Style: Keyboard driven folk music
Primary Emotions/Themes: Bliss, pure bliss
Thoughts: To say that I was excited about Anastasis was a bit of an understatement. Dead Can Dance is one of my favorite artistic endeavors that I've been exposed to in my life. They disbanded on one of my least favorite albums from them (Spiritchaser) and the thought of having a proper follow up excited me to no end.
Anastasis picks up right where Enter the Labyrinth left off. The songs are longer and more vocal driven than the early works. They have a more hypnotic feeling to them, driven primarily by Lisa and Brendan's tremendous vocals mixed with slow repeating rhythms. It almost has a ritualistic feel to the entire album.
One of the things that made the previous Dead Can Dance albums so majestic is that they all had a distinct feel to them. While sometimes that led to some missteps, overall it was a key part of their sound from one album to the next. If there is one knock on Anastasis it's that this key element is missing to some degree.
This is unmistakably a Dead Can Dance album, but it feels like a compilation of best of music rather than something new. Don't get me wrong, I love this album... it just feels like the band is re-finding their sound before venturing off into new terriotory with this one.
The territory that is explored on Anastasis however is sacred ground. Every song on here feels like it's pulled straight from the sultans quarters, fueled by an Opium haze as we the onlookers observe the exotic dances of the kings court. Welcome back Lisa and Brendan, you were sorely missed.
Written July 22nd 2024
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