NUCLEUS

Although I've been aware of Anekdoten since 1996, I only bothered buying any of their stuff recently. I was able to acquire original CD copies of Vemod and Nucleus for cheap, which helped me. I can understand why it took me this long to bother buying anything from them. They're simply overrated. They're not bad, but let me explain. Most detractors will accuse these albums as being nothing more than Red-era King Crimson ripoffs. That's not what bother me, but when I listen to this, it sounds more like '90s alternative rock that happens to used quite a lot of Mellotron. That grungy guitar from Niklas Berg could easily come from any given hard-edge alternative rock album of the '90s as would be King Crimson. Anekdoten is often referred to as a retro prog band, but to my ears it sounds clearly from the 1990s. Änglagård is much more retro, even though there's some traits yout can tell that it originated in the 1990s (despite the complete lack of digital keyboards). Regardless, I can see why Anekdoten appeals to many, because you can't deny the intensity of these songs. Nucleus is their second album, released in December 1995, and it sounds like a continuation of its predecessor, although perhaps a heavier approach. Anna Sofi Dahlberg gives some nice mournful cello work, and Niklas Berg is nothing short of a tron fanatic, so there's really no need in saying that on any given Anekdoten release you get treated with plenty of Mellotron. Honestly I'm really torn about this, I guess I need to be in the mood. I really can give it a three and a half star rating. I really feel that being blown away by Änglagård that I was perhaps expecting a bit more with Anekdoten. But even if it's not entirely my thing, I can still recommend Nucleus for those who like their style.