Tonight’s show at the Academy is opened by French act Demians. After following Anathema throughout Europe, Nicholas Chapel, along with live band members Antoine Pohu and Michaël Roponus, arrive in London to showcase debut album ‘Building and Empire’ to a new capacity audience. Demians fit straight into the present day progressive metal genre, falling somewhere between Porcupine Tree and Oceansize.

The music is atmospheric and calculated, shifting from intricately picked tunes to distorted walls of noise; softly softly verses to almost sing-along choruses; If only everyone knew the words… and if only people would wait until after the set to continue their conversations.
Their confident set definitely highlights the path to a promising and successful future.

Anathema must feel like they have been stuck in time since 2003 and the release of ‘A Natural Disaster’. After five years of on and off touring, the devoted fanbase of this cult band are still waiting patiently for some new material, but unlike with most bands, it doesn’t really matter when it arrives. With so many classics in their arsenal, ‘Closer’, ‘Angelica’ et al will be welcome in the set list forever. The guys kick off with three classic tracks including the always breathtaking ‘Closer’… and that’s all it takes to have the crowd at their mercy.
“This will be the last time you get to hear some of these songs” Vinnie announces, followed by the unanswered question “… but what comes next?” Tonight they do have some new material to play. ‘Angels Walk Among Us’ and ‘A Simple Mistake’ both great a great reception leaving no doubt that the next record will also be a classic. But tonight’s set takes a slightly different approach to usual. Recently released semi-acoustic album ‘Hindsight’ may sound familiar, but is an absolute gem featuring re-workings of some of the most loved Anathema tracks. ‘Angelica’ as always proves to be a real highlight tonight, even in its alternative form. It may sound a little different but the effect is still the same.

Where to now for Anathema? The fans will wait patiently and tonight’s performance shows that no doubt it will be worth the wait.


Reviewed by Daniel Gray
Photography by Daniel Gray

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