Anathema – The Silent Enigma (1995)

February 13, 2023

Quite a beautiful album, and one that I have admittedly often neglected. I’m not really sure why, because I enjoy the shit out of Serenades, Pentacost III and the other doomier stuff by this ever-evolving band. As I said though, there a larger beauteous element to this one. It perhaps holds back a bit in true, impactful metallic force; the harrowing sonic battlefield of Serenades is perhaps now grown over with various flowers and fauna.

To me, The Silent Enigma is also noteworthy for having Vincent performing “metal vocals” in the vein of his predecessor Darren White. After hearing countless records led with his soft singing voice, it is actually quite a treat to hear him get all gravely and angry.

I won’t spot in on individual tracks, as the record is best consumed as a whole, I’d say. I will quickly mention though, my CD version (in one of those weird late 2000s era jewel cases) contains an orchestral version of the title track as well as “Sleepless 96”, a re-recording of the classic updated for these sessions.