If you bought music anywhere between the mid-90’s to mid 00’s (remember, that’s the thing with the money where you buy a product?), you know who Music for Nations are. The label distributed, signed and recorded some of the greatest names out there, from Opeth to Tool and yes, Anathema. These were the crucial years for the transiting band, as they were coming into their own power-pop/alt-rock style, moving away from their original works and music. Those albums hold a dear place in my heart, and they are: Judgement, A Fine Day To Exit, and A Natural Disaster. Together, they will be re-released as the Fine Days collection, fully remastered.
We don’t have a sample to play for you yet, but I’ve had the distinct pleasure of checking out these re-releases. Anathema are somewhat an obsession for me and let me tell you, these are perfect. Standout tracks like ‘Pressure’ from A Fine Day To Exit, ‘One Last Goodbye’ from Judgement, and ‘Closer’ from A Natural Disaster were experiences onto themselves; it was like hearing them again for the first time. The re-masters really highlight the progress the band have made since then, shedding light on the few flaws they had and fixing them. Especially noticeable is the finesse around the vocals, sky-rocketing Vincent’s already powerful voice even higher.
The thing I like most about this approach is that the label hired Anathema’s own Daniel Cavanagh involved in the process. He had this to say:
I’m really happy that after all these years, the Music For Nations era of Anathema music is finally receiving the attention, respect and treatment it deserves. It has been a great pleasure to work on this package. Everything from supplying the additional artwork, the remastering process of the albums, and the chance to add a surprise or two, has been a wonderful process.
Future releases will include Opeth, Paradise Lost and Spiritual Beggars so keep your eyes on their store. You can check it out and keep updated here. It’s always nice when classic players in the scene return to grace our ears with their musical vision and re-masters of such classic albums are even better.
-EK