VEMOD

After being somewhat disillusioned from my introduction to Anekdoten (their next album, Nucleus), I took my time in finding Vemod. That's unfortunate, because this is a fascinating collection of noisy, anxious, and melancholy tunes. I have to admit, I only really get into this album at certain times, such as during a rainstorm or late at night. But during those times, when I'm in a apathetic or irritated state, this kind of music is the best prescription (along with Crimson's Red, of course!). Though a bit inconsistent and with little variation, there is plenty of good prog on here to make it worthwhile.

Karelia, The Old Man and the Sea, Where Solitude Remains. What a way to introduce yourself to the prog world! This excellent trifecta begins with Karelia, which features a haunting mellotron intro, only to be interrupted by an anxious, noisy, thundering bass (a signature sound of this album), and Anekdoten are on their way. Bonus points for the raw and majestic (in Anekdoten's unique way) finale. The Old Man and the Sea is probably my favorite track, with a good melody and absolutely raucus and bombastic groove in the middle. Where Solitude Remains is perhaps a bit repetitive and exposes the vocals a bit much, but it redeems itself completely at the end with a raw guitar solo over mellotron and thundering bass. Awesome trio of songs!

Thoughts in Absence, Longing. Anekdoten do experiment a bit with these two, to mixed effect. The former is an average melody with subpar vocals--completely skippable. The latter, however, is a lovely dirge featuring strings and acoustic guitar--great change-up.

The Flow, Wheel. These two bring back the noisiness. The Flow really offers little above the first three songs, but the freakout at the end is definitely something to listen for. Wheel is a fine conclusion, with nice mellotron swells and a memorable trumpet/bass "duet" in the middle.

I like this album, and it's obvious that Anekdoten had potential. My personal opinion is that they put their best material first, and that the lack of variability tends to give the sound a "samey" feel if you listen straight through. Definitely worth owning for a change-up to what you normally have in the changer.