But its ‘The Asphalt World’ that is the true masterpiece within the masterpiece. Here we see Anderson at his absolute best but at his most unnerving. The the two battle it out right till the very end – The track builds and builds to an epic ending in which we hear the barbed snarls of Anderson’s vocals grate against Butler’s epic guitar parts. The carnage is drawn to a close as Brett returns for one last chorus. We come out through the eye of the storm as Brett snarls at the mic, just one last time before drawing the nightmare to a close.
The gentle, timid, ring of an acoustic guitar on the albums closing track “ Still Life” immediately grabs your attention as the intimacy of the track intrigues you - as woeful string arrangements creep in intensifying the overall mood of the song. You just know that something great is about to happen. Brett does sound stiff, almost starved by his own emotions at the start. But he begins to loosen up before the explosive string ensemble floods your eardrums.
MUSIC
words: Abbi Parcell