![]() 4.01 | 102 ratings | 33% 5 stars
Excellent addition to any |
Studio Album, released in 2007 Songs / Tracks Listing 1. The Great Unknown (6:22) Search ANEKDOTEN A Time Of Day lyrics Music tabs (tablatures)Search ANEKDOTEN A Time Of Day tabs Line-up / Musicians- Nicklas Barker / vocals, guitar, Mellotron, keyboards Released in 2007 by Virta Records Thanks to ProgLucky for the additionand to Moatilliatta for the last updates Edit this entry |
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| Anekdoten - A Time Of Day LP NEW 180 Gr Vinyl | US $59.85 »Buy it now | 11d 10h |
| A Time Of Day Musea/Virta (Audio CD 2007) | $19.35 $41.17 (used) | |
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Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music(33%)
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection(36%)
Good, but non-essential (26%)
Collectors/fans only (5%)
Poor. Only for completionists (1%)
This has been a big year for new albums, what with Porcupine Tree, Rush and Marillion records coming out.
Those records have all been pretty good, but for me, this was the one I was waiting for, and it's
everything I cracked it up to be.Anekdoten has improved with every CD, with 2003's Gravity being their last triumph, an album on which they added pop, ambient and psych elements to their usual dark prog riffage. The live record Waking the Dead was also a triumph and well worth picking up. This record finds them refining their sound further on a remarkably consistent album. There are new touches, such as the flute on 30 Pieces, some nice synth and organ sounds and even some hard rock riffs, as well as the return of the cello. As always, there are great big lashes of majestic 'tron all over everything, which pleases me no end. The songs are strong, ranging from the pounding dark prog numbers which the band is known for to delicate acoustic songs like Stardust and Sand and Prince of the Ocean, the album's highlight track. The band's vocals from Jan Erik Liljeström and Nicklas Barker continue to improve with each passing album.
I find it hard to find any fault with this record, which is a stew of psychedelic dark prog of the highest order from an incredibly consistent band. I think Anekdoten is the finest young prog band in the world today, and this is their best record- better than the new PT? You bet. It's their masterpiece. Housed in a really nifty digipak with great art and high quality paper, this is an essential.
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Send comments to Heptade
(BETA) | Report this review (#123168) | Review Permalink
Posted Wednesday, May 23, 2007
It seems they know a secret hidden from others. They manage to write good and even
catchy songs but they're still Prog. Maybe, a lot more mainstreamy than on "Vemod",
but I like this movement towards Modern Prog. "A Time of Day" sounds like a mix of "From Within" (very good) with "Gravity" (average). The result is rather predicatble, worthy of solid 4 stars, but still they mean a lot for me, and this one will be definetely featured in my personal Top10 of 2007. "A Sky about to Rain/Every Step" is a wonderful 9-min long journey (my favourite here so far), "In for a Ride" has classy Canterburish organ solos, "30 pieces" is a wonderful mellow 7/8 groove with flute soloing...stop me if you can :) Highly recommended album - do not believe anyone that ANEKDOTEN have lost their charm. They're better than ever. A Must
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Send comments to Prog-jester
(BETA) | Report this review (#124089) | Review Permalink
Posted Thursday, May 31, 2007
My first musical encounter with Anekdoten their compelling and captivating music was
when I started to write for Dutch progrock paper SI Magazine in the early Nineties. I
was very lucky that in this era the Mellotron drenched Skandinavian prog had just
started to florish with as good examples Anglagard, White Willow, Landberk and ...
Anekdoten. I was blown away by their debut CD entitled Vemod (even more on the re-
release that contains the wonderful bonus track Sad Rain). On that album they
sounded very similar to King Crimson (Anekdoten began as a King Crimson cover band)
but gradually their music turned into more original and quite distinctive prog with the CD
From Within as my personal favorite. I was a bit disappointed about the successor
Gravity so what to expect from the this new CD?During my first listening session I got very excited, it sounds more as a succesor to From Within than Gravity featuring the distinctive melancholical vocals, the dynamic-rhythm-section and the huge tension between the mellow, compelling, propulsive and bombastic parts. Of course I am delighted about the unsurpassed sound of the omni-present Mellotron, what a moving waves! Other keyboards on this album are the Farfisa organ (especially in the captivating 30 Pieces in great interplay with the Mellotron along propulsive guitar riffs and a wonderful final part with delicate flute and lush Mellotron) and synthesizer in Stardust An Sand (mellow with twanging guitars) and Prince Of The Ocean (dreamy with soft organ waves and a beautiful closing section with Mellotron). The guitar work sounds very alternating: fiery in the poweful opener The Great Unknown, propulsive in 30 Pieces and A Sky About To Rain, sensitive in King Of Oblivion and In For A Ride and mellow acoustic twanging in Stardust And Sand. My highlight is the long composition (almost 7 minutes) In For A Ride: it starts very compelling and bombastic, then a powerful bass and a lush Mellotron sound join and halfway we can enjoy a sensitive guitar solo. The climate ranges from dreamy to bombastic featuring a bit ominous undertone, almost psychedelic and very captivating, this is Anekdoten at their best!
With this album Anekdoten has prooved again to be a current top progrock band, every song is a wonderful painting delivering exciting and colourful landscapes, as if Turner and Constable have translated their paintings into prog music, a big hand for the new Anekdoten, not to be missed!
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Send comments to erik neuteboom
(BETA) | Report this review (#125460) | Review Permalink
Posted Monday, June 11, 2007
Anekdoten's A Time Of Day almost makes you cover up some music ideas, some
critic essences and some values that go differently than a normal perfect listen,
only to afterwards break into the oblivion emotion, the characteristic sense and the
prominent exclusive full sway of the music itself. Therefore: I've yet to discover the great essence of Anekdoten, as I've come to listen to little of them or to only know their great charisma and prog modern landmark (one that always leads to deep discussions, but mostly adopts a too strong force for any denial, any escaping breaths and different ideas). I purchased those few (yet essentially rated, of no doubt) albums and entertained myself with them (since the best moments are elixir of splendid music and astounding power, that's quite all) only under Art Rock affairs, under the search of Modern Prog new ideas and, much applied, under the force of significant expressions being a beatitude beyond doubt - which, more than usual, came rightfully exciting in everything I've listened, so far, in the entire story of dark realms I've read or in the full lines of innovation I rarely understood, yet moderately accepted.
Nowadays, the search within Anekdoten being, by preference, an extraordinary touch and a deafening prog expression, pretty much, continues and develops, evolves and breath takes. But, for sure, something is lost upon details that grow a specific taste and a continual break of digression, a tarting art or a delving spirit of higher originality. I'm in front of the latest release, A Time Of Day and all I can think is that I don't know Anekdoten enough to taste its magic (the subjective taste leads to better moments, each and every time). Regardless though, and whatever listen I've come to uptake from them, this specific album isn't among the best and the most refined; instead it lies under the great modern cycle, the rock euphoria and the progressive rock abundant moments of alternative, heavy, adamant, unleashed or greatly unknown dance. Made almost as a phenomenon of a new release by a big, eclectic and referential progressive rock band (just like Marillion, Rush or Porcupine Tree come in mind), the style and the complete achievement of this album is nothing (essentially) like that, it actually palpitates around different meanings, and finds it important to sing aloud the trend of high resounds. Actually, if we are to think and hint, so necessarily, the release as being the latest album from the biggest modern progressive rock band around, then A Time Of Day would certainly be, for Anekdoten, what Somewhere Else, for Marillion, is: a new belonging of more rocking, melodic , entreating, closed essences, in a mood to spirit the vast expression of the band and the natural haste of the symbol-shudder, but to little resemble the excellent past or previous accelerations; maybe to evolve from them, but little doubt to be the "new", "latest" art. Which has both the good and the loose connections.
Something between excellent and dreary, touching and departing, soul-rhythm and beat-bored is a definite symbol in this album, one that clearly evokes the power, the natural rock and the ambient passion. The touch works up just fine towards a relentless art being afflicted, plus upon the several nuances of impulsive prog this band can't stop sharing. But, to a warning, there are cliques, soft music, vocal problems and heart-stops in this album. There wouldn't be the need of skepticism if everything would stay at this: unfortunately, I moderately consider the album having equal moments of sepulchral liquid, concept waste, lecherous presentation, "rhythm & rock", modern passive music and deep province simplicity. This album is ten times under the masterpieces and the natural later emphasis of Anekdoten, that's how I feel it. But the same tasteful appreciation can bring this in the good vibrations of something hardly so clever, so touching and so alternative exuding. In the style of good, but not excellent things, much tough, but rarefied essential music, A Time Of Day is recommended. Blatantly good to listen, but much comfortable...
The highlight of the pieces has actually little exclusive value, this Anekdoten pleasure seems made in a tight relative uniform value and style, with different meanings, but with an incisive discovery of monochrome music being an art. Therefore, the exhaustive play of A Time Of Day is, first of all, a rock dynamics exploration, a mood-shifting eclectic force, a deep-reaching atmospheric play (brain-waves, maybe?) and a fighting habit to sound in a new dimension scope, plus in an imitation of music. I am most pleased with the way the angry feelings are shattering, the melancholic dreams are well-"beholding" and the beat-tempos are lacking artificiality or too excessive stun. The mellotron magic is almost a short inspiration here, rather than all the bombastic explosions of the early mood and the mid-classic fixations, yet it works deep and curios each and every time (or it sounds like so). Speaking of magical instruments, A Time Of Day shouldn't surprise that it's much typical - guitar riffs on melltron boost, with a percussion steady essence and a vocal favoritism - nor should it bitter at all the release over what's missing - who can forget that Anekdoten stopped using The Cello?!. Given the free expression and the new modern impulse, I'd clearly say the band is entitled to make such music and to gripe such moments, by itself being a natural surface geniality. Back to what likes out of A Time Of Day, I conclude that this album is moody-special and groovy-artistic. But, already by these two ideas, I'll switch on what didn't impressed me at all (again, always think of taste and progression): the vocals are unenthusiastic and siste the great passion, the similarity of groove and rock-pleurisy is almost particular, but almost deaf and uncolored as well; plus, the little vibrations of excellent mood, dynamic and rock euphoria will never be, for me, beyond the dream of making simple music...enticing. That's "quite" all, in the ride of A Time Of Day, which surely entertains, but also misses perfection by its heavy rustle, its moody sound-preference and its typical exulting modern impression.
In the end, the new Anekdoten can be liked or left aside. There isn't at all the need to think of Anekdoten of the past, at least not before Gravity, because they've played hard suffocating art rock back then and don't do it anymore, they've mastered a modern special language which now only continues to specialize them and they've looked upon the progressive rock stage from way up, while now they only feel very good inside it, inside their music and their neverending lust. Yes, if you would think of Anekdoten generally, you would feel A Time Of Day as the least referential album, as a modern new developement and as a straight forwards big bang...in an amortized special expression. Three good vs. loose stars.
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Send comments to Ricochet
(BETA) | Report this review (#125734) | Review Permalink
Posted Thursday, June 14, 2007
I couldn't help noticing the scarcity of reviews for such a major prog act's long awaited
new recording, A Time of Day being released almost two months ago. Intrigued, I
enlisted a certified Prog Doctor to supply his august diagnosis on such a puzzling
patient! Putting down his stereo stethoscope and after numerous trebly symptom
tests, he prescribed the following three possible scenarios:
1- Anekdoten fans are quiet due to a severe allergy towards the mellower
strain initiated by the From Within and Gravity viruses and "dying" for a return to the
metallic infections from the Nucleus (hint! hint!) era.
2- Anekdoten fans are stunned into a state of acute torpor because of their
incapacity to properly put to ink the swell of emotions emanating from this latest sample
and are still in the recovery room.
3- Or waiting for their birthday in order to religiously rip open the plastic and
dive into the lush euphoria.(Hello Sinkadotentree!) Well, I decided to look into this myself with a bit more maturity than before , having respected this Swedish band enough to purchase all their main albums but never really getting into their craft with any gusto and never really understanding why ( the Quark, Strangeness and Charm syndrome )Wake up call! I am floored by my own stupidity. I wanted to wait a bit before getting Time of Day but I was compelled to accept the advice of my prog store owner who branded this CD as prog from the gut (les tripes, en francais), a monument of stark, heartfelt and passionate music. He sold me and sold me the record too. From the opening strands of lead track "The Great Unknown", the anticipation is rewarded with a massive wave of all those elements that make Anekdoten special: a rumbling Rickenbacker bass, tight fisted drumming, swirling trons galore, gritty guitar ramblings and that flute-propelled Scandinavian mist that can only come from our northern friends .With evocative lyrics such as: "All the forces of the cosmos lead me on as we shoot through the galaxy, I'm coming home!", you get the message! "30 Pieces" is more angular, requiring a few obedient auditions before coming to appreciate this rather mordant piece, where guitar, bass and drums waltz in unison , egged on by a meandering flute lead. By the third track, the stunning "King Oblivion", the band "Emerils" it by kicking it up a notch, (yeah! Cliché, I know!), keeping the blistering pace all the way to the moody finale, as the fabled mellotron really gets all warmed up, purring like a savage cat, scouring through the thunder with tectonic abandon, proving conclusively that this much maligned instrument deserves its mythical place in prog history but also demonstrating its potential to enthuse for many more decades to come. "A Sky about to Rain" is another fragrant slice of irate melancholia, with gale-force mellotron sweeps, "burning a hole into my soul" where simple rhythm guitar meshes with ornate Moog leads, emitting a quasi Space-Rock feel that is very tantalizing segueing effortlessly into "Every Step I Take", an short instrumental outro that has nothing to do with The Police. "Stardust & Sand" features some more Floydian synths, somewhat reminiscent of "Welcome to the Machine" and an overall ambient feel, drowsy percussion, male and female vocals and acoustic guitar. The calm before the storm: "In For a Ride" is aptly titled, a gloomy, somewhat opiate delivery propelled by some blistering bass married to a relentless beat with a neat Niklas Barker (Ex-Berg) guitar solo, a great voyage indeed. The disc ends its run with a delightful closer "Prince of the Ocean", a perfect companion to "Stardust & Sand", with a scintillating cello\tron that gently lullabies you into pressing restart , back to the top, again and again. I am somewhat in need of returning to the back catalogue and have a smorgasbord orgy of Anekdoten, this time paying a little more attention. So, is it masterpiece or the wall paper behind it? The doctor waits... 5 cellos
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Send comments to tszirmay
(BETA) | Report this review (#126350) | Review Permalink
Posted Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Few groups take as much time between albums while still managing to release them at
regular intervals. Just Tool seems to be able to be more parsimonious. While
Anekdoten's last two studio albums had not raised that much enthusiasm from fans, the
first being vacuous and thin, the second foraying in the wrong direction, this was
IMHO, Anekdoten's fifth is breath of fresh air. With an artwork (in a digipack) hinting at
Vemod's paganism and mystery, the return of Anna-Sofi's cello, a wider array of
keyboards and even some occasional flute (by guest Bergsten), indeed giving the
whole album an impetus that was absent since the late 90's. I must say that for me,
this was their last chance before I gave up if another poor album it was. After an enthralling lead-off track Great Unknown (the usual Anekdoten realm track plus a great flute), comes one of the most unusual but extremely successful track 30 Pieces starting out like an 80's pop track (Nordin's drumming will keep this characteristic for much of the 7-min+ track) and slowly evolving to become a wild four minutes instrumental interplay passage where the superb flute takes the lion's share of the spotlight; Very refreshing and a great start to this album!
King Of Oblivion (with its shared verses between Jan and Niklas) and A Sky About To Rain (with a slower and ambient ending that's overstaying slightly its welcome) fail to maintain the superb level of the first two, but both would've been highlights on the previous Gravity. The short instrumental Every Step I Take (with a post rock feeling especially the guitar part), Stardust And Sand (a very acoustic ballad that reminds War Is over from the previous album, but in better), the gloomy and furious In For A Ride (with its great inter-verse lunacy bits) and Prince Of The Ocean (slow, lengthy and haunting) are ending the album on the same level than it started.
While not quite of the level of their now-mythic debut or its violent follow-up, this album is indeed a return to form, forgetting the emptiness of From Within and easily outdoing Gravity. Having maybe found a start to their new direction without losing their souls, Anekdoten is one of the better bands from that second 90's prog wave
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Send comments to Sean Trane
(BETA) | Report this review (#126791) | Review Permalink
Posted Tuesday, June 26, 2007
My original frustrations with this album brought back memories of a similar event in my life back in 1982.It was like history repeating itself for me.RUSH has been my favourite band longer then i care to say, and i remember buying "Signals" and being so disappointed.It was nothing like their previous five glorious albums.Sure their previous album "Moving Pictures" was their most radio friendly release but it still rocked."Signals" didn't rock and synths dominated where the guitar should have.Well after putting it aside for weeks i brought it back out and it just clicked with me.I still prefer the five albums before it but man i like "Signals" an awful lot.Fast forward to 2007 and "A Time Of Day" from ANEKDOTEN (my second favourite band) comes out and i just couldn''t get into it.The powerful bass and heavy sound was lightened,sure the mellotron was still there thankfully but it wasn't gale force like before."Gravity" the previous album much like "Moving Pictures", was more commercial sounding but it was still awesome.Well in my first review i gave "A Time Of Day" 4 stars reluctantly but felt in my heart it didn't deserve it, but i also thought it would grow on me.After putting it aside for months i brought it back out and it just confirmed what i felt earlier and so i changed it to 3 stars.Well i'm back in April of 2009 after listening to it about four times over Easter weekend and it clicked.Funny but it clicked the first time i listened to it,but further listens have only made me like it even more.Go figure!
The band continues to progress by adding
some flute from guest Gunnar Bergsten from FLASKET BRINNER,and some post rock style guitar on one song,and an overall more modern sound.
"The Great Unknown" is classic ANEKDOTEN! I like the lyrics which are about a man going into deep space where no one has gone before.It opens with drums and rumbling bass as mellotron rolls in.The song settles down
quickly as vocals come in.A lot of bottom end on this track.Mellotron returns in a big way,enough to capsize a ship.Some great guitar
later.What an opener! "30 Pieces" features vocals that are deliberate and almost spoken with steady drums for a minute when
mellotron floods the song breifly which is so moving.This contrast continues.A flute solo starts before 3 minutes,while the song closes out with piano
and flute until mellotron joins in around the 6 minute mark.This song shows the band trying new things more than any other song on
this disc. "King Oblivion" is a song that would have fit nicely on the "Gravity" record.I love the vocals on this track and the tasteful
guitar solo before 3 minutes. "A Sky About To Rain" is a song that Jan-Erik said was their most accomplished and visionary yet.And
it's hard not to disagree with that as i feel this is the best song on the album.Why am i so moved when i listen to the beginning of this
song? We get a full sound 1 1/2 minutes in of mellotron,bass,drums and guitar.Hell yeah! The contrast of the mellow and full sound
continues.When he sings "A sky about to rain" then the mellotron falls like a down-pour of rain.Nice.Heavy guitar follows.This song
eventually blends into "Every Step I Take" an instrumental that sounds like the previous song(like the second part of it) only the guitar shines even more.This
is where the post rock style guitar comes in as the song slowly builds.Great tune! "Stardust And Sand" is a good song with gentle
guitar,drums,vocals and synths.Oh and lots of mellotron.I agree with tszirmay that this song has a real PINK FLOYD feel to it and
especially a "Welcome To The Machine" sound. "In For A Ride" is the most uptempo song on the album.Mellotron leads the way in the
beginning until guitar takes it's place as vocals arrive.Mellotron 4 1/2 minutes in is back and there is a guitar solo 6 minutes in.What's so cool about it is the distorted organ or is it farfisa throughout. Anyway it has a strong Canterbury flavour to it that i thought i'd never hear on an ANEKDOTEN tune.Great track! "Prince Of The Ocean" is good but not great, the cello is a nice touch anyway.
In the liner notes they thank Anna & Mikael Akerfeldt as well as Stefan Dimle and Reine Fiske both previously from LANDBERK, as well as both PAATOS and OPETH.
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Send comments to sinkadotentree
(BETA) | Report this review (#128530) | Review Permalink
Posted Saturday, July 14, 2007
The first time I knew Anekdoten was through their "From Within" album which blew me away at first spin and made me explore
other albums of the band. I got "Nucleus", "Vemod" and now the latest album "A Time of Day". When I spun this album at the
first time, I was so impressed with the opening track "The Great Unknown" (6:22) which generates mellotron-drenched music
combined with guitar rhythm in floating style. It again confirms that the music of Anekdoten is very close with King Crimson.
It's truly a joy enjoying this opening track especially when the style of guitar fills, solos combined with soaring mellotron
sounds which remind me to the 70s prog music. Not only that, this album also features Gunnar Bergsten as flutist. Wow! man .
it's truly a great track!The next track "30 Pieces" (7:13) moves in an upbeat mode but it still maintaining the similar style of opening track. The vocal line sounds heavier. There is an obvious use of organ overlayed by mellotron. Again, the flute work is so catchy and dark .. in fact it has catchy notes. This time flute provides great solo during interlude part and makes this song sounds elegant as a vintage prog tune.
"King Oblivion" (5:02) moves in a bit different style because there is an obvious psychedelic style and the way vocal is being sung. It's still a nice track with straightforward structure. "A Sky About To Rain" (6:29) goes even more psychedelic especially through the use of acoustic guitar in a mellow style. "Every Step I Take" (3:06) brings the music back on track. The mellotron sounds go thinner and softer. "Stardust And Sand" (4:29) starts off with an acoustic guitar works accompanying excellent singing style. Keyboard and mellotron played softly at the back.
"In For A Ride" (6:47) brings the music into uptempo style with heavier mellotron sounds. The musical break with organ solo is really interesting. The concluding track "Prince Of The Ocean" (5:30) is really a good track in mellow style with catchy and memorable melody. The vocal line (male - female duo) is so clean and powerful. This is one of my favorite tracks.
Overall, I am really happy listening to this album because all songs are good with some are being exceptional. If you have King Crimson, Van der Graaf Generator albums and you like it, it's a big possibility that you like it as well. Give it a try! You will never be disappointed owning this album. Keep on proggin'..!
Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW
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Send comments to Gatot
(BETA) | Report this review (#155287) | Review Permalink
Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007
The least I can say, is that Anekdoten is not a very prolific band. This is only their fifth album in a period
of almost fifteen years, being a short one in the current standard of the industry. But as I have already
mentioned, I prefer a short and good album than a long and dull one. So.The Swedish lads come back again with their powerful yet melodic music. The opening song "The Great Unknown" is seriously Crimson oriented. Fabulous tron of course, but you know by now that I am biased, right?
"30 Pieces" is more complex, hectic. It is a more difficult song to apprehend and needs more listening than other pieces of this work to fully capture it. But even so, I am not fully satisfied nor thrilled. And I guess that if you prefer their melodic/melancholic flavours, a song as "King Oblivion" will suit your ears more. At least, it is my case.
The next one, is a dual song. A dull intro but then.Yes, guys : a sublime mellotron break will almost transport you to heaven. Half a song? Maybe. And what to say about the immaculate beauty of the short "Every Step I Take" ? Breathless, I am.
I have a mixed feeling about this release. I was so anxious to listen to it after their last two studio albums (and their great live one "Waking The Dead") that I might just be too demanding. But songs as "Stardust And Sand" (the weakest here IMHHO) as well as "In For A Ride" (which is only great during the second half with a superb bass play) are not as good as what I had expected from this excellent band.
It is true that I fully appreciated their work with "From Within" and since then, each of their work was an enchantment. Maybe the next one will revert the band in these territories. This is a good album which closes on a dark "Prince Of The Ocean" (somewhat PT oriented). Three stars.
I hope that the musical chair is now over in terms of genre. Anekdoten started in the Art Rock, switched to Eclectic and is now in Heavy Prog. I hope that they won't end up in the Prog Related next time!
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Send comments to ZowieZiggy
(BETA) | Report this review (#159991) | Review Permalink
Posted Sunday, January 27, 2008
Another fine album from one of the most underrated, underappreciated, and sadly unprolific groups
around: A Time of Day delivers the goods with Anekdoten's signature sound of heavy/light contrasts,
savage gusto, sweeping mellotron, and energetic melodies-- this is great stuff!With A Time of Day, the group's songwriting tip-toes into more accessible formats, with many strongly performed, catchy choruses and big instrumental melodies. There's still that dark, brooding energy which Anekdoten fans adore, but this time it's tempered a bit by the likeability of the songs-- as well as Barker's improved (and much more prevalent) singing voice, which comes close to crooning here and there. The first three songs are a pure joy, with Great Unknown starting things off with a heavy, bass-led riff giving way to vocal shout choruses, background flutes (great!), and a general feeling of excitement. The cynical 30 Pieces follows up with even more flute, inclusion of piano, and extended instrumental passages only to give way to King Oblivion-- a short, atmospheric jam song. Lyrically evocative and sonically dynamic, there's a lot to like here, and the enjoyment only deepens during multiple listens.
By this time I can almost guarantee that new listeners will fall in love with this band, and if not the gentle vibraphone interlude to Sky About to Rain will cinch the deal. In general the album has a more tender, thoughtful feel to it than their previous works, but is nonetheless an outstanding example of their songwriting and instrumental proficiency; I have yet to find a group that is as consistantly good as Anekdoten. Highly, highly recommended for a variety of listeners!
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Send comments to Prog Leviathan
(BETA) | Report this review (#165431) | Review Permalink
Posted Monday, March 31, 2008
When I bought this record the last year I was very excited at the first spins. That oppressive and dumb
atmosphere filled with mighty mellotron waves (and nice flute background) is really fascinating.
Unfortunately, after a year I still have great difficulty having a complete and satisfactory listening session.
The album is great, no doubt, but it lacks of any variation and appears, sometimes, simplistic. There are
some exquisite touches, I cannot deny. A subtle dull impression permeates the whole work, though.
The album is perfect when you pick a pair of tracks for a short spin.
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Send comments to Andrea Cortese
(BETA) | Report this review (#173267) | Review Permalink
Posted Sunday, June 08, 2008
Music for a winter night "A Time of Day" is the 2007 release from Anekdoten, one of the most favored progressive acts of the modern era. It features moods that are mostly in the darker and chillier realms, reminding me of forests and wintery landscapes. I enjoy a good deal of the album but still find it a bit hit and miss. The first two songs (The Great Unknown and 30 Pieces) along with the last track (Prince of the Ocean) were my winners. Draped in luminous mellotron and rolling drums the opener is a choice feast with some good guitar work as well. I love the odd drum beat and pacing of "30 Pieces" which features lovely flute work in the latter portion, really some nice stuff. The closer "Prince" is captivating as well with oodles of spellbinding mood and really nice contemplative guitar work. The emotions here just hang with you, cling to you as you listen. Some of the others were considerably less interesting to me, such as "Sky About to Rain" and "Stardust and Sand." Both felt uninspired and compositionally lackluster. Another problem is the suffocating production of this CD. I can't really describe what they did here but the album seems muffled or something, as if your speakers have thick quilts over them. I would certainly recommend Anekdoten fans judge for themselves but I cannot get beyond 3 stars for this release, good moments but hardly essential listening.
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Send comments to Finnforest
(BETA) | Report this review (#198933) | Review Permalink
Posted Tuesday, January 13, 2009
If you want to know how much I marvel at Anekdoten's music I will simply refer you to my Gravity
review and not start all over again here.
A Time of Day continues in the same vein as Gravity, with some extra proggy things thrown in for
good measure such as vintage prog instruments like moogs and flutes and some unexpected interludes
and alterations in some of the songs. Even so it took me months to appreciate it but it hasn't been
out of my player since.
That is how slow and simultaneously addictive this music works on you. So be warned and go out and
buy this now!
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Send comments to Bonnek
(BETA) | Report this review (#236945) | Review Permalink
Posted Thursday, September 03, 2009
This was my introduction to Anekdoten. Luckily for me, cause it's a great introduction to the band, not
as harsh and provocative as, for example, Nucleus, this is an album which is easy to get into but at the
same time really progressive. That doesn't mean that the tracks aren't growing the more
... (read more)
Report this review (#204707) | Posted by Eastvillage | Saturday, February 28, 2009 | Review Permanlink
I am a big Anekdoten fan and have enjoyed all of their albums from 'Vemod' to 'Gravity' but sadly this
album does not live up to the expectations of Anekdoten's previous albums.
Anekdoten have tried to adopt a different sound in this album. This has not paid off. The song writing is
nothing s
... (read more)
Report this review (#166382) | Posted by Batthingman | Friday, April 11, 2008 | Review Permanlink
This album is not as dark and intense as some of their earlier work..... Sometimes it even sounds a little
bit happy..... This is still a worthy album and it shows a lot of the same characteristics as their earlier fine
albums.....This one might be a little more accessable to a prog newbie.....
... (read more)
Report this review (#164885) | Posted by digdug | Monday, March 24, 2008 | Review Permanlink
An early contender for album of the year, ANEKDOTEN have once again produced an album that combines excellent individual
songs with a cohesive feel that leaves the listener with the impression that he has arrived at the end of an emotionally
intense journey at the end of the album's 45 minutes.
... (read more)
Report this review (#155442) | Posted by Warren | Friday, December 14, 2007 | Review Permanlink
This is my first Anekdoten album and on this showing, it will not be my last. A Time Of Day is a wonderful achievement and,
for me, there isn't a single weak track present - A Sky About To Rain and Every Step I Take are my particular favourites.
Regarding the album as a whole, it is full of musi
... (read more)
Report this review (#141339) | Posted by scarista | Monday, October 01, 2007 | Review Permanlink
This band is finally in their prime. The entire album exhibits a sensitivity and control of writing, arranging and performing that few
manage to achieve. Perhaps one of the finest improvements is in the vocals. Gone are all the weaknesses in pitch and delivery that
occasionally plagued poor Nick
... (read more)
Report this review (#138302) | Posted by Seagles | Friday, September 14, 2007 | Review Permanlink
I have Day A Time of for some days only, I have it listen three times in its entirety. My first impression, I liked well the
first four tracks especially. This album makes me the same effect as Gravity, at the beginning this last as an album bonbon,
easy of listening with all ingredients which lik
... (read more)
Report this review (#136012) | Posted by spacefolk | Monday, September 03, 2007 | Review Permanlink
After first listening nothing happened. So I gave this record another chance. Then it spoke to me. Oh my God!!! This record is
amazing. It's so good. I just couldn't get this music out of my head for next couple of weeks. I was listening to it round and round
every day. This music is fantastic.
... (read more)
Report this review (#132153) | Posted by Publius84 | Tuesday, August 07, 2007 | Review Permanlink
There was a time I decided to start hearing more modern prog music, after investigating thoroughly the Golden Age (although I
still have a big road to cover) I was hearing Anglagard (which was already one of my favorite bands) and noticed this group
called Anekdoten and read about their influences
... (read more)
Report this review (#130781) | Posted by LeInsomniac | Monday, July 30, 2007 | Review Permanlink
RETURN OF SWEDISH MAGICIANS
It happens to me almost each time i listen to Anekdoten, i feel hynotized, like an enchanted cobra under the mid-east piper command.
And it´s happening again with this marvelous record that amazed me again, a cd that as a matter of fact took 4 years to see the light
... (read more)
Report this review (#127554) | Posted by FranMuzak | Wednesday, July 04, 2007 | Review Permanlink
THIS album is absolutely one of the most beautiful I have heard from Anekdoten.
The songs totally envelop the listener in powerful yet dreamy melodies that give me
goosebumps from the first track to the last.
I LOVE LOVE the sound!!
The expert use of multiple instruments, voices, styl
... (read more)
Report this review (#124364) | Posted by queenobliv | Saturday, June 02, 2007 | Review Permanlink
Great music let down by appalling production.
You've got to wonder about why such a great band would allow their subtle, beautiful
music to be ruined by production that compresses the sound to within a whisker of
it's life and cranks the volume up so high it pushes the meters to the upper limit
... (read more)
Report this review (#124121) | Posted by rhandmj | Thursday, May 31, 2007 | Review Permanlink
There has been 4 years since Anek. last studio album and the time worth it.
It appears they worked hard to create posibly their best album.This album is in the level of
their first ones"From Within " "Vemod" and "Nucleus" and better.
Melodies and armonies are beautifull,the instruments and
... (read more)
Report this review (#121253) | Posted by robbob | Tuesday, May 08, 2007 | Review Permanlink
The long awaited ANEKDOTEN new studio album **** STARS
Finally we have new studio material from these swedish super quartet, and among the years i really
hope that the band can still together for quite long.Every year i
... (read more)
Report this review (#120148) | Posted by rafabal | Sunday, April 29, 2007 | Review Permanlink
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