Sad Rain (Anekdoten, 1993)

Even if Swedish proggers Anekdoten will create more sophisticated tracks during their career, I'm fond of this early track (available as a bonus track in a re-release of Vernod and also remixed in the band's compilation Chapters, a real milestone in their musical evolution. You'll find here both Crimsonian sounds (Anekdoten were practically born as a KC cover band) and Scandinavian melancholy. 

An arcane cover art, isn't it?

These will remain two pillars of Anekdoten's distinctive sound, along with other elements that these musician will add during the years. Here you can enjoy soft passages, stronng walls of sound, beautiful melodies and sharp riffs in an unpredictable and well found pattern. That's prog, babies!

Shooting Star (Anekdoten, 2015)

Here you are an excellent example of modern heavy prog rock. Powerful and dynamic, but never too hard, this song opens the album "Until All The Ghosts Are Gone" and adds another pearl to this Swedish band's treasure. Anekdoten never try to mix metal and prog, as they perfectly know how strong and overwhelming prog can be, even without tons of distorted guitars. King Crimson surely are an important source of inspiration for those musicians, but their sound adds the flavour and the twist of our era to the classic sounds of the Seventies.

How I'd like to explore a mansion like this one!

Well, probably that's exactly what I do when listening to this CD.

The electric guitar solo of "Shhoting Star" or its old-fashioned organ could belong to an oldie (and goldie) LP from our youth, but the fast rythm and the sung sections are strictly linked to the most recent developments of progressive and mainstream rock music. Robert Fripp and Steven Wilson side by side, a bit of Floyd and a bit of Radiohead... in short, pure Anekdoten sound!

Hole (Anekdoten, 1999)

Anekdoten have always been fond of King Crimson's sound, but they've also been so clever to arrange their own style. This is definitely true with this song, "Hole", taken from the album "From Whitin". We find here some "Cadence and Cascade" relics, but also a splendid mix of Northern darkness, bright guitar riffs and updated walls of sound. Nicklas Berg's Mellotron is simply perfect, and the highly creative drumming by Peter Nordins gently supports the rest of the band's emboideries, always delicate and never sweetish.

"From Within" was Anekdoten's third studio album.

What I really like here is the way the band have to dig into their souls, following a fascinating and somewhat painful path. The long down tempo instrumental section filling the central part of the track is beathtaking to me, like glimpses of another world through thin, fluttering veils. Come and see yourselves...