a solid "loved it" from me. I've been enjoying this album for a while now and I'm excited to see what others have taken away from it.

Beautiful record I've had since it came out in 2014: I like it more overall than Weather Systems and We're Here Because We're Here because it feels like a more balanced record while still having their strengths (the great melodies).

8 out of 10

Agreed. I still think Weather Systems is a fantastic push in the direction they wanted to go but I think they really shine in Distant Satellites. I love both vocalists a lot. They go so well together.

Kinda been dreading writing about this one. I actually started listening to this one a full week in advance, but I knew pretty early I wasn't going to write anything positive. I've known Anathema for many years and just flat out never liked their music.

I'm gonna spare you all a load of ranting and just say that it's not for me. I find it maudlin and overly melodramatic. Musically, mostly kinda boring. If memory serves, I like other Anathema records even less.

Low score. Sorry, but It's just not my thing at all.

If Coldplay tried to be Radiohead but were even less talented.

You probably will like their debut album cause it is Doom Metal - or that was the way they were characterize by an online site. I was interested in listening to the first album - or at least some songs - then comparing it to DS. While the vocals are definitely different from the debut album there are certain things that they retained.

Some songs I would rank the vocals at a 5 or 6, while other tracks I think the vocals were a bit better. I have a more favorable opinion of the guitar playing than I have of the vocals on the first track. But I do like duo male/female vocals. I like the song structure for the most part and I found them to have more of an Alternative/Progressive Rock feel (with a sprinkling of Emo) than it does as a full fledged Heavy Metal endeavor.

For the moment it sits at likable. TBH I haven't had time this week to delve into this album as I would like. It is difficult to get familiar with an album with a single once through, and sometimes it takes repeated listening. However I am not sure if this album will improve on me as it has for Kiii. Long story short: Despite any short comings, I don't look down on this album cause I think the drummer is excellent.

This album just gets me emotionally. Maybe that's where some may differ. But that's what I like about it. It's emotional and engaging and great to listen to.

I hear ya. That is basically the same reason I have for my album pick. I'm anticipating a cold reception though. :jailed:

It's unlikely anyone will develop an emotional connection to an album club pick in just one short week, listening to it a small handful of times. These albums kinda get forced to be musically involving or have a cool style to them or something else immediate like that. Some maybe even listen to these albums only once or less, making it really unlikely that they'll leave any real impression.

I wasn't implying that you have to force yourself to have an emotional attachment to it. Just saying that's how it is for me. The album isn't for everybody and I wasn't expecting it to be. No big deal.

I know, I'm just saying it's a weakness of the album club format. That albums don't have time to grow on you.

This was complete and utter ****ing garbage.

But whyyyyyy?!

^ Succinct and spot-on.

This one sounded like some sort of mainstream, ridiculously melodramatic, adult contemporary rock opera.

Tedious.

2/10

That's an almost impressive feat. Adult contemporary is all about being as down to earth and restrained as possible, so combining that with rock opera and still somehow remaining adult contemporary is a neat trick.

Adult contemporary as in boring. Which is what adult contemporary is.

In other words, a boring rock opera.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adult_contemporary_music

I think this is the only criticism that I'm confused by.

Okay, I'll be honest I didn't listen to the album I just wanted to fit in.

I feel it.

Guess not.

Oh well.

Where is TH anyway? Been like a week or something.

.