WOBBLER – Dwellers Of The Deep (Album Review)

WOBBLER - Dwellers Of The Deep (Album Review)
Wobbler – Dwellers Of The Deep, new album out 23 October

Some Background:

Wobbler are a Norwegian progressive rock band formed away back in 1999 and who released their first album Hinterland in 2005. Three of the band who released that are still here on their latest album due out October 23 on Karisma Records. The album called Dwellers Of The Deep is their fifth album and continues the same sort of progressive vein as the previous, being very influenced by the classic 70s era music from bands such as Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant, King Crimson and ELP amongst others. Anyone who hankers for real instruments and an analog sound will simply love this album (and the previous outings as well). There are only 4 tracks with 2 of them being kind of epics at 13 and 19 minutes respectively. The other 2 clock only at 4 and 8 minutes. The production is crystal clear with all the instruments being heard both when they are in the very gentle sections and the more orchestrated and rocking parts. Each musician is top-notch and all work together to make a wonderful sound with melodies aplenty. There are of course parts where the time signatures are highly impressive and catch you off guard if you are air instrumenting along but they never fall into more show than melody.

A Look At The 4 Songs!

Opener “By The Banks” is lush, dreamy, elegant and shows off all the attributes of their influences whilst being of its own. The keys/organ are prominent throughout but allow everything else to seep through and pull you ever deeper into the music. The way they play with timings whilst still being accessible is impressive. This is uplifting music, almost choral at times. The way they use light and shade, moments that sound dark and then turn it around into a sound of genuine playfulness is impressive. The song lulls you with a false sense of security before it suddenly hits a riff or passage that rocks. The ending has a Genesis vibe guitar-wise with Marius Halleland taking centre stage.

Second song “Five Rooms” is a treat drum-wise with the fills making me so want to be a drummer. They really are of superb quality and fantastic to listen to. It is probably the rockiest track here but still has moments of reflection and gentleness. The section where both guitars and keys (played by Lars Fredrik Froislie) are allowed to solo and are underpinned by some fabulous fills and runs from both bassist Kristian Karl Hultgren and drummer Martin Nordrum Kneppen is prog at its most glorious!

Wobbler: The Band
Wobbler: The Band

The shortest track is “Naiad Dreams” and is about water nymphs… well it is prog! This is a gorgeous little number and reminded me of “Trespass” era Genesis in its elegance and seeming simplicity. The track has both xylophone and flute as far as I can tell and both sound beautiful enhancing the piece and giving it a slightly different vibe.

The last track is the 19-minute epic and very appropriately named “Merry Macabre” is it dances between joyous and uplifting melodies and some very dark sounds including chanting vocals that could be part of a horror movie about monks. There is a period where the keys sound like a ship’s horn sounding a warning of imminent danger before it turns on a sixpence into a delightful jaunty and playful series of different time sigs. One point I felt a touch of Yes‘ “Gates Of Delirium” if helped along by King Crimson before finding its way into vocal harmonizations ala Gentle Giant or more recently Spock’s Beard. Before it finishes there is some Keith Emerson type soloing (think early Nice or ELP). It drops down into a darker mode a couple of times yet always manages to bring you out of darkness into light, as befitting a track called “Merry Macabre“. I do need to mention once again the quality of drumming on this as well. During one of the darkest or most “macabre” parts they are particularly impressive. The track doesn’t feel anywhere near 19 minutes long which is testimony as to its arrangement. It twists and turns and no parts seem out of place or overly long. A spellbinding piece to end a mighty fine album by a band who should be more famous than they are.

Anyone who loves 70s classic prog and wants to hear musicians playing challenging music which has pastoral, classical and acoustic elements in amongst the rock will love this. I felt like I did when I was young and listening to new albums by those 70s giants, captivated and transported to another world completely or perhaps to a time almost forgotten where things seemed more innocent. That is nothing to be sniffed at, not with all the crap going on in the world just now. Excellent stuff.

Album out Friday, October 23 on Karisma Records.

Purchase CD via Amazon: Canada // USA // UK

Official Website / Official Facebook Page

[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpOQp9gCfQA[/embedyt]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *