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The Awakening
Anthology XV
The Awakening
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Celebrating 15 years since the release of their first album, The Awakening has prepared a compilation of their career’s highlights, called “Anthology XV”. You’ll find here –almost- all the band’s acclaimed hits, in new or reworked versions, plus two new songs.
Between the masterful cover of “The Sound of Silence” on their first album (“Risen”, 1997) and the classic Gothic Rock gem “Upon the Water” (“Tales of Absolution and Obsoletion”, 2009), The Awakening has experimented and reassessed, but has always kept things romantic and dramatic.
With Darkwave at its finest in “Nothing like the rain”(“Tales of Absolution and Obsoletion”, 2009), sometimes a hint of Metal as in “Rain”(“Request”, 1998) or Indie Rock as in “My World” (“Roadside Heretics”, 2002), and always enhanced by Ashton Nyte’s baritone vocals, the South African (now South African/American) band has managed to build a solid fanbase. The band also makes great pop under the layers of heavy guitars and eyeliner. Proof of it, are plain love songs like “Maree” (“Request”, 1998), catchy melodies like “Razor Burn” (“Razor Burn”, 2006) and IRRESTIBLE dance floor anthems like “The Dark Romantics” (“The Fourth Seal of Zeen”, 2000).
…And that leads us to where The Awakening stands now, delighting the fans with two new tracks: First “Fault”, it should be played very loud, as advised in the sexy video realized for it. It’s an addictive song that defines perfectly the current sound of the band. “Beneath your feet”, a perfect, sad and powerful ballad, is the other previously unreleased track.
“Anthology XV” is a treat for the fans, as each track has been reworked or is presented in an alternative version. It’s also a great opportunity to embrace 15 years of amazing works in one and a half hour, and to prepare the ground for a new release to come, hopefully very soon.
Guillaume Renard
