Anathema (band)

This album took experimenting a bit further showing that their biggest source of inspiration is Pink Floyd. An updated 2003 version includes a different cover, information about Disc One and Everything to Everyone, and fixes several typos found in the original version. But he came back to Anathema and in 2003 the band released A Natural Disaster and started an European Tour. It is published in Canada by Madrigal Press. In March of 2002, Daniel Cavanagh announced his departure from the band, joining Duncan Patterson's band Antimatter. Barenaked Ladies have authorized a biography, Public Stunts Private Stories, written by friend of the band and fellow "Scarberian" Paul Myers, brother of actor Mike Myers. He was replaced by touring bassist George Roberts and then by Jamie Cavanagh. Thin Buckle features players from several other Canadian alternative bands, such as Rheostatics.

Shortly before the release of A Fine Day to Exit, Dave Pybus announced his departure from the band to join - ironically - Cradle of Filth. Kevin is the frontman of Kevin Hearn and Thin Buckle, who play a mix of alternative rock and jazz with many other eclectic influences. On the same year, Martin Powell switched positions with Cradle of Filth's, keyboard player Les Smith, who became an integral member of Anathema. Jim is part of the alternative/jazz trio The Brothers Creeggan, with brother and former BNL member Andy Creeggan and friend Ian McLauchlan. However, the essence of the band was kept, as their songs continued to transpose a feeling of depression and more often than not desperation. Both Jim Creeggan and Kevin Hearn have side projects that are worked on during hiatus from BNL touring and studio time. This album marks Anathema's complete shift from the doom metal genre, focusing instead on slower and more experimental songs. They are now working on music for a production of "As You Like It" with the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario and working on an album at Steven Page's farm.

In June of 1999, the album Judgement was released. BNL just recently completed a pilot for a variety show, tenatively titled Barenaked Ladies Variety Show, and have submitted it to the FOX network. Finally, John Douglas assumed (again) the drummer position. It is their first independent record since the Yellow Tape and was distributed by Warner Music. Martin Powell (who played keyboards in My Dying Bride previously) also joined the band. The band's most recent album is "Barenaked for the Holidays," which was released on October 5, 2004. Bassist Duncan Patterson quit due to musical differences and was replaced by David Pybus, which was part of Duncan's side-band Dreambreed. More recently, the latest studio album as well as a single from it have been added.

During this time the band underwent many line-up changes. In early 2004, the band began offering full live shows for purchase as either download or CD off of an eponymous website (http://www.barenakedladies.com). Alternative 4 was released in 1998. With the release of Everything to Everyone, BNL has fulfilled their contract with Reprise Records, which has allowed the band to try internet distribution and an independent album release. He was replaced by the ex-drummer of Solstice, Shaun Steels. "Maybe Katie" and an edited version of "For You" from a concert in Glasgow, Scotland were also released as singles to radio. The second member to leave the band was drummer John Douglas in the summer of 1997. "Testing 1,2,3" was the second single off of the album and received a video, but no CD single, while "Celebrity" was released later with a CD single, but no video.

An European tour followed. The first single off that album was "Another Postcard," which received modest radio play. 1996 saw the release of Eternity, which relied more on atmospheric sounds and started the migration to clean vocals, which would be consolidated in Judgement. Everything to Everyone was released October 21, 2003. Most diehard fans consider this album the beginning of Anathema's metaphorical downfall. The latter was thought by some fans to be a break-up song, because of its title, the fact that it was the last song on the CD, and because its video featured clips from previous videos, but used the Syncro-Vox technique so that the people would lip-sync to the new song. The album incorporated changes in the vocal style and introduced much heavier goth elements. It contains 17 tracks from previous albums, (all of them have been a single, have had their own video, or both) and two new tracks, "It's Only Me (The Wizard of Magicland)" and "Thanks, That Was Fun".

Later that year, the band released The Silent Enigma, which was a turning point in their career. In 2001, they released a compilation album, entitled Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001. This new formation debuted by touring with Cathedral on an UK tour. Maroon, released in 2000, also did fairly well in stores, led by the single "Pinch Me". Rather than recruiting a new vocalist, the band decided that guitarist Vincent Cavanagh would assume the vocals. The singles "It's All Been Done" which was also used as the opening theme song on the short lived animated TV series Baby Blues and the song "Call and Answer" also came from this highly successful album. The band has also collaberated with singer Tom Jones for a track on his 1999 album Reload. In May of 1995, vocalist Darren White quit the band. The band toured, but with friends Chris Brown and Greg Kurstin on keyboards until Kevin recovered enough to rejoin them on the road.

1994 was the year of Anathema's first European tour, which was closely followed by gigs in the Independent Rock Festival in Brazil. Immediately after Stunt was released, however, Kevin Hearn was diagnosed with leukemia and had to spend several months in the hospital recovering. A music video derived from it - Sweet Tears - even managed to reach MTV's parade. The band's greatest success to date and greatest recognition within the United States has come from their fourth album, Stunt, released in 1998, buoyed by the #1 single "One Week". Serenades, their debut LP, attracted a lot of mainstream attention. From two dates on the Born on a Pirate Ship tour during 1996, BNL recorded and released a live album called Rock Spectacle, which had a modest radio hit with "Brian Wilson.". Their first release under the label was The Crestfallen EP in November 1992. With the material from that album the band toured with Cannibal Corpse. Kevin Hearn was hired as the keyboardist for the subsequent tour and then was asked to join the band.

The band drew a lot of attention to itself with the release of their second demo - entitled All Faith is Lost - which got Anathema a four-album deal with Peaceville Records. The album received two large boosts from the Jason Priestley-directed video for "The Old Apartment" and the inclusion of the song "Shoebox" on the Friends soundtrack. Their initial demo caught the attention of a couple of bands from the English metal scene and Anathema then proceeded to do gigs with bands of more expression, such as Bolt Thrower and Paradise Lost. The band released Born on a Pirate Ship in 1996 as a quartet. The switching of names occurred on the beginning of 1991. After the release, Andy Creeggan left the band to begin college and to separate himself from the infighting that had taken place after the album's failure. In November of that year, the band recorded their first demo, entitled An Iliad of Woes. BNL's second album, Maybe You Should Drive, released in 1994, fared considerably less well with the Canadian public.

Anathema was formed in the year of the 1990 under the name of Pagan Angel. The band's first album, Gordon, released in 1992, was a smash hit in Canada and included some of the band's most well-known songs, including "Be My Yoko Ono" (the single which helped fund the album), "If I Had $1000000" (which spawned a macaroni-throwing tradition at live shows that the band has recently been trying to discourage), and "Brian Wilson" (named after the Beach Boy who later covered the song on a live album). Anathema is an English band from the city of Liverpool, which together with Paradise Lost and My Dying Bride developed the doom metal genre. Sales of the tape were jumpstarted when BNL were taken off the bill of a concert at Toronto's City Hall because a staffer for then-mayor June Rowlands saw the band's name and felt it objectified women, which catapulted BNL into a media frenzy. A Natural Disaster (2003). The full band's first release of note was the 1991 independent Yellow Tape, the first indie release to achieve platinum status in Canada. A Fine Day To Exit (2001). While Andy was on a trip to Ecuador and the band was lacking a percussionist, Tyler Stewart took over the position, and retained it after Andy's return.

Resonance (2001). As there were very few copies made of both, these tapes are now extremely rare. Judgement (1999). Barenaked Lunch (also known as the Pink Tape) was released in 1990, and featured two new band members, Andy and Jim Creeggan. Unfortunately, the tape was mastered incorrectly and plays too fast. Alternative 4 (1998). The band's first tape, Buck Naked, released in 1989, was recorded in basements and bedrooms, and featured only Steve and Ed. Eternity (1996). BNL has a reputation as an excellent live band, and are particularly well-known for improvising amusing songs during their shows.

The Silent Enigma (1995). They formed in 1988 in Scarborough, Ontario, a suburb of Toronto. Pentecost III (1995). Barenaked Ladies (BNL for short) is a Canadian alternative rock band composed of Kevin Hearn, Ed Robertson, Steven Page, Tyler Stewart, and Jim Creeggan. Serenades (1993). Barenaked for the Holidays (2004). The Crestfallen EP (1992). Everything to Everyone (2003).

Dave Pybus - Bass. Disc One: All Their Greatest Hits 1991-2001 (2001). Martin Powell - Keyboards. Maroon (2000). Shaun Steels - Drums. Stunt (1998). Duncan Patterson - Bass. Rock Spectacle (1996).

Darren White - Vocals. Born On A Pirate Ship (1996). John Douglas - Drums. Maybe You Should Drive (1994). Les Smith - Keyboards. Gordon (1992). Jamie Cavanagh - Bass.

Vincent Cavanagh - Vocals and rhythm guitar. Daniel Cavanagh - Lead guitar.