The 2017 fifth album from the Swedish progressive rock band Anekdoten. Recorded at Rommarö studio in the Swedish archipelago in the November 2006, the band was aiming for more complex and richer song writing than before. Most of the songs were demoed and arranged well before the recording session which used vintage organs and synths to expand the sounds. The late Gunnar Bergsten, famous for playing on Bo Hansson's 'Lord Of The Rings' album, played flute on '30 Pieces', musically considered one the highlights in Anekdoten's career.
The band had to mix the album in a studio they weren't used to and were never happy with the overall sound. Main man Nicklas Barker says, "We have re-mastered it twice (in 2007 and 2012), but still not with the result we wanted. With this mastering by Hans Fredriksson in January 2020 we finally feel that the greatness of this album revealed."
This CD re-issue contains 5 bonus tracks of demos recorded more-or-less live in the spring of 2006 at Anekdoten's studio Sisu Sound. 'In For A Ride', 'King Oblivion' and 'Stardust and Sand' were lost for many years but found on a hard drive by Nicklas while cleaning out a closet in 2019, then he restored and mixed them in November 2019. The demos for 'Prince Of The Ocean' and '30 Pieces' were previously released on the Kscope compilation 'Chapters'. Nicklas believes some of the demos outclass the studio versions.
"As always, there are great big lashes of majestic 'tron all over everything. The songs are strong, ranging from the pounding dark prog numbers to delicate acoustic songs like 'Stardust and Sand' and 'Prince of the Ocean'. A stew of psychedelic dark prog of the highest order from an incredibly consistent band." Allister Thompson, Prog Archives
"They're masters at the art of shifting on a dime from brooding solemnity to full throated and grinding rock, though they can also take it down with 12-string and VCS synth musings like 'Every Step I Take' (sounding like Pink Floyd) or the lazy Mellotron-flavored waltz, 'Prince of the Ocean'. Canterbury flavoured prog is even evoked in the rocker 'In for a Ride'. Paul Hightower, Exposé Magazine
'A Time of Day' is released on Kscope in Digipak with 8-page booklet.