VEMOD

Anekdoten's Vemod is probably the most impressive (and heaviest) debut album from the last two decades along with Anglagard's Hybris, and they have little chance at being dethroned, Paatos' Timeloss included. This quartet seems to have come out of Sweden's Boreal Forest or even more north the Polar Tundra, with their incredibly somber but beautiful melancholy that one our Scandinavian brothers can express so forcefully. Not least helped by the ironic pagan artwork (notice the ironing encircling the high priestess Anna-Sofi, the voodoo doll and its throne), the group manages to find its own sound right from the first mellotron and cello lines, even if it is obvious that their main influence is Crimson.

Right from the haunting intro of Kartelia (this is the province stuck between Russia and Sweden spread partly over Finland, and has been the theatre of constant conquest for much of the second millennium) to the superb Old Man (based on a Scandinavian myth) where Liljestöm's voice is ghastly and breathtaking, the album takes us from surprises to unusual spell-binding moments. After another great Liljeström-sung track, where Niklas Berg pulls a great guitar solo, the album takes a bit of a rest with the quiet Thoughts In Absences (Berg is singing this), and it takes quite a mastery of ambiances to get the album started again after such a slowing down. Fortunately The Flow is one of the album's strongest number starting purposely erratically and managing a stunning cello solo and immediately succeeded by a tremendous and jaw-dropping guitar solo, the two joining forces for the last minute. The second instrumental of the album, Longing doesn't have the power of Karelia, but it certainly has a soothing, healing and thirst-quenching quality that fits the album's melancholy. Dahlberg's cello is simply stunning. Could they have finished the album without nodding to Crimson with Wheel's opening lines? This track is maybe the most difficult of the album, but one that gains repeated listens to unravel its beauties such as Erkström's flugelhorn solo is reminding us a bit of Rodriguo's Aranjuez's solemnity.

A truly spellbinding debut album, it remained for over two years on a heavy rotation with Anglagard's debut and Landberk's debut, and it still manages to draw chills down my spine some almost 15 years after its release. Highly recommended, this is one of the seminal album that started prog's second coming of age, and few 90's album have its aura.

"Vermod" was one of albums that re-ignited the Swedish progressive rock revival. Without a question ANEKDOTEN have been heavily influenced by early 70's KING CRIMSON with their tailored and yet controlled FRIPP-like guitar playing (Nicklas Berg) & loads of mellotron (actually is 2 different mellotron going at some places!) ANEKDOTEN understands the Crimsonic use of contrast, and Vemod is centered on contrasting tempos and dynamics. Guitarist Nicklas Berg turns in a gritty performance on both guitar and mellotron reminding the listener at many points of why one likes this type of music in the first place. The combination of pump organ, Mellotron, and a deeply bowed cello creates a rich dark sound of brooding intensity. Emotionally charged melodic lines and powerful rhythms abound. The percussion on this album is killer with some great deep chops and complex percussion. Filling in the mix is cellist/keyboardist Anna Sofi Dahlberg who works with the mellotrons to really bring forth some warm tones.

Sweden has a lot to do with the resurgence of progressive music all over the globe...many great bands have appear over the past decade and Anekdoten is no exception. This is heavy progressive on the vein of KC (say mid-period), with loads of mellotron (actually they used two!!!) and frippian guitar with a good dose of bass-drums interplay; being said that still the album has a dark/melancholic touch (not as much as Landberk) on the shorter tracks. Now, this is my cup of tea when it comes to heavy...no nonsense!! guitar riffs in an attempt to make a feel of heaviness. Very much progressive and an excellent debut album.

Sorry but I can't understand what's all the fuss about it once again!! Another clone of King Crimson, still coming from Scandinavia, with hints (actually a few ones) of such an acoustic chamber orchestra (in the manner of Hungarian After Crying), played by means of an interesting cello and nothing else innovative (Anglagard for example, a diverse Swedish ensemble, is in another world or also the remarkable band "Isildurs Bane", because all these latter are much better than Anekdoten)... apart from my tastes, honestly I can find too many dark music passages emulating those ones (the most harsh) by King Crimson,regarding of the album "Starless and Bible Black" or "Lark's Tongue in Aspic": so at the end I'm a bit tired already after my second listening!! However I don't like to compare them to any original European band (actually a few ones), because groups like that one of After Crying are much more versatile and innovative than Anekdoten, even though I think of an improving background in their music as long as they learn the lesson...at the moment I'm not stimulated and I don't want to buy the other titles of this Scandinavian band: nowadays I'm more concentrated into the inventive stuff by Isildurs Bane and of course After Crying as well, despite of recognizing some interesting music features inside this "Vemod"!!

If you are not disturbed by the derivative bands in the vein of experimental King Crimson choose this issue, otherwise you can also check other experimental stuff out (also regarding of the American music scene: listen for example to the last stunning album by A Triggering Myth)

To me the present debut album by Anekdoten is good but not essential!!

I have little mixed-up feelings about the debut album of this band which is very dear to me. The songs are good as compositions, but many of them work much better on their forthcoming live recordings. For example "Karelia" is far more better on their "Live-EP", and versions of "The Old Man & The Sea" and "Wheel" are also dramatically much better on their 90's live double discs from Japan. "Thoughts in Absence" is a very neat recording on this though, having Vangelis resembling long ending sequence.

Somehow the overall sound of this album feels a little sterile to me. Few sound patterns are also perhaps too similar to their original innovators from the 70's. But the band and it's players were young when "Vemod" was produced, and one cannot underestimate Anekdoten's influence upon the Swedish and global scene of progressive art rock. "Vemod" after all, was their first album which diffused their musical vision to the listeners and other musicians. Beautiful album covers resembling the sleeve of first Black Sabbath's record also make the vinyl version of "Vemod" as a nice collectors artifact.

In the early Nineties many Skandinavian progrock bands flooded the scene, Anekdoten was one of the first. I got their debut-CD as a promo when I had just joined the Dutch progrock paper SI Magazine. The music blew me away, what a compelling and captivating compositions en what a mindblowing Mellotron sound! The first track "Karellia" starts with one of the most beautiful Mellotron-drenched intro's, goose bumps!! The strong point in the music from Anekdoten is the hugh tension between the mellow, often melancholical climates and the dynamic parts delivering Fripp-inspired howing electric guitar, an agressive bass and splendid drumwork, this man is the driving force behind Anekdoten. Last year I witnessed them near my hometown The Hague and bought the re-issue that contains the extra track "Sad Rain", it sound in the vein of the early King Crimson featuring wonderful Mellotron. A CLASSIC ALBUM!!!!

AN EXCELLENT DARK MUSIC (with great composition!)

How dark? Observe this lyric .

"My mind's falling down endless tunnels. Until I find myself in the void. Somewhere down there I could hear them calling me. Through walls of silence I heard them weep."

This album has been the missing piece for me as I have already enjoyed the other two excellent albums "Nucleus" and "From Within" until last week when my prog mate Anto Sulistianto loaned me this CD. I had no difficulty in digesting this album as I've been familiar with the band's music. What surprised me when I spun the CD the first time was the excellent music quality despite it's a debut album. Historically, Anekdoten was previously King Edward - a band that was formed in the vein of King Crimson. The arrival of keyboardist / cellist Anna Sofi Dahlberg remarked the change of band's name to Anekdoten. Guitarist Nicklas Berg and drummer Peter Nordins were previously members of the Manson Family Band - a band with roots in psychedelic vein; influenced by Cream and Jimi Hendrix. Not much we knew the music of King Edward. It seemed only one song "Sad Rain" that appeared on the Japanese version of Vemod., the band's debut album (1993). Vemod is a Sweden word that means "melancholy" and basically represented the band's music.

The album opener "Karelia" (7:20) is an instrumental outfit started out with a long sustain and ambient mellotron sound that sets a very dark nuance that characterizes the entire album. The full-blown music enters beautifully a combination of guitar work in the vein of King Crimson, mellotron, inventive bass lines and drumming style that reminds me to Bill Bruford's, especially on the unique snare sounds. The music flows mellow in a floating style and giving mellotron, cello and guitar a fair chance to deliver their simple solo. Yes, most of Anekdoten's solos are performed in simple and less to medium complexities. At the end of this track I can sense an influence of King Crimson, i.e. when the riffs are similar with "Easy Money" intro of the "Lark's Tongue in Aspic". I don't think it's a rip-off as the similarity only in nuance.

"The Old Man & The Sea" (&:50) is a song-oriented composition featuring relatively flat vocal line. The song revolves around chords progression driven by guitar work and mellotron in relatively medium tempo. As the song builds up into crescendo the music turns into a more complex one and this segment represents the song interlude. At the end part of the interlude, the guitar style is reminiscent of Robert Fripp. Really nice.

The third track "Where Solitude Remains" (7:20) moves the album to a faster tempo music (during opening part) combining heavy bass lines, drum work and mellotron. It's a powerful opening until it turns into quieter passage when vocal lines enter the scene. During lyrical verse, mellotron with its long sustain note accompanies the singing augmented with Bruford like drumming. Wow! It's really wonderful man! What later surprises me is the guitar solo where this time is performed in jazzy style accentuated with mellotron sound and dynamic drumming. It's an excellent composition!

"Thoughts in Absence" (4:10) starts off with guitar fills followed with slow beat drum work and bass guitar that accompanies vocal line. This track is different than the other first three where it's performed mellow and nice with vocal quality that reminds me to Peter Hammil. The song also has a killing melody. Guitar fills (played soft) and mellotron characterize this song. It's a cool and nice composition that serves as a break after hearing more complex first three tracks.

Fifth track "The Flow" (6:58) moves the music back into more complex composition combining Crimsonisque guitar work, mellotron and solid bass lines. Right after the middle of the track, the arrangement turns into a very complex one combining multi instruments: cello, mellotron, guitar, bass and drum. I really like this ending part. Yes, it's dark in nuance but the music is so uplifting. There is a kind of avant-garde music here. It's a masterpiece track!

"Longing" (4:50) is a beautiful instrumental track that combines acoustic guitar solo and cello in a nice melody. Mellotron sometime provides its sound at the back to accentuate the song. The combination of acoustic and cello works is awesome. Performed unplugged, this is a different style of Anekdoten music even though it's still maintaining the dark nuance.

The concluding track "Wheel" (7:50) brings the album back to a faster tempo music with mellotron-based composition. The music turns slow when it gives a chnace to choirs enter the music. Guitar work brings the music into more complex arrangements. The interlude part explores flugelhorn work by Par Ekstrom. An excellent composition.

Overall, how can I sum up my views about this album? It's not a tough job at all for me because I love this album from start to end. If you can tolerate dark music, you may find this album rewarding. It's an excellent addition to any prog music collection. The best listening time is during late night, play it loud, with no disturbance from your surroundings. Keep on proggin' ..!

Progressively yours,

GW

Hey all you prog specialists ! I don't have anything much interesting to say about all those overwhelming reviews but it's been a longtime i have a question for you : everyone knows that the end of "Karelia" is shamelessly similar to KC's "Easy Money" but does anyone has ever noticed that Anekdoten's "The Flow" (on 1:46) has exactly the same melodic line, the same bassplay and the same chord progression that enlightened the fantastic "Röster fran minus still plus" (on 1:04) from Trettioariga Kriget's first album ? It's not a gimmick line as it is very often repeated through the track. It is so obvious that the only word for this is plagiarism. But Anekdoten having a cult status among the progheads it's almost taboo to talk about it. I hope someday you'll figure it out...

One of my favouritest albums ever ,"VEMOD", starts with mystic "Karelia"(the ending part just blos me away!),thoughtlessly pushes you into heavy rumble of "The Old Man and The Sea"/"Where Solitude Remains" and gives some time to rest in "Thoughts in Absence" calm.Then "Flow" begins; "Longing" gives a short lyrical break,but "The Wheel" throws you to the very core of it all - if you don't like it,you'll miss the whole Scandinavian Prog,believe me!!!Now get it and listen to it at least twwice a month,untill you become a real ANEKDOTEN freak!Happy madnessing!!! $*&$%&7-)

On their website the question is asked "Are Swede's unusually gloomy people ?" They reply "Yes, but Finns are even gloomier". Haha ! The title of ANEKDOTEN's debut album is "Vemod" which is Swedish for melancholy or sadness, so let the mellotron begin. I am so impressed with the way these guys play, I can't really just single one of them out, they all shine brightly on this record. It's interesting that Jan-Erik does all the vocals on "Vemod". Nicklas will take over that role, more and more on future albums. Jan-Erik also wrote all the lyrics except for "Thoughts In Absence" and the bonus track "Sad Rain". The band thanks Mattias Olsson and Par Lindh, as well as ANGLAGARD and LANDBERK among others.

"Karelia" was a bold song to start their first record (an instrumental), but it has become a fan favourite, and it turned out to be a perfect way to begin. It starts solemnly followed by a mellotron down-pour before a minute. It kicks into gear after 1 1/2 minutes with a chunky bass, pounding drums and angular guitar onslaught. A calm with cello after 4 minutes as tons of bottom end comes in as it builds. It's utterly fantastic as the mellotron joins in. The mellotron turns into a storm after 6 minutes. Very heavy sound to end it. "The Old Man And Sea" sounds like a machine to open. Killer bass ! It settles 1 1/2 minutes in as vocals come in. Love these guys ! Cello plays under the vocals as piano and fat bass lines join in.This is so good. It kicks back in and I just want to shout. Angular guitar cuts through the heaviness.The mellotron 4 1/2 minutes in is beyond words as it's quite haunting and not subtle at all. Crushing soundscape 6 minutes in. It then settles as the guitar grinds away. Vocals and piano before 7 minutes. Cello ends it. "Where Solitude Remains" begins with deep bass lines and mellotron, then vocals and light drums come in. Nice contrast between the heavy and light sections throughout this song. Fantastic drumming in this song. Great guitar solo 6 1/2 minutes in to end it. "Thought in Absence" is a beautiful laid back tune with fragile vocals. Very reflective and I like the vocals.

"The Flow" is an incredible song. It takes a while to get going, then look out ! Nicklas is just killer on his guitar. Mellotron, vocals and a calm follow the chaos before 2 minutes. More great drumming and chunky bass as the majestic mellotron flows. Amazing guitar 6 minutes in and a ton of bottom end to finish it. "Longing" is an instrumental with cello and accoustic guitar. Sad song. "Wheel" is one of my favourites. It opens powerfully before settling down before a minute with dual vocals from Jan-Erik and Anna which sound awesome ! It kicks back in after 2 minutes with huge bass, angular guitar and powerful drums. The contrast continues. Very intense sound 6 minutes in. "Sad Rain" is a bonus track which was recorded during the "Nucleus" sessions. This is a mellotron drenched epic. This is the kind of song that can never be too long. My favourite ! Everytime I hear the majestic mellotron in the intro i'm moved. Beautiful vocals and a calm follow. An absolute storm before 2 minutes.This contrast continues. Check out the chunky bass after 3 minutes as mellotron comes in. I can't put into words how meaningful this song is to me.

This is one of the greatest debut records I have ever heard ! This is where I fell for these gloomy Swedes. It's perfect.

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.

Initially named after ''King Edward'',ANEKDOTEN started in 1990,at a time when progressive rock was on a rise in Scandinavia.After two critically-acclaimed demo tapes they released their first album ''Vemod'' in 1993.This splendid effort was a beautiful vintage journey through the 70's,especially Red-era KING CRIMSON sounds dominate the album.''Vemod'' is an alternating effort of cello work,mellotron-based strings and heavy guitar passages,resulting a fantastic yet obscure and dark atmosphere,which only KING CRIMSON could create.The vocals are clean and nice,the rhythm section is brilliantly tight and the vintage sounds really thrill me.Listed among the best modern prog bands,ANEKDOTEN deserve your fully attention at any cost.Highly recommended!

Unlike any of those other guys on this site who are quick to find comparisons to their precious King Crimson, I am not. I understand that after listening to the album, King Crimson makes for a good comparison if you're trying to desribe the music to someone, but I've always been frustrated with the countless listeners who pigeonhole bands that take direct influence from the major 70s bands. They can't seem to accept the fact that progressive music is better than it's ever been. I'll save more of my thoughts on the subject for other albums...

So, when I listened to this album for the first time, I did not immediately say "King Crimson!!!" in my head or out loud, because this is not King Crimson and they deserve to be treated like a band that is not King Crimson, in other words, their own entity. What I hear is a very interesting combination of heavy, heavy rock music (not metal, but it is dark and heavy) with mellotron and cello. The vocals are melodic but they somtimes seem a bit distant and/or empty on this particular album. They ebb and flow between that heavy style which also incorporates disonant riffs in the vein of Robert Fripp. Oh man, even I can't escape the comparison here! Truthfully, you can hear the Fripp in those riffs almost right away, but that's the only time during the album I pointed a comparison out, I swear. But now that I'm at it, it does sound a bit like Wetton-era King Crimson.

The compositions are pretty solid, but they can be a bit redundant. The production is pretty poor as well. This is certainly the band's most derivative album, and it is pretty derivative (musically speaking), but I trust that your demand for quality supercedes your demand for originality so you can enjoy highlights like "Karelia" and "Where Solitude Remains."

Of course I would rather have a band that plays great music that is original, but if the influences are present but not obstructive, it's A-OK with me. Unfortunately the album is a bit shaky: it is too inconsistent and probably one song too long.

Good news from the future! The band started correcting these issues as soon as their next album.

It is amazing how many interesting bands a country as Sweden has generated (considering their small population).

"Anekdoten" debut album is 200% Crimson inspired and I can understand that a reviewer compared them to a Crimson tribute band. I wouldn't go to this extend, but it is true that this filiation is rather invading.

They actually mix the melodic and heavy sides of the masters. The opening track "Karelia" combines these two elements : beautiful mellotron intro followed by heavy and repetitive guitar riffs like .

And that's a bit the problem. This album sounds a bit too much like.I guess that if IQ sounds derivative to Genesis, the same applies with "Anekdoten" vs "Crimson". Both "The Old Man and the Sea" and "Where Solitude Remains" sounding too much of the same to be really breathtaking.

One of my fave (probably because it's the most symphonic) is the short "Thoughts in Absence". It has all the subtlety of a song like "I Talk To The Wind" (flute excepted). A very sweet song which totally contrasts with the strengths of "The Flow". The annoying side of VDGG is very much present here as well.

The melancholic and sad mood of "Longing" is limit depressive, but I happen to like it very much. The combination cello / acoustic guitar is so poignant. This is another tranquil song from this album, and my second fave.

"Wheel" is also brilliant. Both facets of the band are again highlighted. Strong but melodic lines are such great ingredients! This song is also magnificently powerful, yet the déjà vu feeling is impossible to avoid.

Their debut album is a good one. I wouldn't say that it is a masterpiece. If I could, I would rate this album with seven out of ten, just shy of the fourth star rating. But you might like it better if Crimson is one of your absolute fave (which is not my case) and if obvious derivative work doesn't bother you too much.

Anekdotens Vemod, the only album by this band that I like. At first I was really turned off to the serious King Crimson take offs, but after a little while, it began to grow on me, and now, I really have very little to complain about this band. Semi simple guitar playing, super chunky bass lines, and some excellent strings are what propel this group, along with an excellent drummer, who manages to find the median between, artistically talented, and pompous show off. Once again the vocals were also a turn off, choir like, and very ulverish, they don't seem to have a lot of feeling behind them, it's almost as if the singer is singing off of some sheet music given to him for the song, but once again over some time, it began to grow on me, and the strange vocals now seem to blend in almost perfectly with the very direct music.

The album starts with Koreilia, the best track on the album, showing that the mellotron is indeed still alive and breathing outside of classic prog. After this small passage were introduced to the entire band, and what immediately gets me is how frontal the bass is, it's practically the rhythm guitar, with a very trebley tone, and a bit of distortion when the lead is doing it's chromatic arpeggios, and I absolutely love it! So the song goes, as it flows from one climax to the next, leaving you exhausted. When the next song comes and introduces the vocals, you may be a bit taken back with how formal the guy is trying to sound. I don't know whether it's because he's classically trained, or he's just trying to mask some Swedish accent to sound a little more normal, wither way, along with the lyrics, it is a bit cheesy, and it's just something you have to get used to over time. The music pretty much stays the same over the rest of the album, occasionally crumbling down to some simple electric guitar, and mellotron, but the music hits a very emotional level when you get to the song longing, an all acoustic song, and I mean completely acoustic. With only Cello's and an acoustic/classical guitar, it's so soothing you could almost compare it to some post rock. Afterwards you hit the ten minueter sad rain, while it is an excellent song, a little too long, and loses interest around the fifth minute.

Like I said before, this is the only Anekdoten album I can get into. The next couple of albums are devoid of the chunky bass lines, and just seem to lose the energy that is in Vemod. I highly recommend this to people who like King Crimson, but if you're into hard core prog, this probably isn't for you. In reality the music really doesnt strike me as terribly progressive, just extremely experimental with KC influences. Good album, good band, good songs. 4 stars

"Vemod" is the debut full-length studio album by Swedish progressive rock act Anekdoten. The album was released through Virtalevy in September 1993. Along with artists like Landberk, Änglagård, and The Flower Kings, Anekdoten was one of the responsible parties for the early 90s resurgence of Swedish progressive rock.

The music style on the album is a very John Wetton-era King Crimson inspired affair. Dark and melancholic mellotron parts along side dissonant, atonal, and bass heavy dittos. Lead vocalist/bassist Jan Erik Liljeström has a rather distinct sounding voice and his vocal style is pretty surely an aquired taste. The atmosphere is bleak, and melodies and vocals are drenched in melancholy. Anekdoten are generally a very well playing band, and they deliver their music with great passion and conviction (and with a great organic touch).

The 7 tracks (8 on the Japanese version of the album) on the 46:20 minutes long album are all well written, and vary between epic melancholic parts (featuring lots of mellotron and occasional use of cello), heavy and more energetic (slightly fusion influenced) parts, and mellow parts too. It´s certainly dynamic music, and the band use the light/dark effect with great success. Tracks like "Thoughts In Absence" and "Longing" represent the mellow part of the album, while tracks like "The Old Man & The Sea", and "The Flow", both represent the heavy side of the album. It´s not static though, and as mentioned above the album is quite dynamic both between tracks and within tracks.

The professional, organic, and well sounding sound production is a great asset and suits the music well. So upon conclusion "Vemod" is a strong debut album by Anekdoten. The band may wear their influences a bit too much on their sleeves on this particular release, but it´s not done in a ripp-off type of fashion, or in a way that makes the music sound like a tribute to King Crimson. Thankfully Anekdoten are real artists with a mission to create original sounding music, and they do manage to put their own spin on what might initially not sound that unique. A 4 star (80%) rating is deserved.

What is noticeable about this record is not that it was influenced by King Crimson's 'Red', but the impact it had on other artists, many of which would be part of the prog rebirth during the cusp of the millennium. In fact on the whole, Anekdoten's 'Vemod' sounds little like Fripp and company, reminding more of a very gifted club band ready to conquer the world but still just out of reach. And that's often a group's best period. Closer in spirit to NeBeLNeST or even early Pink Floyd, frostbitten but ready to warm things up with their fresh and spirited approach to hard prog, these four Swedes delivered an impressive first outing and except for some amateurish singing, it is a hugely satisfying collection that seems to grow a little bit deeper with each spin. The dual 'trons of Nicklas Berg and Anna Dahlberg lure us with some strangeness before the band pounds in for 'Karelia', Jan Erik Liljestrom's dominant bass taking Berg's guitar through a give and take of power and melody, Peter Nordin's astounding drums the lead instrument here. More loudness for 'The Old Man & the Sea', the quartet's use of mellotron a revelation of diversity and playful artistry, atonalities up against solid rock rhythms, guitars and drums dancing through a storm of Nordic proportions. Dramatic 'Where Solitude Remains' weaves balladry with angry punk, crushingly heavy 'The Flow' features Dahlberg's gutter cello, moving lament 'Longing' grieves for friends lost in the night, and symphonics of 'Wheel' finish a thoroughly great little album.

1993 was the year prog rock clawed its way out of its grave and set about haunting old proggers, largely thanks to Scandinavia, with ANEKDOTEN's debut 'Vemod' one of the vanguards of the new/old sound. The fact that this effort, and that of ANGLAGARD and a few others, was able eventually to revive an entire genre, ought to tell you enough about the quality of the music to encourage you to give it a listen.

The debate around exactly how much this band resembles KING CRIMSON is irrelevant. (I actually think there's plenty of YES in there myself, but so what?) The primary piece of information you need to know is that this band is bass-driven. That means it's brimming with wonderful rhythms.

Now there are plenty of reviewers out there ready to give ANEKDOTEN a good spanking for sounding derivative. To them Progressive Rock either died in the late 1970s or is still alive, but quite different to what we enjoyed in the so-called 'golden age'. I don't buy it, myself. What other category would you place this music in? And why does it matter who it sounds like? Who says 'I'm not using this photocopier because it works just like a Xerox?' To my mind there ought to be NO points for originality in the world. All the points should be awarded for excellence. Consider this on its merits.

And there are plenty of merits. JAN LILJESTROM's bass is spectacular, capturing the CHRIS SQUIRE sound almost perfectly. Less jazzy, but it still sounds like he pinched SQUIRE's old Rickenbacker and gives it a good thrashing. Allied with the FRIPP-like guitar and enormous lashings of mellotron, the band surely evokes the 1970s. None of which would be relevant if their material was sub-par. Happily, it isn't. They write very good material indeed. The addition of the cello does add a unique dimension to their sound - and, luckily, they know not to overuse it.

'Vemod' is ANEKDOTEN's first album and it shows, but it's still a great debut. The greatest hindrance here is the vocals, a little fragile and over-precise for such muscular music. The mix has been carefully engineered so LILJESTROM's voice isn't lost entirely. It would have helped if he'd been given some memorable melodies, but the rest of the band stole those. Added to this are the cliched lyrics, which spoil the dark mood generated by the music. He'll get better on subsequent releases.

ANEKDOTEN are a band all proggers ought to check out. While not their best, this is an excellent place to start. Laden with dark atmospherics, strong melodies, wonderful mellotron climaxes and emotional reveries, 'Vemod' is an excellent album.

They're Swedish, and they've obviously listened to a lot of King Crimson!

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!

Swedish quartet Anekdoten was one of those Scandinavian ensembles that reinvigorated the prog scene in the 90s, with "Vemod" being the debt statement. Not unlike Anglagård and Landberk, the Crimsonnian element was a strong component in the forge of the band's sound, but in the particular case of Anekdoten, the Prog King's heritage is recreated in a more visceral fashion, with a more liberal use of heavy sonorities and a major predominance of teh psychedelic factor. You can also notice hints to early Univers Zero, teh standard of Goth rock and contemporary psyche-rock, which results in the achievement of a pretty dark marriage of aggressiveness and oppressiveness. The amounts of skill and energy that each individual member states in the overall amalgam are undeniably impressive, and that's the reason why the sonic aggression work so well - it's a perfectly joint effort, a joint challenge to the Crimson-loyal prog fan who isn't afraid to explore and look at their own demons while listening to prog rock. Berg's guitar can deliver ultra-hard riffs and subtle chord progressions with equal sensibility; the beautiful cellist Anna Sofi Dahlberg can adapt the instrument's inherent solemnity to the tracks' respective moods and developments. Both members share mellotron duties: the presence of this iconic instrument, of course, helps to reinforce the band's connection to the prog genre's roots. The rhythm duo supports the overall sonic journeys, being particularly featured in the mix (especially regading Liljesröm's obsession for the fuzzed bass).After an ethereal intro of mellotron an cello, 'Karelia' erupts with pompous flames that burn everything along the way using its rough sonorities as weapons. Things remains as strong in 'The Old Man & the Sea' and 'Where Solitude Remains', although both tracks include additional nuances through the themes' developments, which in turn creates a somewhat bigger diversity within the well-defined framework. Melancholy expressed with an anger that aims to make the frustration clearly explicit - this seems to be the resolute leitmotif. 'Thoughts in Absence' changes things quite a bit when that melancholy is delivered in a more languid manner, developing a dense semi-ballad where at times things seem to be actually whispering... A nice mood wrapped in an autumnal reflectiveness. The sense of urgent anger returns with a vengeance in 'The Flow', which really flows in an electrifying fashion: all in all, it doesn't bear the same sense of sophistication that had made the best of the first 3 pieces, but it is indeed a very good track. 'Longing' is an oasis of lyrical meditation among the overall emotional tension: it is a beautiful instrumental based on the interaction between classical guitar arpeggios and cello lines, a chamber-friendly serenade nurtured with added pastoral moods. After this moment of spiritual solace comes the amazing closing song, arguably the best Anekdoten composition ever - I'm referring to 'Wheel'. Its management of contrasts and the liberal use of mellotron (strings, woodwind, brass), sustained on the robust rhythm section bring out the band's essence at its most epic. Perhaps one could feel that the energy prevalent in tracks 1-3 and the dynamics of track 5 were anticipations of the final splendor delivered in the last track. A great closure for a great album, "Vemod" is a reminder of the sort of progressive greatness that Anekdoten were capable of creating even from their "cradle days".

As Anekdoten started life as a band playing King Crimson covers it's hardly surprising that when they got round to writing their own songs they came across as sounding very much in the vein of Crimson. They belong to a group of prog bands to emerge from Sweeden in the early nineties including the likes of Anglagard, unlike whom are still active today.

Vemod whilst not their best is nevertheless a stunning debut by anyone's standards. Their songs combine a melancholic beauty largely down to Anna Sofi Dahlberg's use of Mellotron and occasional cello, with bombastic Robert Fripp inspired guitar riffs courtesy of Nicklas Berg. Jan Erik Liljeström's bass often takes a front seat with an incredibly powerful, pummelling sound who along with excellent and sympathetic to whats required drummer Peter Nordins make up a brilliant rhythm section.

The King Crimson influences largely come from mid seventies period, say between Larks Tongues In Aspic and Red but earlier Crimson influences can also be heard, for example on the likes of the more reflective Thoughts In Absence. All this talk of Crimson influences gives the impression that Anekdoten don't have an original idea in their heads but they give their sound an inventive and contempory edge and Berg's vocals have a haunting melancholic quality in no way reminiscent of Greg Lake and John Wetton.

On an album of such consistent quality it's churlish to single out individual tracks for praise and such are its strengths, Vemod is an album I never tire of listening to from start to finish.

I love King Crimson. I love King Crimson so much that I even love a band that isn't King Crimson but sounds like King Crimson.

Right from the start, Anekdoten, with Mellotron, distorted bass, guitar, drums and cello, sounds amazingly like Bruford/Wetton/Cross era King Crimson. But that's not a bad thing. And the King Crimson influence actually spans almost all of the different band incarnations. The opening track, ,Karelia sounds alot like Sailor's Tale from Islands, as it might have been played by the Wetton era band. The song eventually changes to a riff that sounds more like Easy Money. Jan Erik Liljeström's vocal sound similar to Boz Burrell. One song sounds eerily similar to In The Wake Of Poseidon.

But don't get me wrong. Although most of this album will give you King Crimson flashbacks, the material is original enough to sound, for the most part, like an original band.

Anekdoten's debut is a dark and powerful album that should appeal to all admirers of King Crimson's Red. Unless those people would say that only King Crimson is allowed to create churning bass driven rock in weird time signatures with dissonant guitar power chords and smoky vocals!

So that pretty much sums up how they sound. Maybe add the brooding atmosphere and entrancing pace of Magma to the list and you might have a good idea of what Anekdoten is all about on their debut album. Oh yes, there's even more, they really pull it off really well.

I would almost give 5 stars here but as they would still grow on further albums I'll stick with 4. Nevertheless, you really shouldn't miss this slab of muscle prog!

I am a big fan of King Crimson from their very beginning till modern time. So, when I just started to listen Anekdoten debut album, two minds were born in my head.

The first was - OK, it's strong KC tribute band even with some elements of originality. Some pieces sound as clear citates from early KC songs.

And second - whoof..., it's nice, that in our time the new bands returning back to genius ideas and even trying to continue and develop them.

So, after listening of all album, my opinion is the same ( just mix of this two minds, as above).

Yes, band is interesting musically and in techniques, has own transcriptions of KC ideas. A bit pity, sound quality and producing could be better, what is important for music like this.

But too often and too much you hear KC citates.

So, in total, it a perfec debut, and very important, what happens after (OK, now we know, that step by step group found their own way later).

So, recommended as interesting variations to KC theme for all KC fans, as well as fans of later , more unique, Anekdoten just to see how did all were started.

This album was a love at first listen, which is truly a surprise after my string of on-off relationships with Ankedoten!

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)

I can still remember a cold afternoon in 1995 when a friend came to my house with a bunch of Scandinavian albums of bands with names I could hardly pronounce, he was so exited with the music that we spent several hours listening them, but I wasn't ready for this change.

The late 70's and the end of the first golden era of Prog had been terrible for me, during the 80's got many album of Neo Prog bands, but I wasn't able to capture the greatness I could find in albums like "Foxtrot", "Close to the Edge" or "Trilogy", so I stayed the whole decade searching for the early gems released before I started listening Progressive Rock around 1976.

So when this guy came with this albums that were described as a return to the roots, I had a bit of hope, but being that I used to like pristine Symphonic almost exclusively, this complex releases with King Crimson influence sounded too cacophonic for my taste.

But time passes and tastes change, with the birth of INTERNET and the incredible amount of information available discovered a new universe and learned to accept many Neo Prog albums and to appreciate the greatness of this new bread of Swedish musicians who dared to write great Symphonic Prog with a new complexity, ÄNGLAGÅRD became my new GENESIS and PAR LIND PROJECT replaced EL&P in my list of preferences but still there was a lot more to discover, and VEMOD was one of the best debuts I ever listened.

Even when ANEKDOTEN is not properly a Symphonic band, "Vemod" has that nostalgic sound of the 70's with a fresh atmosphere that was like a breeze of fresh air for ears not ready to totally abandon the classic sound of Prog but willing to appreciate bands that will play my favourite music with a new approach, so here I am re-discovering the excellent music from the Scandinavian Symphonic Renaissance of the 90's.

"Vemod" starts with "Karelia" and it's sober introduction, the dense atmosphere surrounds the listener with that obscure and mysterious sound until the whole band explodes into a powerful mixture of instruments and musical elements with evident KING CRIMSON influence, but at the same time a strong sense of melody that even now I'm not able to find in "Fripp and company".

The guitar performance by Nicklas Berg and it's interplay with all the different key instruments is perfect, and if we add he solid percussion, we have the exact mix of Rock and Classical - Avant influences, it's obvious hat the 90's marked a revolution in the genre. Unlike the previous track, "The Old Man and the Sea" starts without any introduction, from the beginning everything is pure power, but when the excellent vocals enter, a radical change occurs, the song turns absolutely melancholic, the melody enhanced by the Mellotron is totally reminiscent of "In the Court of the Crimson King".

From this point the song goes "in crescendo" with a delightful fantasy of keyboards and guitars, and even when the track is not too radical, the constant and subtle changes keep the interest of the listener.

"Where Solitude Remains" proves the versatility of the band, the Heavy music is absolutely aggressive and shocking, but again they manage to add calmed vocal passages in which they demonstrate their respect for a good melody, but the highest point of this song is in the dissonant passages that demonstrate that we are in front of a new form of Prog.

"Thoughts in Absence" is the shorter and probably the less attractive song, not bad, but a simple and gentle ballad that flows delicate from the first to the last note, good but a bit out of place in such an elaborate release.

Now, for the lovers of weird and contradictory music, "The Flow" must be a delight, hey, even for a guy like me, raised in a universe where melodic Prog was king, this aggression to the senses is absolutely pleasant, the dissonant vocals in the vein of GENTLE GIANT and the almost Heavy music, make a perfect combination, specially when the organ and Mellotron add so fantastic performances.

"Longing" is another short track, and as in the case of "Thoughts in Absence" is pretty soft and calmed, but in this case we are not before a simple ballad, ANEKDOTEN presents us an amazing combination of acoustic guitar and dark obscure organ.

The album is closed with "Wheel" (My Japanese copy has an extra song, but as usual I will review the album as the author released it originally), another mysterious and melancholic rack in which the male chorus combine in a splendid way with the sweet voice of Anna Sofi Dahlberg.

Even when it starts soft and melodic, you can expect anything from the second minute until the end, will only say that this is what I imagine when people talk about Progressive Rock.

I must say that "Vemod" is an excellent album that I enjoyed from start to end, and would deserve 5 stars if it wasn't for "Thoughts in Absence" that in my opinion takes it a bit down, so I will rate ANEKDOTEN'S debut with 4 solid stars.

Anekdoten provide thought provoking, mellotron-soaked music on an amazing debut

My first listen to Anekdoten has been a pleasurable experience. The melancholy and ambience the band emit with mellotron, cello and soft vocals is akin to the type of material heard from the legendary King Crimson. The guitar work is so refined and creative it takes music to new levels.

The debut album, 'Vemod' translated in Sweden as 'sadness' is a master work of mellotron-soaked heavy prog. The musicians play like a well-oiled machine, the rhythm section, consists of the bassline hammering of Jan Erik Liljeström who incidentally provides all vocals, and the drumming of Peter Nordins who keeps time with precision. The Fripp-inspired guitarist Nicklas Berg is also a mellotron muso and he is joined by Anna Sofi Dahlberg, on mellotron, keys and cello. At times she sings parts which add to the texture and nuances of the songs. On piano is Per Wiberg who provides some lovely scales and arpeggios preferring to play pianofortissimo, in fact the whole band like it loud. The subtle shades of dark and light tones are evident on every track, where sound provides an atmosphere of darkness with heavy deep basslines, and light when the piano is allowed to be joyful, and the mellotron cascades across the void.

There are so many highlights including the mesmirising 'Karelia' which is an instrumental focusing on bass and drum patterns, odd time signatures and full blown mellotron. The real interesting component of the track is the slicing Cello which feels menacing and creates tension in the soundscape.

Another great track is 'The Old Man and The Sea' that begins and ends with an industrial scraping bass effect, incredibly played by Liljeström. There are layers of sound including cello and grand piano that add a true sense of adventure to the music. It is like nothing else I have heard. The band are genuine virtuosos and they never hold back although you sense at times they pull out to release members of the band to shine. The sustained mellotron shimmers with increasing volume and feels chilling to the marrow when those deep resonances are unleashed creeping through your senses. The vocals are well sung on this and it adds a sense of dread the way the lyrics are written: 'The storm has raged here for hours, the water's plunging in on me, The remains of my creation is swallowed slowly down by the troubled sea into unconsecrated ground, gone eternally, gone eternally, Feeder of my visions, carrier of my soul, The last hope for the dreamers, now crashing to the shore, pinioned and torn In presumption and with my foolish pride, I challenged the storm, I challenged the storm.' It reminds me of the old adage of a man battling against the elements similar to the tale of Moby Dick in some respects. Perfect prog theme.

'Where Solitude Remains' begins with a blistering heavy bass riff that is chunked up to the max, and the mellotron sweeps across until finally it breaks to a quiet pad and Liljeström's vocals softly tell the strange tale: 'I watch the clouds through my window, sail across the sky and underneath the canopy, gulls, they wheel and glide, the shoreline stretches endlessly along these windswept plains, I wander through this barren land where solitude remains, I've made myself a universe in this far-off home, unseen from the outside world, here I live and roam and though I've tried assiduously to heal the wounds with time, you'll haunt me in my memories until I die.' I think the lyrics are some of the best I have come across expressing true alienation and loss, foreboding but thoughtful, and the music answers perfectly with appropriate precise emotional nuances. The instrumental at the end is so arresting, emotional and played with excellence, it seals the deal that this is another definitive highlight.

'Thoughts in Absence' is a type of break in transmission, a much softer approach with mellotron, clean guitar and clear vocals about life's ups and downs: 'ease and calm you give but life begins... my time has come now, this bird has flown, a glimpse of hope but still an everlasting moment' Certainly it is cliché driven dialogue but it works as a balladic piece, in sharp contrast to the relentless riffing on other songs. The song is sugarsweet, shimmering and short. It works nicely between two killer tracks.

'The Flow' is my favourite, it really grew on me and I cannot get over how incredible the music is. It begins with minimalist woodwind sounds and chimes, a monkey wails and jungle echo percussions give an ethereal atmosphere. The guitar fades in with relentless picking ala Fripp style. There is a blood curdling scream signifying that the band are ready to go into full flight. The chord changes are fastidious and fabulous, descending and doomy. The monstrous bassline is astonishing and an off kilter drum beat adds the perfect balance. The fluid, lulling mellotron pads are huge, creating a massive wall of sound. Then it phases out during the soft vocalised verses: 'Random lines fall in place, adulterines slowly fade away, I'm sucked in deep by the flow, taken in by the undertow.' An instrumental break is unleashed with Dahlberg's heavenly cello that is grinded and tortured before an angular guitar blazes away. It is simply awesome and I had the chills when that chord progression suddenly took a detour and the foreboding cello sliced to its conclusion.

Another highlight is 'Wheel' with an accentuated angular riff that is constant with some estranged vocal harmonies. The flugelhorn on this is divine, amidst a backdrop of booming bass and off beat drums. The main thing I am really impressed here is the ghostly, ethereal vocals of Anna Dahlberg who compliments Jan Erik Liljeström beautifully. The lengthy instrumental break is uplifting and multilayered with mellotron and guitar.

'Sad Rain' is the bonus track to the CD that heavily relies on soft mellotron, sounding at times like a flute, very pretty and melancholy. The lyrics are heartfelt bittersweet about walking on a path that never ends: 'and so our time has come, my friend, the child who cries and no-one seems to care, the echoes of the birds are gone, the sky is painted grey, but it's so warm, searching for a light in the darkness, trying to keep your eyes from the dirt, taste the bitter wine of tomorrow, I'm walking on a path that never ends.' Wonderful emotional music that is invigorating and thought provoking.

There seems to be strong recurrent theme on this album about being lost at sea and feeling a sense of isolation and alienation from society, a loss of great magnitude is all pervading, and a sense of hopelessness and reaching out in despair. Yet I could not call it a concept album, as it is more subtle than that but there is no denying the thematic content is linked.

As this is the debut for the band I had reservations about giving a masterpiece status but, hang it, the album is astounding and deserves recognition. It is not often you encounter music at the measure of this calibre, but when you do, it is mesmirising and you cannot get enough of it. I became hooked on the band from this debut and made an effort to systematically get every album. That in itself is a true sign as far as I am concerned to award 5 stars and so I shall, without reservation.

Sweden seemed to be the home of 'retro-prog' during the early 1990s, with this album and the debut of Anglagard. This is the only Anekdoten album I have heard so far and it really does sound a lot like King Crimson. Not just the Wetton-era, which is the most obvious influence, but I can hear traces of Crimson's first three albums as well. The bass is very Wetton sounding, while the Mellotron recalls the first three KC albums. You can hear influence from other groups from time to time (Vemod is taken from a song by Swedish group Kultivator, for example). I don't like the lead vocals too much, but they are done in perfect English with no hint of an accent.

After a symphonic opening section, "Karelia" switches to a Red-era rocker. The guitar playing later gets more jazzy. I like the mix of Mellotron, jazzy drumming and distorted bass over halfway. A very good instrumental which is probably my favourite song on the album. "The Old Man And The Sea" sounds like something from the first two KC albums when the vocals start. Gets more Red-era sounding later. Very Fripp-like guitar near the end. You can listen to "Where Solitude Remains" here on PA. This song seems a bit more folky during the verses. Gets jazzier in the middle, followed by some brief start/stop playing. Very symphonic towards the end.

"Thought In Absence" is a laid-back jazzy song with brushes on the snare drum. The vocals here sound very similar to Greg Lake when he was in KC. Nice electric piano sound over halfway. "The Flow" starts with some weird sounds. After a minute of that goes into a mix of Red-era KC and '80s-era KC. The majority of the song is heavy symphonic prog. Later more Red-era again with some cool cello playing. Gets very '80s KC sounding near the end. "Longing" is an instrumental focused on acoustic guitar and cello. Nice song but nothing outstanding.

"Wheel" is one of the better songs. There is a melody here which gets reprised throughout the song which sounds like one of the songs on Lizard (can't remember which one exactly). I like the mix of male and female vocals here. Some '80s KC interlocking guitars at one point. Great trumpet solo. This song sounds like a cross between Lizard and Red with just the right amount of Discipline. A cool effect at the very end when the sound changes to something recorded on a cheap tape recorder. "Sad Rain" is a bonus track and the longest song. Basically it sounds like a more upbeat "In The Court Of The Crimson King"(the song).

This is alright but I might enjoy Nucleus more. It's more highly regarded and supposedly more original sounding. To me this sounds more like a homage to '70s Crimson than most Neo-Prog sounds like a homage to Gabriel-era Genesis. My favourite Scandinavian prog groups generally have their own unique sound. Good but not essential, 3 stars.

Anekdoten's debut album finds them already mastering their chosen style - a style heavily inspired by King Crimson from around the period of Red, with a combination of raging guitar, a jazzy rhythm section and melancholic Mellotron creating an air of nostalgia and yearning on each track. King Crimson fans who seriously miss the Red era will doubtless find it endlessly entertaining, and there's the odd departure into lighter, jazzier territory than Anekdoten would ever revisit which offers a tantalising glimpse of all the directions with Anekdoten could have taken their music in but ultimately chose not to. Plus the cover art is just charming - a delightful throwback to the old Vertigo aesthetic.

King Crimson comparisons abound for Anekdoten's debut album Vemod and rather than presenting a dissenting view, I will just join the choir on this one.

Just about everything familiar, alien, loved or loathed from (primarily) ca.-Red era King Crimson can be found on Vemod: keen dynamic awareness and exploitation of the massive power in jumping from the calm to the chaotic in wild abandon, throwing out more minimal atmospheric focus for powerful, musically busy aggression by the flick of a switch along the way. The similarities do of course not end there, but continue all the way down to the sound of the instruments. Along the way you will recognize the unstable, neurotic melodies and slight atonality and chromaticism of Fripp (coupled with the equally familiar angular, uncompromising riffs), the muscular, distorted and dominant bass lines, soaring Mellotron and a mix of forceful and dexterous drumming. Even the moods come across as rehashed: twitchy, neurotic melancholy, sad reflectiveness, a ray of wondrous light in the midst of aching sorrow. Plain old fun if you're into the brooding or dark side of stuff! Take any of those feelings, transport it by a dense, ominous buildup of slightly malevolent sounds and let it explode in a cathartic eruption of frustrated, crashing instrumental thunder.

But it isn't identical. Out goes the violin, in comes the cello. Not the most dramatic of changes, but it definitely brings more fullness to the soundscape. However, the major differences, as I see them, are two. Or possibly three. Because when peaking in intensity, there's a streak of more hard-hitting aggression and speed to the music, making it feel more contemporary metal or heavy rock. It's just a stronger crossover into that world than King Crimson ever tried to accomplish; more riff-driven and direct, rawer and more "honestly" energetic, if that makes sense to you. Some of the grittier parts are sometimes spectacularly heavy, but also rather fast and rhythmically bouncy. Funnily enough, the other main difference I would identify is found in the very opposite end of the music. When in mellower territories, there's a streak of vulnerability and sensitivity to both the clean, precise vocal lines (sometimes even lacking in power) and melodies I don't really associate with King Crimson, something that could be described (perhaps wrongly) as a touch of a more ethereal, introverted indie/alternative-influence. The addition of piano fleshes out these bits and serves as an excellent indicator of the third difference: a will to enrich the arrangements, a search for more melodious fullness ( even mildness) and a decidedly more organic and agile approach to the compositions than the mid-70s-King Crimson, who despite even improvisation can come across as a bit formal and disciplined (perhaps even academical) to this reviewer.

I thoroughly enjoy Vemod, but think the band paid just a bit to much tribute to their apparent heroes here. There is individuality to be sure, but it's a bit underdeveloped and raw at this point, and the band would go on to make more interesting albums later. And sadly, things tend to stay a bit same-old-same-old as well, with songs morphing into each other at a bit too high a rate. This is made even more obvious due to the similarity of mood throughout the album, causing just a bit of listening-fatigue.

A nice addition, a good debut, but far from essential.

3 stars.

//LinusW

Vemod is the result of the talent of a bunch of musicians who had the ability to consider the past while achieving to sound actual for their time!

And yes, this album sounds a lot like King Crimson, and sometimes even like Van Der Graaf Generator. But it's also has glimpses of grunge, alternative rock and even punk. Yes! That's what I ask of a progressive band, and Anekdoten delivered in a magnificent way.

Nevertheless, the production of the album is not the best. The drums are a bit too loud in occasions and the vocals are not really good implemented. I think Jan Erik Liljeström is not such a lousy singer as he seems to be in this album. In Nucleus he sounds better, and in posterior releases even better. So, I think that the out of tone segments that we can hear in this album are in part because of the weak production.

But it's all part of the charm of Vemod, I guess.

Karelia starts the album and Anekdoten's career in a great way, with a dark keyboard and a precious mellotron melody. After that a pungent bass appears introducing some guitar melodies very reminiscent to King Crimson, but filtered out by heavy distortion (or punk) which set us undoubtedly in the 90's.

The Old Man and the Sea starts with a schizophrenic riff which leads to another calmer one, imitating the sound of the waves. Just great! And at this moment the vocals appear? And I don't really know if I love the singing or I hate it. After repeatedly hearing this album I find the vocals not so annoying, but I guess that it's an acquired taste. At 3:47 we find an outstanding punk riff which leads to a great progressive section. Just incredible! Shame of the weak singing in this one.

Where solitude remains has a brutal bass line at the beginning, which lead to verses dominated by keyboards, very good despite the mediocre vocals. The chorus is more intense and the great bass appears again. After the chorus Anekdoten show their most psychedelic side, with an outstanding guitar solo. But the singing is just lame? "Taiaiaiaiaiaiam Looost" Just awful.

Thoughts in Absence is a marvelous acoustic song which had a lot of influence through the 90's in my opinion, especially in acts like Opeth or Green Carnation. And the vocals are undoubtedly better in this one! Thanks God. The Flow has a completely atmospheric beginning but after that we can hear another crazy riff and piercing bass flowing, intertwined with great notes of cello and mellotron. The vocals are not good, but at least not so annoying this time. At the end of the song we can hear where Opeth took inspiration to create their characteristic riffs!

Longing is another instrumental composition with precious acoustic guitars and cello. Almost a perfect one! And Wheel is also outstanding, with its melodies which go up and down through a limited scale in attempt to imitate the form of the aforementioned wheel. The Jan Erik Liljeström's vocals are accompanied this time of the Anna Sofi Dahlberg ones, achieving the best vocal interpretation of the album. After a prodigious solo of drums, bass and trumpet we encounter the initial riff again, closing this album properly.

Conclusion: Vemod is an outstanding mixture of piercing bass melodies, tons of mellotron, weak vocals and imaginative guitars in the vein of King Crimson, and a cello (and trumpet) work reminiscent of Van der Graaf Generator. But Anekdoten has the ability to mix this 70's influences with the typical grunge, alternative rock and heavy of the 90's, achieving a unique and very influential sound.

I think a lot of bands, especially in Sweden, took a lot of ideas of Anekdoten and Vemod. So, despite the weak vocals (maybe given by the sub-par production), I think this album is an excellent addition to every prog-music collection.

Best Tracks: Karelia, The Old Man and the Sea, Longing, Wheel.

My rating: ****

After the neo-prog dominated 80s, the entire world of progressive rock exploded in the 1990s with so-called prog revival bands jumping onto the scene. Bands like Spock's Beard, Dream Theater, The Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree, Tool, Symphony X and Thinking Plague were reviving the vast wealth of sounds that were incubated in the 1970s which mostly lay dormant through the music industry dominated 80s. The Swedish scene was one of the most productive with bands like Anglagard taking the lead with its outstanding debut "Hybris" in 1992 but right at its side was another Swedish band from Borlãnge that formed in 1990 and delivered its first powerhouse debut in 1993.

ANEKDOTEN formed by Jan Erik Liljeström (bass, vocals), Nicklas Berg [aka Nicklas Barker] (guitar, Mellotron, vocals) and drummer Peter Nordins took a different approach than many of its 90s counterparts. Eschewing the blatant Pink Floyd inspired space rock, the symphonic prog excesses of Yes and Genesis or the nerdy avant-prog workouts inspired by the Belgian chamber rock scene, ANEKDOTEN looked rather back to King Crimson, specifically its "Red" album and created a heavy style of art rock that implemented a bantering Rickenbacker bass, Fripp-ian guitar angularities and a turbulent atmospheric delivery. VEMOD was the debut album and in Swedish means "sadness" or "melancholy." The album indeed delivered the perfect mix of instrumentation that offered the perfect downer vibe.

Soaked in mellotron, the album featured a veritable mix of creepy atmospheres augmented by the lugubrious cello playing of Anna Sofi Dahlberg which contrasted starkly with the heavy rock workouts of the chugging guitar, bass fuzz and percussive pummelation which in tandem delivered an oddball mix of psychedelic folk style passages with heavier prog rock that verged on drifting into extreme metal territory. Also notable was the unique tender vocal style of Jan Erik Liljeström who added that detached Thom Yorke melancholy before Radiohead latched onto the same idea. VEMOD finds the extra touches of guest Per Wiberg delivering grand piano runs as well as Pär Ekström adding the occasional flugelhorn and cornet sounds.

The opening instrumental "Karelia" sets the mood with eerie old school mellotron synth sounds that burst into the KC proto-metal "Red" dissonance which dominate the band's first two albums before drifting off more into psychedelic territories. Given the uniqueness of ANEKDOTEN's sound, the opener allows an acclimation period before the album begins its vocal dominated aspects on "The Old Man & The Sea." By this time the various complexities of the instrumental interplay had been well established and then allow the cryptic English vocals to add an entirely new dimension to the band's overall effect. Taking things much further than KC ever did with "Red," ANEKDOTEN demonstrated that KC had plenty of life left after its sole offering of that particular phase of Robert Tripp's creative output and added a 90s spin that fit in with the alternative outsider music that dominated the decade.

The album perfectly balances the brooding slower passages with the frenetic and even jarring brashness of the heavy prog workouts that find the guitar, bass and drums in some sort of trance inducing psychosis but the skilled musicians maintain firm control of their seemingly uncontrollable beast and demonstrate an unshakable restraint. Perhaps the most "Red" sounding of all is the "ballad" "Thoughts In Absence" which evokes that same more chilled moment of "Fallen Angel" however ANEKDOTEN crafted a much darker, even depressive take on KC's 1974 classic. The juxtaposition of the spidery guitar parts with mellotron-soaked ambience gives ANEKDOTEN a sound like no other and despite comparisons with bands like Anglagard, Magma, Ruins and others, ANEKDOTEN remains to this day a unique prog force that somehow conjured up the perfect blend of bombastic hypnosis.

ANEKDOTEN was no one trick pony with a constant evolution throughout its run through the 90s and beyond and although every album is brilliant in its own way, for my personal tastes i still find this debut to be my absolute favorite of the lot. It not only captured the spirit of the 70s greats that launched the entire prog scene but gave it all a serious upgrade in a way that was quite effective with a multitude of interesting diversions into everything from classical chamber psychedelia to post-rock like repetition. Needless to say the band mastered all the Frippian techniques of "Red" and took them to the next level and beyond. Despite all these astute analyses, the album is just a pure joy to experience from beginning to end and one of those that i never tire of.

Everything blends together impeccably and no element is so dominant that it becomes monotonous. ANEKDOTEN delivered one of the most artful blends of classic prog with a new spin on VEMOD and delivers musically exactly what the eerie cover art depicts. While considered a form of retro prog, VEMOD excelled at true originality above and beyond the influences. This is one of 90s prog's greatest moments IMHO. ANEKDOTEN would take the extremities even further on the following "Nucleus" before abandoning the harshness altogether in favor of a more psychedelic and progressive take on the style of the space rock revival of Radiohead. While those albums are interesting, to my ears VEMOD is one of the band's finest moments.