Many see "Judgement" as Anathema's best record, but I beg to differ. I have always liked this one more, due to the fact that I had it before Judgement. And of course, the brilliant songs on it.

Alternative 4 is considered (by me) to have one of the greatest openers ever. The whispered lyrics on "Shroud of False", accompanied by a beautiful piano tune, linger forever in the back of my mind. Here they are: "We are just a moment in time. A blink of an eye. A dream for the blind. Visions from a dying brain. I hope you don't understand." After having listened to it for a zillion times, they still cause goosebumps.

The lyrics are amazing, among the best I ever had the pleasure to read/listen to. Not only are they deeply sad and depressing, but also poetic and charismatic. There are true gems in this album, lyricwise and musicwise, with the fantastic first three tracks being the best example, which alone are much worth owning the whole record.

Apart from these, the slow and peaceful yet melancholy "Inner Silence" or "Regret" are good choices for a first listen. Heavier songs are f.e. "Empty" and "Fragile Dreams".

Anathema, starting as a doom metal band, soon developed to softer sounds, away from metal. In my opinion, that development was one of the best things that ever happened, because it provided me with great, great music. I don't need heavy guitars in particular, I want good music, and that's what Anathema did.

The amount of personal feelings of this record is amazing. It tells a history of despair and sorrow, far more sincere than any of the junk food lyrics the charts supply. This piece of music became special to me, and he who gives it a chance might experience the same.

Considered Anathema's best by many, this release has some of the band's most emotional songs AND good production. Not only depressing songs, but agressive ones too like parts of "Empty" and "Re-Connect". There are obvious improvements from the previous "Eternity," much better production and much better singing overall, much more melodic and powerful.

Unlinke any of their other albums there are many violins and pianos used. I love violins, they have such a soft and enchanting feeling, along with pianos, acoustic, and electric guitars. The instrumentals are very spaced out at times, such as "Shroud of False" and "Destiny" which are just piano melodies and vocals. I feel this creates an empty feeling, which ends up being sort of metaphoric.

Most of the songs are excellent, such as "Inner Silence," the intensely emotional ballad with dramatic yet passionate melodies; "Fragile Dreams" with that unforgettable, timeless violin intro; and "Regret," my personal favorite with a amazing underlying acoustic riffs and epic structure. I love how "Empty" almost comes to a complete stop and goes into a beautiful piano melody, then goes right back. "Lost Control" has breathtaking instrumentals and keeps alternating between hollow parts with emphasis on one instrument; and a lush, full instrumental arrangement.

I feel this album's only weak point is the title track. Personally, that song is way too drawn out and hollow with lack of melody to be enjoyable, but others might like it.

The lyrics on this album are very good, they do a great job of conveying emotions to the listener. They are mostly quite depressing, and about betrayal, loneleyness, emptiness, and regret. What a memorable album.

Anathema have fashioned a surprisingly original and melancholy sound. Anguished crooning, cheesy but beautiful guitar crescendos, Melodic bass, and atmospheric, lush keyboards. Vince Cavanagh has a surprisingly orignial, if not, strong voice. I recommend this album for anyone who shares similar musical tastes to me. Which I'll leave up to your imagination. Enjoy!

This blows away all other Anathema releases!! It is truly an emotional masterpiece! It's not as "doomy" as past cd's...but the feeling is actually more sad & depressing!?!?!! "Fragile Dreams" is one of the best metal songs of the '90s (along with "From Darkest Skies" by MDB & "Taking the Queen" from Bruce Dickinson). The vocals bring tears to my eyes...they are so emotional!! This is a MUST HAVE cd!! Do yourself a favor & get it!

This is the second album Anathema released with Vincent as the lead vocalist. I never liked the older Anathema with the other singer (he sounded like he was dying of an asthema attack), no matter how many times I tried to listen to it. I tried to find what all the reviewers were raving about, but it just wasn't there. Then Alternative 4 came out followed by Judgement, followed by A Fine Day to Exit... the best three albums ever made by any band... period. This CD is more than deserving of a five star rating, but since their other two albums are soooo much better, it only gets the four stars in comparison. If this were their only album, I would have given it the full five.

I think what makes this band as great as they are is the amount of emotions that go into their albums. Other bands sing about it, but Anathema means it and you can hear it in their music. It's passionate, depressing, angry, and even at times - upbeat. It has everything that goes into a great album.

After first listen you'll feel confident that you made a worthwhile purchase. A year later, you'll feel exactly the same way. The music Anathema makes will always withstand the test of time, especially their most recent albums. Every song could potentially be a hit if they weren't "so underground" with a "death metal" name that steers all the radio stations away, as well as MTV (who recently refused to play an Anathema video for no apparent reason). Props to Anathema for not selling out and changing their name, as some fans have suggested. It's my personal opinion that this album, as well as their other recent albums will one day be thought of as classics by millions of people, the same way Pink Floyd is today. Buy this album immediately, you won't be dissapointed.