NUCLEUS

After a sensational masterpiece debut Anekdoten continue the trend for innovative creative prog on their 'Nucleus' album with a different lineup but the same melancholy dark sound that has earned them a place on the prog map. The purple eyeball stares at us from beyond a purple landscape as we hear the first metallic scrapings across a string and we are soon travelling into the strange world of Anekdoten; a dark world with despairing lyrics and intricate musicianship that rises and descends at intervals, you are never quite sure where the music will lead you, but it is never dull and brimming over with creativity.

The first track is intense, heavy and foreboding, with King Crimson angular guitar riffing as Fripp loves it, and a very deep bassline churns out. The unmistakeable sustained mellotron sound adds another dynamic. The drumming is very odd and off time sig but somehow enhances the sound. Finally the soft vocals chime in, reminding me of how Muse's singer croons: 'Beauty Sky, earth and moon always moving beating in tune, turning around, Reaching, drawn to the light, wanting, shooting into the night, glowing.' It is a heavier sound in the chorus than the debut and, as a result, rather disarming. A definitive highlight, the title track has everything for the prog addict, a sonic onslaught of guitars and then mellotron-soaked nuances of light and shade with extreme virtuoso musicianship. The instrumental has a freakout section of frenetic guitar chaos and it ends abruptly.

'Harvest' is another excellent track with strange thought provoking lyrics, 'Watching the world through the eyes of a child, Leaving the past behind me, Curiously peeping behind each door, Already longing for tomorrow, There's no need to fear as long as you're here.' The riffing on this is chaotic, speeding up and pulling back throughout. The track builds helped along by pronounced mellotron tones. The pace moves onto a 6/8 time sig and then a faster tempo with spacey guitar bends, that twist and turn along the scale until it breaks into an off tempo feel; the sound is gloomy but appropriate to the overall mood.

'Book of Hours' has a killer bassline that locks in as the mellotron sparkles along the scape. Sustained chords fill the atmosphere that becomes haunting and insidious. As sinister as the sound is, there is an uplifting chord progression with Frippian guitar and the vocals are sung at a higher octave range: 'There's no need to fear...' The instrumental break launches in to a half time feel sig and a very strong keyboard progression is played over a glissando guitar riff. 'All of the reasons were lost in the way...' croons Liljeström and we believe him, such is the conviction he conveys.

Another highlight is 'This Far From the Sky' with a crashing interlude of drums and guitar blazing at full speed. Then it lapses into a strange angular riff with accentuated licks and atonal mellotron pads that impale you to the wall. The vocals are again very melancholy and there is a minimalist feel in the verses with simple guitar arpeggios. There is a fantastic lengthy instrumental break with very heavy funk bass and sliding scales of Berg's guitar and Nordins' crashing drums. It is a much darker sound than the debut, heavier and unsettling nuances pervade the atmosphere. Some jungle effects are heard, a return to the debut album's 'The Flow'. The verses return later and the raucous chorus with orchestral shades streaming across; the end unleashes a great crescendo of sound. Wonderful.

'In Freedom' moves along nicely and the lyrics are again melancholy and downbeat: 'Come, step through my head again and show me where I stand, I need the aim to guide me, Leave the time that made the agony burn, Lift me up again, The road I thought I'd burned suddenly appearing out of the blue...' The cello is a contrasting instrument, similar to the debut, played with finesse by Anna Dahlberg. She really shines on this track also vocally, complimenting Liljeström, and reminding me of 'Wheel' from the debut. This is a quiet lullaby song but as a contrast to the hyper mayhem on the album it works.

Overall 'Nucleus' is another great album from Anekdoten to savour with much to offer the heavy prog/ symphonic progger, though this is not quite to the standard of debut 'Vemod', it is still a killer album with some of the best tracks from this innovative Swedish virtuoso band.

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