VEMOD

After listening to Nucleus, From Within and A Time Of Day I was convinced that I've heard all I needed to pass a judgment on Anekdoten's studio material but decided to give them just one more go and what a nice payoff it turned out to be! Come to think of it I don't quite understand why I previously was so eager to push forward in the band's discography without even considering to check out their debut until a few month ago. Maybe I was put off by the title Vemod which translates roughly into melancholy/sadness.

The first two album tracks are just fantastic! Karelia is a great instrumental with luscious mellotron undertones which does resemble a few King Crimson compositions, from their 73-74 period, particularly the ending which is a dead give away. Still I don't consider it to be a flaw since the overall composition has a spirit of its own and these little references don't in any way overshadow those assets. Besides, if this is considered plagiarism then I don't know what should be said about bands like Spock's Beard, Flower Kings, Dream Theater, The Tangent etc.

The Old Man And The Sea is the only songs here that I'm certain that I've heard Anekdoten perform live and it's a killer of a composition that has to be experienced by all fans of heavy progressive music. The next four tracks are quite different from the first two numbers especially the two nice acoustic compositions which work remarkably well in contrast to the longer and heavier numbers.

The album closes with Wheel which is my personal pick from Vemod. It starts off with an epic sounding intro which nicely works its way to the melodic vocal section and from there the composition goes into a crazy jam section. What a great way to conclude an excellent album!

This is an excellent album and a definite must have for all fans of progressive rock music!

***** star songs: Karelia (7:22) The Old Man And The Sea (7:50) Wheel (7:52)

**** star songs: Where Solitude Remains (7:21) Thought In Absence (4:13) The Flow (7:00) Longing (4:54)

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