Dead Can Dance fans such as myself have eagerly awaited the release of Anastasis. The band’s first album of new material in sixteen years, Anastasis is aptly titled for the Greek word meaning “resurrection.” It’s finally here and, though not as exotic and exciting as I’d hoped, it is unusual and beautiful in its own dark way.
The opening tracks “Children of the Sun” and “Anabasis” give respective reintroductions to the extraordinary voices of Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerard, but the arrangements lack some of the exotic fire of previous releases.
Songs like “Agape” and “Kiko” are more fitting returns for this very unique band. Dark, multi-instrumental melodies dance beneath Lisa’s haunting wails. The songs are reminiscent of the best from Into the Labyrinth
“Return of the She-King” churns lovely Medieval folk instrumentation and Gothic choral voices with almost militant electronic beats.
Brendan Perry’s solemn, astounding voice bids the album farewell with “All in Good Time.”
In a time when music is often so shallow and disposable, it is truly refreshing to listen to music – to a band – that has so much substance and beauty.
You can download the first single, “Amnesia,” by entering your email address into the below widget and you can stream the entire album here.
, was a little obscure, so I feared no one else would bother listening to it. But I did get some very enthusiastic responses, as well as a hesitant remark from another music blogger that it might be “a bit too morose and dirge-y.”
, is one of my all-time favorite albums and was at the top of my list of classic albums to use for this project. Unfortunately for my husband (who wasn’t quite as impressed since he’s more familiar with covers of the songs), I know and love Tapestry so much that I couldn’t resist singing along with nearly every song on it. The entire album – particularly the songs “So Far Away,” “It’s Too Late,” “Home Again,” and “You’ve Got a Friend” – is warm, pretty and mellow. It’s the kind of album that I’ve always been able to listen to in any mood and feel happier afterward. I’ve debated on whether to include this week’s choice, because it’s a bit obscure. But it’s far too good to ignore when talking about classics.