Alternative 4 - The Obscurants - review
Alternative 4 - The Obscurants - review
Tracklist
01. Theme For The Obscurantist02. Paracosm
03. Returning The Screw
04. Dina
05. Lifeline
06. The Tragedy Shield
07. Mr Black
08. Closure
A review by
Ivor October 09, 2014
Well, the name of the band should be a dead giveaway. Possibly one of the most interesting Anathema albums, Alternative 4 was also the last one to feature Duncan Patterson, one of the creative forces in the band at the time. When Duncan left Anathema, he started Antimatter with Mick Moss to go into a more atmospheric and electronic direction creatively. Then he came up with Íon which was a sort of folkish, ambient and world music project. Alternative 4 is another of his creations, and The Obscurants is already the project's second album.
The references are relevant to describing The Obscurants. First and foremost, it is an album of certain melancholic atmospheres and particular moods that you'll find hauntingly familiar. This album will unequivocally strike a note with those of you who appreciate Eternity and Alternative 4 era Anathema. No, this album is not similar to those two but will remind you of them. It's like with early Antimatter albums where you can find similarities in soundscapes, and the same applies to The Obscurants. There's just something there, a note, a melody, background keyboards, or a vocal line that remind you of Anathema and Antimatter in a good way.
The Obscurants is surely a downbeat album slowly flowing by. The primary instrument for the melancholic and slightly oppressive atmosphere is the synths, with the piano sounding especially bleak at times. Keyboard sounds define how this album comes across. The guitars, whether slightly more distorted, or less, or just acoustic, are there to complement the atmosphere and the breathy voice of Simon Flatley. All together it's a great combination that just ebbs and flows, a seemingly endless exploration of the atmosphere and mood. Whether this album is even rock is debatable and irrelevant. Duncan's done a good job to release this album about this time of year; it fits well with the coming bleak autumn weather.
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I admit I was drawn to this band because I knew Duncan Patterson had something to do with it. I tend to follow Anathema-associated musicians. Sounds like something I would enjoy. I have liked what I heard from Alternative 4 so far and it can't hurt that they chose the name of a great Anathema album eheh
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Hmmmm very interested in this since I'm a fan of Eternity, Alternative 4 and Antimatter. So yeah, will definitely check it out. Thanks for your review!
---- Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29 Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
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