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Anekdoten

Heavy Prog

4.08 | 493 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

ZowieZiggy
Prog Reviewer

Third album from this Swedish band. They have finally matured and their cloning character is somewhat left aside (but it was about time).

Not that you couldn't related this album with Crimson, but it holds much more personality than its predecessors. One of my fave it the wonderful Kiss Of Life. Great mellotron, gloomy mood, cold atmosphere. In one word : superb.

This album has definite affinities with some later Porcupine Tree work (From Within) but what pleases me an awful lot are these fantastic mellotron lines. They are rescuing a song as Groundbound for instance which is rather noisy at times (and more like their previous works if you see what I mean).

The jewel of this album is of course Hole. Symphonic dark? A new genre, maybe. Vocals dig again in the VDGG ring. And the same persevering mellotron just makes it so great. Ambient at times, it get wild as well. Almost metal. Almost. They almost reinvented the mellotron usage. So far, this instrument was used in a symphonic way, but Anekdoten integrate it during dark and heavy passages, adding such an extraordinary feeling to their music.

Slow Fire is probably not the greatest song from this album. Not the best start to be honest, but while the powerful instrumental part catches up, it is really irresistible. Not a highlight here, but one good song more.

Anekdoten has accomplished a great combination between metal and symphonic sounds. A grandiose mixture and a daring step forward to a more own sound even if the hypnotic savour of several songs remind the master (The Sun Absolute). There is only one weak track in this album : the closing number. A tranquil goodbye on a melancholic tone.

I have to say that this is my fave Anekdoten album so far. An excellent work deserving a solid four star rating. Impressive. The omni-presence of the mellotron is of course not alien to my likings.

ZowieZiggy | 4/5 | 2008-1-15

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