Nucleus by Anekdoten

Nucleus, the second album by Swedish band  Anekdoten, from 1995.

Not an easy album, and not for everyone, but a beautiful and crucial one: Nucleus, along with their debut album (Vemod) and Hybris by Änglagård, paved the way for Scandinavian prog, what I call Northern Prog.

Änglagård draws inspiration from English symphonic rock, while Anekdoten draws on Crimson influences, creating a hard, complex sound that retains the opaque, dark atmospheres of tradition.

And indeed, this album is very complex from every perspective, both technically and compositionally, and even in its structure. It needs to be listened to several times to fully understand it, discovering something new each time.

A heavy, dark, and driving sound with beautiful, heavy guitar riffs, even with distorted sounds. The distorted bass and drums are excellent. There's extensive use of the Mellotron, supported at times by splendid cello parts, but also by their characteristic experimental dissonances and abrupt shifts in atmosphere, which is generally dark and melancholic and extremely engaging. A powerful and essential album for fans of modern progressive rock, it strikes a perfect balance between heavy, aggressive sections and touching melodies, with the compositions and performance being top-notch.

Some notes on the tracks

- "Nucleus" is a powerful song with a splendid change of atmosphere, ranging from a brief melancholic chord progression to a powerful wall of sound and tempo changes in exceptional, completely instrumental parts.

- "Harvest" evolves like the previous song with shifts in atmosphere, creating a haunting mood, thanks in part to the splendid organ parts.

- "The Book of Hours" is the longest track on the album, starting softly and hypnotically and building to a massive explosion with admirable transitions.

- "Rubankh" is a short but very heavy track, entirely instrumental with a strong bass line.
- "Here" is a soft track, and despite some experimental elements, it's the most accessible on the album, featuring a strong cello part.
- "In Freedom" closes the album, similar to "Here" but less experimental, a great finale.

An album I consider essential for modern prog, a must-have for any progressive rock fan.

Tracklist

1. Nucleus (5:13)
2. Harvest (6:57)
3. Book of Hours (9:59)
4. Raft (0:59)
5. Rubankh (3:25)
6. Here (7:26)
7. This Far from the Sky (8:50)
8. In Freedom (6:32)

Duration 49:21

LineUp

- Nicklas Berg - guitar, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, pump organ, Mellotron, vocals
- Anna Sofi Dahlberg - cello, Mellotron, vocals
- Jan Erik Liljeström - bass, vocals
- Peter Nordins - percussion

With:
- Helena Källander - violin
- Tommy Andersson - Fender Rhodes (2), co-producer

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page