...SIŁA I PIĘKNO MUZYKI TKWIĄ W JEJ RÓŻNORODNOŚCI


..::OPIS::..

'Taki na przykład, ponad 11-minutowy, utwór 'Hole' potrafi wywiercić prawdziwą dziurę w mózgu i namieszać w świadomości. To chyba najgenialniejszy fragment z całej płyty. Chociaż następująca po nim kompozycja 'Slow Fire' wyrywa serce wraz z duszą.'

Maciej Kierzkowski



Muzyka tego zespołu stanowi swego rodzaju fenomen, łączący w sobie ogień i wodę.
Spotykamy się z logiką godną mistrza Frippa, do której dodany został polot i brawura charakterystyczna dla uczniaka. Udało im się połączyć niepołączalne oraz posklejać niesklejalne.

Anekdoten to doprawdy niesamowite zjawisko na scenie współczesnej muzyki rockowej, promieniujące niezwykłym blaskiem na wszystko i wszystkich dokoła.



Nostalgia za czasami mellotronu, słabość do gęstych, ciężkich brzmień, zmian tempa i nastroju - tym wszystkim kierują się członkowie szwedzkiego zespołu Anekdoten od czasu pierwszej płyty — 'Vemod' z 1993 roku.

Wówczas byli objawieniem na skostniałym rynku klonów kapel Marillion i IQ. Na nowym albumie 'From Within' nie obniżyli sobie poprzeczki, zachowując swój skandynawski charakter i romantyczny rozmach. Gdyby skład King Crimson z okresu krążka 'Red' wciąż był młody i rozwijał się w podobnym kierunku, dziś nazywałby się Anekdoten.



Trzecia studyjna płyta szwedzkiej grupy Anekdoten. Muzyka pławiąca się w mellotronach (dwoje muzyków obsługuje tu ten instrument!), ze szczyptą wibrafonu i organów Hammonda, przepełniona atmosferą karmazynowej melancholii i zadumy (kolor ten pada tu nieprzypadkowo), kapryśna w nastrojach (potrafi być całkiem drapieżna, ale i kołysząca do snu). Można odnieść wrażenie, że niemałą inspiracją stał się dla muzyków projekt Morte Macabre z jego Symphonic Holocaust z 1998 roku. Da się to wyczuć szczególnie w długich, transowo monotonnych wyciszonych partiach. Przybyło wiele brzmień echotwórczych, jakby z dna studni. Prześliczny przeszło 10-minutowy Hole to najczyściej lśniąca perła tej płyty. Brzmi to jak zarzut (zaraz się okaże, że wcale nim nie jest), ale wszystkie płyty Anekdoten są do siebie bardzo podobne. Ciężko byłoby mi wyróżnić w każdej z nich coś, czego nie ma inna. Fakt ten jednak, o dziwo, wcale nie przeszkadza w odbiorze muzyki. Na mnie osobiście każdy dźwięk wytworzony przez Anekdoten wpływa uzdrawiająco. Tak jest i z tą płytą. Wspaniały lek na wszystko, poparty wieloletnim doświadczeniem poprzedników, bez skutków ubocznych.

Bartkey


If you compare this album to their exciting but a bit too obvious King Crimson inspired CD "Vemod", it's amazing how this Sweish formation has turned into a progrock band with an own identity: very dynamic and compelling compositions featuring two different singers, a powerful bass, splendid, very creative and propulsive drums and many waves of the unsurpassed Mellotron, WHAT A MOVING SOUND!! The atmospheres frequently changes from mellow with twanging guitars and soft Mellotron to propulsive and bombastic with fiery guitarplay, an agressive bass, majestic Mellotron eruptions and excellent drumming (like in "From within", "Kiss of life" and "Slow fire"). The vocals have a bit melancholical undertone that fits perfect to the music. I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of the songs: mellow electric guitars, cello and piano in "Firefly", a simple basic rhythm with vibraphone, cello and intense Mellotron in "The sun absolute" and twanging acoustic - and electric guitars with fragil evocals and cello in "For someone". The highlight on this CD is the longest track entitled "Hole", it contains splendid shifting moods: a heavy wall of Mellotron and guitar, soft interludes featuring sensitive vocals, guitar and Mellotron and nice instrumental passages by the vibraphone and Hammond organ. The only obvious King Crimson inspired track on this album is "Groundbound" delivering biting Fripperish guitarwork and moving waves of the violin Mellotron in the vein of "In the court of the crimson king". IF YOU LOVE EMOTIONALLY DRIVEN PROGROCK THATS SOUNDS DYNAMIC AND ALTERNATING, THIS CD IS YOURS!!

erik neuteboom


Oh boy . I cannot wait any longer writing my view about this album. It's a BIG FIVE STAR for this album by a Sweden band. It's an amazing prog music in the vein of early King Crimson, I guess. King Crimson ripped-off? I don't really care. These guys have done a great job! For those of you who miss the mellotron sound of 70's, this might be the answer! I don't think there is something special or complex, chord-wise as well as overall composition of the album. The only critical point is the ability of the band to create musical nuances throughout all tracks in the album by exploring mellotron sound, bass guitar, cello, drums and wurlitzer brilliantly! Top notch music!
The opening track "From Within" is an upbeat tempo music with drums, bass and mellotron dominating the scene. It ends up with a lower sound to accommodate the vocal part. The guitar play is stunning coupled with dominant "walking" bass play. It's a nice composition. You can hear here the "In The Court of Crimson King" style of mellotron sound in relatively long period. I'm satisfied with this act. The vocal part is heavy and very clear.

Now we enter to more uplifting and dynamic song "Kiss of Life" with again mellotron- based music, followed by a voice in "Radiohead" style of singing. Beautiful opening. The music is so simple with minimum chords changes but it does a pretty good sound especially when mellotron and guitar played altogether. Oh man .. this piece of music really touches me especially when I play it loud! What an experience! I cannot bear it anymore when mellotron howls loudly and dominantly in this segment.

The next track "Groundbound" is opened with a heavy voice (this time is not Radiohead- like) something as heavy as Peter Hammil in Van Der Graaf Generator. Hey, I just reckon now that the singer voice is somewhat similar to Hammil's!! Can u imagine? It's a kind like marrying VdGG and King Crimson?!!! What a nice dream! Wow! I like the guitar part played starting at minute 3:20. It definitely reminds me to "Starless and Bible Black" album of KC! I don't mind to repeat this track again to ensure my true orgasm about this album .

Track 4 "Hole" really killed me the first time I listened to it. What a nice yet simple music they provide for the hungry listener of this sort of music! IMHO, this track itself is enough to justify that this album should be in your collection. Especially the hard core fan of early KC, it's a satisfaction guaranteed deal!! Opened with a dazzling simple chord of mellotron (swear! The intro of this track is early Crimson stuff!!) plus other instruments as background, followed by an immediate silent as to open the gate for vocals part to start. Observe how the voice starts beautifully with Hammil's kind of heavy voice "I wonder why I let time slip by unconcerned .." oh my GOD! This is very nice! The whole track is well written.

Overall, by judging the first four tracks is actually enough for you to decide purchasing this CD. Again, if you are an early Crimson freaks and open mind with other musicians play in the similar style. But other tracks are OK as well. "Slow Fire" is probably the most complex (?) and noisy compared to the other at intro part. But it's gonna be OK when vocal part fills in. "Firefly" and "The Sun Absolute" are also worth enjoying. The only different thing is last track "For Someone" where the acoustic guitar is the main instrument. The vocal part and violin solo are wonderful.

If there is a downside, probably, would be the possibility of getting bored due to similar style (especially the way guitar is played) across various songs (except last track). But, it's OK though. So, this album, for me, deserves FIVE STAR even though the music composition is not that complex. Prog rock does not necessary mean complex stuff, right? What do you think? - Gatot Widayanto, Indonesia.

Gatot



..::TRACK-LIST::..

1. From Within 07:25
2. Kiss Of Life 04:40
3. Groundbound 05:24
4. Hole 11:08
5. Slow Fire 07:26
6. Firefly 04:49
7. The Sun Absolute 06:39
8. For Someone 03:31

Remastered by Hans Fredriksson from the original master in 2020.



..::OBSADA::..

Jan Erik Lijeström - Bass & Voice
Nicklas Barker - Guitar, Wurlitzer, Mellotron & Voice
Peter Nordins - Percussives & Vibraphone
Anna Sofi Dahlberg - Mellotron, Piano, Rhodes,Cello & Voice




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aAaJ5HjfMw



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