01	Karelia						07:21
	02	The Old Man & The Sea						07:49
	03	Where Solitude Remains						07:21
	04	Thoughts In Absence						04:12
	05	The Flow						07:00
	06	Longing						04:54
	07	Wheel						07:52

coverscan and track listing from the 1995 Japanese pressing; the original pressing does not have the bonus track "Sad Rain"

Jan Erik Liljestrom, bass, voice;
Nicklas Berg, guitar, Mellotron, voice;
Peter Nordins, drums, percussion;
Anna Sofi Dahlberg, Mellotron, keys, cello, voice

All lyrics by Jan Erik Liljestrom except "Thoughts in Absence" and "Sad Rain" (Japanese edition) by Nicklas Berg.

Tracklist:
1. Karelia - 7:20
2. The Old Man and the Sea - 7:50
3. Where Solitude Remains - 7:20
4. Thought in Absence - 4:10
5. The Flow - 6:58
6. Longing - 4:50
7. Wheel - 7:52
8. Sad Rain - 10:14

Bob Eichler:
As most reviews point out, this band started out as a bit of a clone of mid-70s King Crimson. The Crim influence is particularly noticeable on this first album, but there's also enough originality to please even those who hate "copycat" bands. I've seen Anekdoten described as neoprog due to this copying of an older band's style, but in my book this music is about as far as you can get from neo.
The album spends most of its time at one of two extremes, either raging and pounding or delicate and beautiful. The band plays both styles very well.
I've seen several people complain about the vocals, but they sound fine to me. They're not outstanding, but they're nice enough, well suited to the music and don't feature the annoying accents that most non-English-speaking bands tend to have when they try to sing in English. The lyrics aren't the best (a little too melodramatic and cliche-ridden), but they don't detract from the music. For me, the vocals tend to sink into the background.
All in all, I really enjoy this disc but I prefer its follow-up, Nucleus. That album continues in the same vein, but with a more original sound, more intense heavy parts and more beautiful quiet parts. Of course, that's just my opinion. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing this band at NEARFest 2000, and picking up their new album.

Brandon Wu:
This was the first CD I ever bought from a prog specialty vendor (Greg Walker in my case). As such, it has a special place in my album collection, though that's also because I think it's an absolutely stellar work. Yes, it is clearly very much influenced by King Crimson, from the deeply pounding bass to the odd, screaming guitar lines to the Mellotron-soaked symphonism. However, I feel that the music on this album is strong enough to overcome the fact that it is somewhat derivative. I would disagree with those that argue that Anekdoten have not developed their own style, instead simply aping King Crimson.
The opening track remains possibly my favorite piece by the band: an instrumental where in the intro, brooding Mellotron is overrun by a driving bass which never fails to give me chills. Later, that same bass slowly grinds over brooding cello work, building to an intense climax. "The Old Man and the Sea", "The Flow", and "Wheel" are all great, hard-driving pieces that feature that same killer bass with some decent vocal work and great performances all around. An almost uniquely Scandinavian moodiness reigns throughout, giving the album a kind of somber majesty. It's especially evident in "Longing", a gorgeously mellow instrumental led by cello and acoustic guitar that's perfect to listen to while staring out the window on a cold, drizzly, overcast day.
Those who bought the Japanese pressing of this album are treated to a bonus track that's actually on par with the rest of the material. The almost-epic "Sad Rain" is a truly Mellotron-drenched tour de force that evokes that same somber emotion just as well as the rest of the tracks on the album proper.
I may be biased, given that this is the first foreign progressive album I ever bought, but I do think that despite its flaws - lack of originality, somewhat thin vocals - this album stands on its own merits very, very well. I highly recommend this to fans of King Crimson and hard progressive rock in general. Don't expect anything really innovative, just a heavy, moody, darkly beautiful piece of Crimsonish music.

======================

Vemod reviews
Dean Suzuki, I/E Anekdoten is yet another remarkable progressive group from Scandinavia. Taking a cue from Anglagard, they have struck out on their own with this self-produced and released CD (a limited edition LP version is also available from Colours). That they borrow liberally from early and especially middle-period King Crimson is undeniable: in fact, at times they present themselves as a clone band, but one which plays with all of the ferocity and musicality of the original. Additonally, the group is also influenced by the instrumental and compositional style of Yes, though this influence is not as pervasive. Of special note is bassist Jan Erik Liljestrom, who captures the snarling, buzzing sound and style of John Wetton, as formed somewhat by that of Chris Squire. Guitarist Nicklas Berg borrows liberally from the Fripp method, with a bit of Steve Howe thrown in. The opening track "The Old Man and The Sea" (sic), has elements of the mellotron epic (the group sports two mellotron players!) that sounds primarily like similar works by Crimson, but with echoes of "Heart of the Sunrise". One point of weakness is Liljestrom_s singing. Adequate, but never compelling, the group either needs to find a strong lead vocalist or forcus on their complex and savage instrumental strength. One can quibble with the sometimes all-too-close modelling after King Crimso, but not with Anekdoten_s musicality, which is monstrous.
Alan Freeman, Audion Well, first for the 90_s from Sweden we had Landberk, then the even greater Anglagard, and now Sweden_s unashamed answer to the great King Crimson: the phenomenally powerful Anekdoten. To say the least, Anekdoten are quite an extraordinary quartet: Nicklas Berg has seriously taken the Robert Fripp guitar style to heart, and also has a touch of abstract jazziness in the vein of early Allan Holdsworth (circa 'Igginbottoms Wrench'), he can be both raucous and subtle (he also plays Mellotron): Jan Erik Liljestrom is much more than your average bassist, he tends to to fill out the sound with solos rather than straight riffing, on the heavy tracks he can rip out a sound close to Jannick Top in his heyday, he_s also the lead vocalist with a style close to John Wetton: then there_s drummer Peter Nordin, who doesn_t really sound like Bill Bruford, but more like a mixture of the fury of Christian Vander crossed with the nimbleness of Jon Hiseman: and last, but not least, Ankekdoten_s star wild-card Anna Sofi Dahlberg, a classically trained cellist, she also plays Mellotron and does some vocals. Apparently, at one time Anekdoten_s repertoire was solely King Crimson songs, and although there_s some deliberate King Crimson clichй rip-offs here, Anekdoten have created a music that does things that King Crimson would probably never have thought of, and there_s that underlying oddness and vitality that permeates Swedish music. To go into detail on the seven individual tracks would I_m sure ruin the surprises in store for the purchaser, but I will say this, that although Anekdoten have a style, every track on the album is quite different, from the devastating opening instrumental Karelia to the dreamy ballad Longing which is close to the quieter moments of Landberk. Closest to King Crimson is The Flow, almost a rewrite of One more Red Nightmare. Anekdoten make a fantastic and visionary music that , dare I say it, leaves Robert Fripp_s 80_s attempt to resurrect King Crimson way behind. Okay, maybe it_s not quite the masterpiece that Anglagard_s HYBRIS is, but it is pretty damn close. Anekdoten apparently played at a festival in Sweden recently together with Anglagard, Landberk and a newly reformed Samla Mammas Manna. I wish I_d known about it sooner!

Michael Draine, Boston Rock This Swedish quartet distills the vital essences of Red-era King Crimson into their own potent infusion, at once vitriolic and darkly poetic. A master of Fripp_s sabre-toothed attack pattern, guitarist Nicklas Berg traces trails of flame above an agile, pugilistic rhythm section, underpinned by sonorous cello and mellotron fills. Off-key vocals and wan philosophical musings constituten the weak link in Anekdoten_s armor, but their infernal abandon and instrumental puissance render objections irrelevant.

Xavier Russell, Kerrang! (Points: Krusty) Take a pinch of Skyclad and add a heaped tablespoon of Jethro Tull, put 'em in a blender and with any lukk, out will pop Sweden_s very own Anekdoten. Not my kup of PROGGY TEA, as it takes a very patient ear to get into the music on "Vemod". The majority of their odd repertoire would sit very komfortably on a "Nekromantik" soundtrakk album yeah, it_s that depressing! You only have to take a kloser look at the song titles to see where Anekdoten are koming from: "The Old Man And The Sea" and "Thoughts In Absence" are both extremely HEAVY GOING. The kulprit is cellist Anna Sofi Dahlberg. Her playing kan_t be faulted; it_s just a krying shame that her instrument sound so sad and eerie throughout. Still, it_s a must for MANIK DEPRESSIVES!

Louis Hesselt-van-Dinter, Music Uncovered Let me breathe for a minute. I_m still a little dizzy from the sonic assault of Vemod. This is prog with a sharp edge. Distorted choppy guitar, aggressive thudding bass, wailing mellotrons and a cello. A cello! Anekdoten is from Sweden, a country considered by many to be the center of the modern prog universe. They started out life as a King Crimson cover band. From the sounds of Vemod, I_d say they played mostly Red era stuff. Niklas Berg plays guitar and mellotron, Anna Sofi Dahlberg plays cello and mellotron, Jan Erik Liljestrom plays bass, and Peter Nordin is the drummer. Both Anna and Jan sing. All the vocals are in English. Their playing is uniformly exceptional While the songs are primarily over-the-top aggressive, there is a few slower gems. One is a strikingly beautiful ballad, "Thoughts In Absence". Another, a haunting piece titled "Longing" features mostly cello and acoustic guitar. Even though the majority of the music on Vemod is extremely "heavy", it never really falls into the prog-metal category. An incredible recording! Definitely music to get excited about. You need one.






Anekdoten
Vemod
Virtalevy
1993

Until very recently I was one of about three prog rock fans in the whole world who didn't have either of Anekdoten's albums. This review is for the other two of you, wherever you are.

The reason I didn't get into Anekdoten sooner is because I just plain didn't like them. I remember reading about how they blended the best of King Crimson and Magma, and I couldn't wait to hear them. When I found both of their albums in a record store (Yes, it was a very good record store) I was disappointed upon listening to them. I found the super-distorted bass and depressing vocals a little too strong for my tastes. Anekdoten also didn't sound like prog rock to me as much as it sounded like something one might hear on your local alterna-teen radio station! Two years later I still can't say that I love Anekdoten. However, this album grows on me every time I hear it, and I can now hear the similarities to King Crimson and occasionally Magma and even Univers Zero at times. Anekdoten have cited all three of these groups as major influences as well as some rather non-progressive ones like Black Sabbath, Kyuss and Smashing Pumpkins, thus explaining the slight "alternative" feel.

Despite my initial problems with this group, I have grown to really like most of the album. The first track, "Karelia" is a great piece that opens with a somber Mellotron passage that erupts into a rocking instrumental. "Wheel," the last track, owes an awful lot to Red-era King Crimson with its goose-bump-inducing cornet/flugel horn solo on top of a heavy Mellotron-rock background. "Longing" is one of the best tracks and is a very welcome respite from the chaotic music that typifies most of this album. It is a beautiful, yet utterly depressing and very aptly named instrumental featuring cello, Mellotron and accoustic guitar. When I first listened to this album I was already in a rather depressed state (of longing, actually), and this piece nearly put me over the edge. Be careful with it.

Other tracks like "The Old Man and the Sea" and "Where Solitude Remains" are not quite as good, but feature some interesting instrumental sections. "Thoughts in Absence," however, just plain sucks and is the only track I really don't like on this album. It is a noble attempt at variety, but it's a pretty avarage slow song with cheesy brush drumming, and it features Jan Erik Liljestrцm's weakest vocal performance on an album of already shaky vocals.

One of this album's biggest faults (or strengths, depending on your point of view) is that there are several instances of blatant King Crimson worship going on. Aside from the general influence felt throughout the whole album, there are several things that pop up that are pretty funny. "Where Solitude Remains" makes a direct lyrical references to Crimson's Islands with "Gulls, they wheel and glide." The beginning of "The Flow" contains some creepy, weird sound effects that sound conspicuously similar to those found at the beginning of "Exiles." Alone, these would be okay. I can certainly understand wanting to pay tribute to King Crimson, but the music itself, especially the guitar playing, is already so obviously influenced by The Mighty KC that these little things seem unnecessary and rather humorous. It should be noted that I am told Anekdoten's second album is more mature and original.

It's no accident that Vemod is one of the best selling progressive albums of the '90s. It's a good album, despite its flaws. I'm sure I'll like Nucleus even better.





Sad Rain

The neon dawn has just begun,
the day is here that wasn't meant to come
She's walking by the frozen sea
trying to count the stars that she can't see

A distant sound of black rain in the water
The pale moon shining soft through a cloud
The sun is turning black in the horizon
The wind is slowly tearing her apart

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


Anekdoten [Sweden]
Updated 2/23/01
Discography
Vemod (93)
Nucleus (95)
Live EP (97)
Official Bootleg Live in Japan (98)
From Within (99)


Reviews
Anekdoten

Anekdoten are a four piece from Sweden. Vemod was recorded early during said year, and from what I've heard, they are highly regarded by, among others, their countrymen Дnglagеrd. What do they sound like? Well, in one word, heavy. When I started in on the 3rd track I thought I was listening to Ruins! They are also quite dark, not unlike Дnglagеrd, or Kultivator, or even Il Balleto di Bronzo. Perhaps the sound they evoke the most though is that of mid-period King Crimson, especially Red and some of those wild improvs on The Great Deciever live box set. The instrumentation is, if I recall correctly, guitar/mellotron/vocals, cello/mellotron/vocals, bass, and drums. This accounts for a lot of the Crimson similarities, but beyond that the harmonies and melodic intervals they use recall KC, as well as Anglagardand maybe even a little French zeuhl. They have a heavy bass sound, and the guitarist does often sound like Fripp, both in tone and style, even going so far as to cop a few Fripp licks in his solos. Two of the songs depart from the "heavy" sound for a welcome respite of mellow acoustic meanderings, featuring plently of mellotron. Speaking of mellotrons, they are usually heard equipped with tapes of strings, choir, and occassionally flutes and brass. Anekdoten go even further with tapes of double reeds, clarinets, and maybe even some others I haven't picked up on yet. There are some nice passages where the two mellotrons are set up with different tapes, and the layering of the sounds, such as strings and double reeds, is a trick one doesn't often hear. The album consists of 7 tracks, mostly in the 7-8 minute range. There are two instrumentals, and the rest have vocals, in English, which fit quite well with the mood of the music. The sound is rather "produced," so there is no mistaking this for a long lost mid-70's album. Overall this is a good CD; not spectacular, but there is enough here to make this a "grows-on-you" kind of album. The musicianship is solid, yet there are no flashy solos or technical tours-de-force that might begin to push this towards the prog metal realm. My biggest criticism would be a slight lack of maturity in the writing. If they improve on that in the future, Anekdoten could really be something. As it is, this is a good debut album (though a step or two below the Дnglagеrd), and if you're not afraid of heavy prog you would do well to give this a listen.

Heavy, driving fuzzbass (Rickenbacker plus distortion) combine with intelligent Frippian guitar and a good dose of mellotron on this debut from a Swedish quartet who are cohorts with Дnglagеrd. Recorded in the same studio with the same engineer as Дnglagеrd, this music sounds more like mid-period Crimson than any other modern prog band I've heard. The bassist and drummer play off each other very well, creating a hard driving rhythmic propulsion for which the guitars can scream, sing and riff over, while mellotrons and/or cello fill in the sonic space to create a truly massive sound. The songwriting lacks the maturity of Дnglagеrd, but is satisfying nevertheless. While the album has plenty of dynamic contrast among songs, there isn't enough contrast within each of the songs themselves. After you get half way through a tune, you can be fairly sure where its going from there. The biggest problem with this album I feel is that the gothic imagery is *way* overblown and a bit too pompous. I prefer a more honest approach as opposed to these manufactured dark images. But this isn't that serious of a problem, and the music more than makes up for it. I was disappointed at first, because it wasn't another Дnglagеrd, but it has grown on me very, very much, to the point where I can safely say it is easily one of the best 10 albums of 1993.
I think Anekdoten's Vemod was the best release of 1993. The most immediate comparison for Anekdoten's music is to the scathing fury of Red-storm prime King Crimson, but there is also much more. The thunderous bass lines recall to mind Magma's Jannick Top or Bernard Paganotti. I also hear the dynamic sensibilities found in Дnglagеrd's symphonic masterpiece; I would not be surprised to learn that drummer Peter Nordin jams regularly with Дnglagеrd's masterful young drummer. Like Дnglagеrd's Hybris, Anekdoten's many different influences are detectable yet the band goes beyond the ordinary to create a vigorous and energetic music. One final comparison to Дnglagеrd: The focus of the music is not in the solo but in the composition. All members contribute threads to the entire musical fabric rather than claiming any particular song as a showcase for individual talent. Personally, I prefer it that way. The band consists of Nicholas Berg on guitar and mellotron, Anna Sofi Dahlberg on cello, mellotron and vocals, Jan Erik Liljestrцm on bass and vocals, and the above mentioned Peter Nordin on all things percussive. Other than mellotron and some guest piano work on "The Old Man and the Sea" and "Thoughts in Absence," there are no keyboards. Additionally, there is some guest cornet and flugelhorn work on "Wheel." Vemod consists of seven songs, all but two in the seven minute range. The CD opens with "Karelia," one of just two instrumental songs, the quiet strains of two mellotrons hinting at the dark, quiet lyrics ahead in later songs. The mellotrons soon yield to a raucous melee that typifies most of the instrumental passages. Frippian guitar licks, pronounced and distorted zuehl-like bass, and sonorous cello lines meld with dueling mellotrons to create a dense wall of sound, relentless in its passion. Through it all, Nordin calmly directs the band with his thoughtful, mature use of the traps. The exceptions to the intensity are the somber "Thoughts in Absence," with its "Starless"-like themes and swirling electric piano, and the aptly titled instrumental, "Longing," featuring Berg quietly playing acoustic guitar along with Dahlberg's aching cello passages. The lyrics are despondent, complimenting the quieter sections, yet the instrumental passages are furious and angry, belying the gentle despair of the words. For example, in "The Old Man and the Sea," we hear the singer gently intones the lyrics, then musically narrate the old man's battle with the unrelenting sea, describing the clash with thunderous bass, searing guitar and pulsating cello amidst washes of mellotron. This combination of lyrics and instruments typifies much of the album. The final song, "Wheel," is full of dark, gothic imagery. Here, Liljestrцm's and, heard for the first time, Dahlberg's voices, processed into a eerie, ghost-like quality, bring to mind haunted castles high on hilltops with lightning flashes all around. Again, I must say I think Anekdoten's Vemod is simply the best release of 1993. If the idea of King Crimson mixed into a kettle with Anglagardand stirred by Bernard Paganotti sounds tantalizing, Vemod is for you. Check it out. -- Mike Taylor
Once when I was listening to this in my car stereo, I briefly forgot what I was listening to. I heard a bit of a horn solo, and thought it was King Crimson's Red LP! You could fool a lot of people with this. Still, they use electric cello and mellotrons in original ways, so there's the embryo of a distinct style present. Once they gain the required maturity they need, I see a healthy future for this band. -- Mike Ohman
Excellent music along the lines of USA/Starless and Bible Black/Red-era Crimson. One moment they're driving and heavy, the next cello drenched melancholy. Lyrics in English and sound great...Vemod was my favourite prog CD of '93! -- Dennis Montgomery
I love King Crimson, and they were the great inovators, and Anekdoten started out doing KC covers, and all that... but I always thought Anekdoten were great songwriters in their own right, and Nucleus was a monster of an album. OK, there's distorted bass and mellotrons and a Frippian style of playing leads, but the songs themselves aren't that derivative, at least not since Vemod. And I think of From Within as "Nucleus without the highs and lows". A great album, but it lacks great songs like "This Far From the Sky" and "Here". Other than that it's just dandy, and if you like the previous Anekdoten material you don't have to worry about the current state of the Swedes. Granted their songs aren't as busy as Дnglagеrd's, but I prefer Anekdoten in the long run seeing how they most definately are the more solid songwriters and musicians technically; not as "showy" and pretentious as Anglagardtend to end up being. From Within is very solid. -- Daniel