Antimatter - Live Between The Earth & Clouds DVD review

Underrated Brits’ top Dutch concert.

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Antimatter - Live Between The Earth & Clouds DVD artwork

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After 19 years, Antimatter have finally released their first live DVD. In spite of collaborations with members of Anathema and having played with Marillion, the Brits’ wistful work still remains an insider’s secret. That should change with this CD/DVD combo.

Filmed in March 2015 at Holland’s De Boerderij, a venue that frontman Mick Moss describes as their “second home”, the footage serves as both a souvenir of The Judas Tour and essential viewing for anyone who hasn’t managed to catch the band in concert yet. Antimatter’s previous two live albums have been pleasurable snapshots of their musical career, but Live… captures them at their very best. The package focuses mostly on modern material with emphasis on their latest album The Judas Table, but there are a few older numbers too, including a passionate performance of Leaving Eden and their version of Welcome To The Machine. The multi-camera action is slick and the audio is crystal clear (it’s been co-produced by Anathema’s Daniel Cardoso), although some bonus interviews or backstage footage would have also been welcome. Lack of frills aside, this live recording is well worth the wait as an introduction to these unsung heroes-in-waiting.

Natasha Scharf
Natasha Scharf
Deputy Editor, Prog

Contributing to Prog since the very first issue, writer and broadcaster Natasha Scharf was the magazine’s News Editor before she took up her current role of Deputy Editor, and has interviewed some of the best-known acts in the progressive music world from ELP, Yes and Marillion to Nightwish, Dream Theater and TesseracT. Starting young, she set up her first music fanzine in the late 80s and became a regular contributor to local newspapers and magazines over the next decade. The 00s would see her running the dark music magazine, Meltdown, as well as contributing to Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Terrorizer and Artrocker. Author of music subculture books The Art Of Gothic and Worldwide Gothic, she’s since written album sleeve notes for Cherry Red, and also co-wrote Tarja Turunen’s memoirs, Singing In My Blood. Beyond the written word, Natasha has spent several decades as a club DJ, spinning tunes at aftershow parties for Metallica, Motörhead and Nine Inch Nails. She’s currently the only member of the Prog team to have appeared on the magazine’s cover.