NUCLEUS

Anekdoten's second album refines and focuses the approach of Vemod, taking the King Crimson-inspired style of that album and amping up the heavy, at points almost grungy guitar riffs. It's an intoxicating mix which at its best threatens to beat the 1990s King Crimson at their own game. There's still a mix of louder and quieter sections as on the debut, but this time around the quieter sections are a bit less inclined to drift off into a jazzy interlude. The end result is an album which does somewhat better than its predecessor at establishing an air of tension and pent-up energy that's unleashed in intricate instrumental workouts.