''The Silent Enigma'' is the second album by British

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Anathema Anathema, in common usage, is something or someone detested or shunned. In its other main usage, it is a formal excommunication. The latter meaning, its ecclesiastical sense, is based on New Testament usage. In the Old Testament, anathema was a cr ...

, released on 1995 through

Peaceville Records Peaceville Records is a British independent heavy metal record label. The label was founded by Paul "Hammy" Halmshaw (of the bands Instigators and Civilised Society) in Dewsbury, England in 1987, who was also a one-time drummer of Sore Throat ...

Recording and legacy

''The Silent Enigma'' represents a turning point in Anathema's career (it is the first album to feature guitarist

Vincent Cavanagh Vincent Cavanagh (born 29 August 1973 in Liverpool) is an English singer and guitarist best known as a co-founder (and the sole constant member) of British rock band Anathema. Vincent took over as Anathema's vocalist following the departure of ...

singing lead vocals, replacing Darren White) and sees the band incorporating more clean vocals and melodic elements, while still retaining the band's early

death-doom Death-doom is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It combines the slow tempos and pessimistic or depressive mood of doom metal with the deep growling vocals and double kick drumming of death metal. The genre emerged in the late-1980s and gained ...

style. The album was originally titled ''Rise Pantheon Dreams'', a title later used by White for his post-Anathema project The Blood Divine. Where Darren's vocals were more guttural, Vincent's newer style pushed the possibilities for Anathema onwards and upwards, with a scope and breath beyond his years. Lauded by the metal press, the album has since been described by ''Terrorizer'' magazine as "one of Anathema's best". The special edition of the album also features two bonus tracks. Orchestral versions of "...Alone" and "Sunset of Age" were recorded for the 2011 compilation ''

Falling Deeper ''Falling Deeper'' is an album of orchestral re-interpretations from British atmospheric rock band Anathema released on 5 September 2011. The album is a follow-up to 2008's ''Hindsight'', for which the band recorded different versions of their pa ...

''.

Track listing

All songs written by Anathema.

2003 Remastered Release

A remastered version of ''The Silent Enigma'' was released on 2003 by

. The 2-disc package features the entire ''The Silent Enigma'' album fully re-mastered on CD, along with a DVD featuring a live performance recorded in Kraków, Poland, in March 1996, as well as promotional videos for the tracks "Sweet Tears", "Mine Is Yours to Drown In (Ours Is the New Tribe)", "The Silent Enigma", and "Hope".

DVD

;Promotional Videos #"Sweet Tears" #"Mine Is Yours" #"The Silent Enigma" #"Hope" ;Live (Krakow 1.3.96) #"Intro" #"Restless Oblivion" #"Shroud of Frost" #"We the Gods" #"Sunset of Age" #"Mine Is Yours" #"Sleepless" #"The Silent Enigma" #"A Dying Wish"

Personnel

- vocals, guitars * John Douglas - drums, percussion *

Duncan Patterson Duncan Patterson (born 5 June 1975) is an English musician, best known for his work as a member of Anathema (1991–1998) and Antimatter (1998–2005). Career Patterson was a driving force behind Anathema's success during their earlier years, be ...

- bass *

Danny Cavanagh Daniel Cavanagh (born 6 October 1972) is an English guitarist and singer who formed the British band Anathema in 1990 with his brother Vincent Cavanagh. He is the band's principal songwriter, a role he had previously shared with bassist Dunc ...

- guitars ;Guest musicians * Derek Fullwood - spoken word on "Shroud of Frost" * Rebecca Wilson - female vocals on "...Alone" ;Production * Meany - photography (band) * Simon Mooney - photography * Danny Cavanagh - orchestral arrangements * Mags - mixing * Hammy - executive producer * Kev Ridley - engineering *

Joseph Wright of Derby Joseph Wright (3 September 1734 – 29 August 1797), styled Joseph Wright of Derby, was an English landscape and portrait painter. He has been acclaimed as "the first professional painter to express the spirit of the Industrial Revolution". Wr ...

- cover art. "Lady in Milton's Comus", 1785.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Silent Enigma, The 1995 albums Anathema (band) albums Peaceville Records albums Albums produced by Kevin Ridley