Masterpiece - I am not really that big a fan of the band, but a tremendous fan of this album!It is truly a masterpiece. Yes it is dark and melancholy, but it is true art. The soundscape is magnificent, I marvel at the atmosphere they create. The back cover features an angel holding his head in what could be agony or frustration, and that is what this sounds like. Beautiful agony! To quite from the title track: Happiness in a broken vision.And most importantly, the album is a cohesive whole, not just a bunch of songs stuck together in a compilation. Listen to the full artwork, not just individual songs, and you might appreciate the journey it takes you on.
A Fine Doom album - Anathema are an excellent band. I can t understand some of these nasty reviews. If you don t like the music fine, but damn relax. Anyway, this is a strong Doom album. The lyrics and the Floydian vibe make this very cohesive. If you really want to know about the Doom metal genre, The Silent Enigma is/was a very important statement. Take the time, appreciate what this is and you will be rewarded. If you have to force yourself, then you don t understand early Doom.
Good stuff! - I just pulled this out of my music library the other day. This is not bad...I always used to compare this to Serenades (Essential doom/death) and Pentecost III, and toss it aside. But, after all these years, I recognize that I may have overlooked the gems on this album. And there are quite a few. For all those fans who like the doom genre or My Dying Bride or Paradise Lost, this is an essential addon to your library. This album has Anathema starting to move away from Doom/Death with many songs actually sung. But, I have to say, the ones which I like the best are NOT. Restless Oblivion, Cerulean Twilight and A Dying Wish are classics. ....Alone is a great track with so much emotion. In fact, this Doom/Death genre or whatever it is, overflows with emotion. Brilliant. A definite buy. And please don t compare A Fine Day to Exit to this or anything before it. Its two completely different genres. Though, I have to say that Serenades, Pentecost III, and The Silent Enigma albums definitely stand out from the crowd...Fine Day to Exit blah blah don t compare....
One of the best British doom albums - This is one of those albums people tend to either love or hate, without much middle ground existing between the two. I happen to be among the former catagory. To me, The Silent Enigma is a quintessential Doom album. Sure, Vincent hadn t quite reached the peak of his vocal abilities when this was first released but he sings with more emotion on this than any other album. Kinda remiscent of the clean vox of My Dying Bride in some ways. the music is dark and brooding with influences ranging from Pink Floyd to Bathory. They also experiment with innovative reverb techniques that add an extra dimension to the overall ambience. When it comes to an ever evolving band like Anathema it is difficult to say which is the best album because all of them sound so different. Personally, I consider this, Judgement, A Fine Day To Exit and Eternity to be their best, however I know there s quite a few people who would disagree. So in conclusion I d just like to point out that it wouldn t be a bad idea to just listen to the sound samples and figure out what you like from Anathema because the opinions differ so much.
snore! - Jesus, how incredibly boring can a band get? Well, self loathing, pretentious metalheads Anathema have no competition here. This album can put you to sleep in under 15 minutes with its repetitive, stoic, cardboard tunes.