Alternative 4 – The Brink (2011)

Super talented multi-instrumentalist Duncan Patterson gives us his latest project Alternative 4. In this band, Duncan produces a very interesting and cinematic experience that merges some of the old elements of Anathema (from back in the day) and Antimatter (before he left obviously). This combination produces a very interesting and organic sound that we have missed since he started doing his last projects Íon and The Aftermath.

With a very mysterious opening track titled “The Brink”, this album nicely generates some expectation before “False Light” sets the tone of how (most) of this release is going to go. With nice distorted guitars and a very somber atmosphere, this song nicely delivers a very experimental yet familiar sound. Having recorded the album in several parts of the world including Ireland and Mexico, the overall product is very well integrated and full of atmospheric surprises. For the Anathema fans, the bass guitar line near the end of the song will nicely bring you back to the band’s old albums for sure.

Building up momentum with “Alternate”, we have a beautiful and subtle combination of acoustic guitars, piano and string instruments. Tracks like this make sure that the listener knows that they are not listening to just another Antimatter/Anathema-like release, but a well crafted amalgamation of their styles paired with new elements. For the people looking for interesting elements, “Underlooked” has a very minimalist Jazz-like feel to it, making it a very interesting track.  Also, if you are looking for more Anathema-like guitar work, “Still Waters” is one of the best places to look for.

For people like us that love somber and very minimalist tracks, “The Dumbing Down” will surely hit close to home. Featuring interesting choral arrangements, “Automata” and “Autonoma” nicely change the pace of things and deliver a very eerie atmosphere. Coming full cycle, “The Brink” closes the release with a very dreamy atmosphere piece that allows the listener to come out of the hypnotic coma induced by this release and eases you into the real world again.

As we all know, Duncan Patterson is an excellent musician and songwriter. “The Brink” exactly shows these qualities and also the input of band members Mark Kelson and Mauro Frison. If you are looking for a dark and dreamy album that features some of the elements we all love from Antimatter, Anathema and Íon all put together in an excellent release, look no further and get “The Brink”. Can can’t stop to be amazed by the creativity of Duncan Patterson and we hope he keeps releasing such high quality albums in the future.

Release: November 15th, 2011

Country: UK