VEMOD

What more could you ask for, really? Scandinavia has always brought us some of the best prog and best heavy performances and having been over there I can't exactly say why - because they're all such nice people! They didn't really seem all that dark at the time. But clearly the brooding evil factor to some of their citizens lurks somewhere because this is one of the heaviest albums I've heard in quite some time. One thing that can be noticed right off the bat about this album is the ever-dominant bass which constantly bombards the listener and cracks their floor if they have a big enough sub woofer. Where do all the Krimson references come from - some may ask - well, while they're not knockoffs of the Crimson King, they certainly have a Red feel to them in their sharp guitar riffs, contrasted greatly and harshly by that evil and pressing bass. Though the vocals take a bit of time to get used to at first (the accent is thick as molasses) they're quite good and suit the music well with his low-tone-no-growl style. How would I describe the music in a couple of words? Take the bass riff from Roundabout, tune it down and get Les Claypool to play it and then make Red era Fripp come up with a guitar riff to it. That sounds about right.

All the songs on the album are nicely mid lengthed, and while an album full of seven minute songs can become tiresome quite easily with some bands these guys manage to do it quite well by throwing in the occasional curve ball. All of the songs are structured to work well on their own, and they do, as well as being well placed on the album to make it flow very well. It opens with the instrumental Karelia which is the first time the heavy ass bass is introduced. Spectacular riffing fireworks in the background make for quite a ride until we're handed off to the first track with vocals. The Old Man And The Sea is another heavy affair that will leave you shook to the core after being pounded by Anekdoten power.

The rest of the album doesn't slow down (in terms of quality) either. Whether it be the frantic pace and bass of Where Solitude Remains, the slow and brooding Thoughts In Absence or the melancholic instrumental Longing the entire album is quite a treat. Wheel starts off with a very 21st Century Schizoid riff and moves onto a slower section with some very dark and creepy voice effects before turning into an instrumental section of madness complete with mellotron and that sweet, sweet bass.

Coming into the end though we get a very nice treat. Sad Rain is an excellent 10-minute mini-epic which, as some others have mentioned, is completely soaked in mellotron goodness and all the excellent darkness of the other tracks. If there's one thing Anekdoten can do very well is create an almost black hole of music that sucks you into absolute darkness, and this track really epitomizes that. Just listen to the opening section of this song and you'll see what I mean. Sad Rain is a perfectly fitting title as well as it really has that melancholic feel to it.

This album is perfect for people who want some heavy. A lot of bass and a lot of piercing guitars make for a fantastic listen. Hesitant to give this one a perfect 5, it certainly deserves a 4.5 at least just because of not only how good the music is performed, but how well they manage to create an atmosphere for the audience to be drawn into. 4.5 sad rain drops out of 5, an excellent album that will hold a fine place in any prog rock collection!

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