Anastasis

音楽シーンに多大なる影響を残した＜4AD＞の代名詞、デッド・カン・ダンスが復活の狼煙を上げる！！！05年の活動再開後初、そして実に16年ぶりとなるニュー・アルバムをリリース！！！83年にロンドンで＜4AD＞と契約、1stアルバム『エデンの東』を発表。これまでに、並外れた美しさを放つアルバムを8枚発表。リサ・ジェラルドの「異次元」的な声、そしてペリーの滑らかなトーンが印象的なこれらの作品はワールド音楽の要素、中世のメロディ、フォークのバラード、バロック・スタイル、ケルトの歌、エレクトロニカ・サウンドやサンプルまでを自由自在にフィーチャーし、音楽地図において“デッド・カン・ダンス”というジャンルを確立。98年に解散するも、05年に活動を再開した。リサは、00年に映画『グラディエーター』に楽曲を提供しゴールデングローブ賞の音楽賞を受賞、10年には大人気大河ドラマ『龍馬伝』のメイン・テーマ曲を担当したことでも話題となった。本作のリリース発表直後には、05年のワールド・ツアーのライブ音源を収めたEP「ライヴ・ハプニングス・パート・5」を無料配信し、既に話題沸騰中の彼らから目が離せない！

Mojo - 3 stars out of 5 -- "'Return Of The She-King' finds them at their unclassifiable best, with Gerrard's multitracked Renaissance polyphony and Perry's incantations meeting chugging, minimalist strings." Q - 4 stars out of 5 -- "ANASTASIS is awash with epically thrilling six- or seven-minute songs such as 'Children Of The Sun' and 'Kiko,' liberally seasoned with Eastern melodies and textures." Paste - "ANASTASIS harnesses the brooding, multi-culti sonic perfectionism you'd expect from these highly regarded veterans..."

Dead Can Dance's 2012 reunion album, and first recording of new studio material since 1996's Spiritchaser, is more a tour through much of the band's previous history than an exercise in delivering anything new. The musical tenets on Anastasis derive from near-Eastern Mediterranean sources (mainly Greek and Turkish folk forms), and some from the various nations of North Africa. Immediately noticeable is Brendan Perry's voice; it is deeper, richer, more restrained in its delivery, but more powerful because of it. For Lisa Gerrard, her instantly recognizable instrument shines forth on "Agape," "Kiko," and the set's finest moment, "Return of the She-King." With its surprisingly uniform rhythmic palettes, Anastasis will more than likely please longtime fans -- as intended -- rather than win many new ones. ~ Thom Jurek|

In English, the Greek word "anastasis" is literally translated as "resurrection." The definition is apt as the title to Dead Can Dance's reunion offering, their first recording of new studio material since 1996's Spiritchaser. Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry established a well-deserved global reputation for pushing boundaries in popular music. Coming from the fringes of the gothic music world on the iconic 4AD label, they brought a sense of near classical discipline (and pretension) into their sound. They incorporated cutting-edge production techniques and also folded in -- mostly accurately -- several international musical traditions; combined, they created a deeply atmospheric, lushly textured, dramatic brand of post-gothic pop. Self-produced and released by PIAS, Anastasis features eight songs, and clocks in at just under an hour. The trace elements will be very familiar to DCD fans. In fact, Anastasis can be called, for the most apart, an album of tropes; it is much more a tour through much of the band's previous history than an exercise in delivering anything new. This is surprising given Gerrard's vast soundtrack experience and Perry's solo albums, various collaborative contributions, and film work. The musical tenets here derive from near-Eastern Mediterranean sources (mainly Greek and Turkish folk forms), and some from the various nations of North Africa. Immediately noticeable is Perry's voice (which holds forth on the fine meta-mystical opener "Children of the Sun" and the hollowed-out bliss of "Opium"); it is deeper, richer, more restrained in its delivery, but more powerful because of it. He and Gerrard rarely sing on the same tune. For Gerrard, her instantly recognizable instrument shines forth on "Agape" and "Kiko," with their Arab-scaled strings, dumbeks, ouds, and cymbaloms. The set's finest moment is "Return of the She-King," whose drones, and the processional multi-tracked vocals by Gerrard, are matched by strings, deep tom-toms, swooping ethereal guitars, ouds, and numerous instruments. Perry joins in at the end, and their twin voices meet in a gauzy dexterity and contrast amid a swirl of neo-classical strings. While Anastasis doesn't have any problems per se, it does feel all of a piece, and given the track lengths, they can seem to bleed together. With the exception of the surprising snare cadences on "Children of the Sun," the rhythmic palettes are surprisingly uniform, making the album feel as if it is devoid of a clear center. Anastasis will more than likely please longtime fans -- and to be fair that is who it seems geared to -- rather than win many new ones. ~ Thom Jurek

コクトー・ツインズと共に初期4ADの耽美なイメージを築き上げたデッド・カン・ダンスが再結成し、16年ぶりに新作をリリースした。モロッコや西インド諸島の民族楽器が作り出すオリエンタル・フレイヴァーを、ゴシック・ロックに溶かし込み……という勝利の方程式はいまなお有効。ミステリアスな男女ヴォーカルも健在で、〈完全復活と言うに相応しい内容だ。ファンの期待に120％応えてくれる一枚!
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