Anathema – Falling Deeper

Seemingly unsatisfied with their transformation from Paradise Lost-worshipping doomsters to prog-rockers du jour, Falling Deeper sees Anathema cherry-picking a selection of their earlier pieces and remoulding them into sweeping symphonies of strings and sumptuous vocals from the likes of Anneke van Giersbergen (formerly of The Gathering). Rather predictably, it’s all very pretty, the nine reboots readily embracing the mournful seed that existed in the originals and feeding it with beauty.

The only problem is that there’s not much more than surface polish to grab hold of, gorgeous though it may be. There’s little of the depth and versatility that so many fell in love with on last year’s We’re Here Because We’re Here, nor the raw honesty to be found in the original recordings. Instead, it’s more of a ‘what if’ exercise taken to its logical conclusion and, while some fans will undoubtedly find something here to enjoy, it’s unlikely that it’ll be enough to draw anyone new into the fold. [David Bowes]