Anathema are a funny little band. They have every melodramatic trope of progressive metal but aren’t heavy enough to be called metal. I think this works to their favor, because it makes their melodrama less obnoxiously… melodramatic. And in some cases, Alternative 4 actually makes it seem stylish.

Listen to “Fragile Dreams,” for instance. It’s the best song Anathema have ever made. Listen to that slow, gentle intro, then that fucking riff. That’s one of the coolest riffs ever it’s so catchy and exaggeratedly badass. The whole song sounds exactly like a JRPG boss theme. I’m serious, imagine the song (sans vocals) playing over your favorite major JRPG boss battle. It fits perfectly. It’s incredible. Why don’t more alternative rock bands have the exaggerated sense of coolness Anathema do on this album? It’s awesome.

“Empty” is pretty hardcore too. The rest can’t compare, but Alternative 4 is good enough for me overall. I don’t care for the succeeding albums as much, too gentle and “ambient” for my tastes, though still good.