Fill In The Gaps: Anathema Evolve Further On 'The Optimist'

First impressions count for a lot in the music business. If an artist nails a marketable aesthetic on their debut, it can dictate the direction of their entire career. That perhaps explains why Liverpool collective Anathema aren’t recognised as one of the greatest alternative rock bands to come out of the UK in the last three decades.

The band, led by brothers Danny and Vincent Cavanagh, first emerged in the early ‘90s as a doom metal act with a penchant for poetic lyrics and apocalyptic song concepts. Although they soon softened their approach, all subsequent efforts have retained the same gloomy intensity.

It’s a sound they’ve developed and mastered over 11 records, so you could forgive any fans alarmed at the fact the band have started stylising their name as Ana_thema and titled their newest record ‘The Optimist’. But the Cavanaghs have a greater sense of humour and modesty than they’re given credit for.

“To be honest, I just wanted to pronounce it a different way,” guitarist and vocalist Danny says. “The way it’s said has always sounded grey and crappy to me. I was sick of explaining it to taxi drivers – I’d rather just say it doesn’t mean anything. There’s no artsy-fartsy meaning, really. Although I suppose I’m a serious artist, I’ve never thought about myself that way. I don’t feel we have anything to prove as a band given our 25-year catalogue. So I don’t give a shit about stuff like that – there are far bigger things.”

Cavanagh’s light-hearted demeanour is at a contrast with the band’s focused artistic approach. Much has been made of the narrative to ‘The Optimist’, which rekindles the story of a character established on their 2001 album ‘A Fine Day to Exit’. However, according to Cavanagh, the character is a placeholder for band members’ own personal experiences and challenges.

“We really wanted to suggest a story and let listeners fill in the gaps,” he says. “In reality, many of the songs deal with our own lives. The song Springfield, for example, is about a breakdown I had a couple of years ago. The album really focuses on that idea of trying to escape the past and build a new life. In fact, the album cover showing the car at night was the first thing to happen on this record.

"The title was more ironic. It came from a documentary series made by a crew I met about a Syrian refugee called Hamza who managed to get all the way to Germany and start rebuilding his life. You know, he was the optimist. The crew told us that listening to our music had helped him get across. I’m still friends with him to this day.”

The emotional resonance behind the concept enriches an album that is already full of powerful moments. Endless Ways and the title track are built around dynamics and build-ups, with keys and dramatic strings. There is also a greater focus on electronics, which Cavanagh says was an inevitable shift.

“I think to be honest John [Douglas, drums] and Vincent would have been on permanent strike if we hadn’t,” he says. “It’s as natural as playing the guitar for them and has always been like that. We wanted to really do something different this time around. We actually made all the demos last year on a computer in London. I remember being asked about arranging final tracks with guitars etc., and I thought, ‘that’s great’, but for some of them I preferred the demo. The song always has to be king and what the song needs is what you give it. It’s an intuitive and conscious thing.”

Another key element of ‘The Optimist’ is Lee Douglas’s passionate vocal melodies. Although she only joined the band at the turn of the millennium, she’s developed into one of their most indispensable members.

“She’s absolutely world class and essentially a lead vocalist at this point,” Cavanagh says. “This wasn’t the easiest record we’ve ever made and she had a bit of a crisis of confidence at points, but I think that changed once she heard the record. She’s one of these people who prefers being on stage to being in the studio. She’s not always sure what she wants because she’s all about feeling, but the band probably needs that.”

While these various ingredients are what make up Anathema’s distinctive musical persona, Cavanagh credits producer Tony Doogan as the reason the songs “sound like they’re on fire”. The band took the momentous decision to complete the album at Doogan’s Castle of Doom Studios in Glasgow, best known as the recording place of multiple Mogwai records.

“We worked with him for a few weeks and I think we drove him half-crazy, but his contribution was enormous,” he says. “The man’s just on another level. I don’t know why he’s so good but he really pushes a lot of levels and boundaries. He simply doesn’t make safe music.”

Anathema aren’t playing it safe with their live shows either, with dates planned across the US, South America, Europe and Australia this year. Given their sudden rebrand, you might assume band life is finally beginning to take its toll. But Cavanagh believes the sextet are only getting better with age.

“I’ve not run out of melodies and lyrics and I think that’s a lucky thing,” he says. “A lot of metal bands started out in the ‘90s and kind of peaked then. I suppose for our older fans, we did too, but the reality is we didn’t. And we didn’t peak in the 2000s either. I think we may be now. Or later, who knows? Things do get tough.

"I had to take 2016 off because otherwise it wouldn’t have been possible to keep going. Maybe at the end of the year I’ll be a nervous wreck again but at least I’ll be thousands of pounds richer. For now at least, the two hours we play on stage every night are always superb. Long may that continue.”

'The Optimist' is out now on Kscope.

Anathema Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:

Sat September 23 2017 - BELFAST Limelight 2
Sun September 24 2017 - DUBLIN Academy

Click here to compare & buy Anathema Tickets at Stereoboard.com.

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