WOBBLER

Wobbler was formed in Norway, in 1999. The band had a burning desire to create some of the musical expressions of the early 70´s, especially by the use of the instruments of that time and the somewhat complex compositions of the progressive rock scene from 1969 - 1974. In the early years the band worked hard composing music, in a few months the basic ideas for a demo was created, and in the following years the ideas evolved to fully fledged songs. In 2003 some of these songs were recorded, a demo was put out on the internet, and started living its own life. Wobbler ended up signing a record deal with the US label The Laser´s Edge. The recordings of the debut album Hinterland began in June 2004. After eight intense months the album was ready. The hype from the demo songs had now reached its peak, and the expectations were sky-high. Wobbler released their debut Hinterland, championed by the 28 minute long titletrack in 2005. The release concert took place in front of an eager audience at the prestigious NEAR-fest festival in USA, including two M400 Mellotrons on stage! Both the concert and the album lived up to the hype and brought a lot of new fans to the band. In April 2009 the band finally released its second album entitled Afterglow. It contained a re- recording of two old demos and three other songs composed in 1999. This release continued what Hinterland started, and made Wobbler a name amongst more listeners around the world. Later in 2009 the band entered the studio again, this time with new vocalist and frontman Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo. While the compositions on the two first albums were largely instrumental and somewhat dominated by difficult parts piled on top of each other, the new material focused more on song structures and the new wind of vocal melodies and harmonies that Andreas brought into the music. The third album, Rites At Dawn, was released in 2011. The album did really well worldwide and gained the band critical acclaim as well as invitations to several festivals in Europe. After a while original member Morten Andreas Eriksen left the band, and old time friend Marius Halleland joined forces as the new guitarist. After the release of Wobbler´s long awaited and critically acclaimed fourth album, From Silence To Somewhere in 2017, Wobbler hit the road and performed all over Europe as well as Canada in 2017-2019. Between concerts Wobbler was busy composing new material for a fifth album entitled Dwellers Of The Deep, finally released on October 23rd 2020. And in 2022 there was the reissue of the first 3 albums in a box set, this review is about that release.

Hinterland

I remember vividly the first time I listened to Wobbler, this was during the Annual Background Magazine Meeting, one of the reviewers had bought the brandnew CD Hinterland from their debut at the Nearfest festival in 2005 and we were very eager to hear it. Well, as a huge fan of Old School prog and a Tron-maniac I was pleased with the dynamic vintage keyboard drenched sound, also reminding me of fellow Scandinavian bands Anglagard and Anekdoten. Lots of changing atmospheres, breaks and a lush instrumentation (from electric and acoustic guitars and flute to Hammond runs and Mellotron layers) in the 3 long compositions Hinterland, Rubato Industry and Clair Obscur. But I also notice that the vocals are mediocre, and at some moments the compositions fail to keep my attention, due to a lack of direction. So a bit mixed feelings about this first effort by Wobbler.

***

Afterglow

To me this second Wobbler CD sounds superior to their debut album, the 5 compositions (early recordings, from 1999) succeed to generate a lot of excitement! The 3 short tracks are acoustic, except the final part of Armoury that delivers a sumptuous vintage keyboard sound, with mighty church organ and fat Minimoog flights, goose bumps. The other two epic compositions are in the vein of the first album but more elaborate. First Imperial Winter White: it contains obvious hints from Anglagard featuring a majestic Mellotron sound (flute/choir/violin sections) and powerful Rickenbacker bass runs, the vocals in the final part remind me of Damian Wilson, slightly theatrical. And second In Taberna: to me this one sounds more in the vein of Anekdoten, with lots of dynamics, bombastic eruptions and fiery guitar play. Unfortunately the album only clocks 35 minutes, but here it is clearly quality above quantity. And Tron-maniacs will be delighted!

****

Rites At Dawn

Listening to this third effort I notice that Wobbler have made a lot of progress in writing compositions and making music, I am very pleased with this album. The hints are still obvious from Seventies progrock legends Yes and Gentle Giant, and the 'Second Skandinavian Progrock Wave' bands Anekdoten and Anglagard. But in comparison with the 2005 first album Hinterland the songs sound elaborate, dynamic and captivating: lots of powerful and bombastic music (apart from the short instrumental atmospheric first and final track) with strong interplay, a dynamic rhythm-section, a lush vintage keyboard sound (cascades of Mellotron violins, along Hammond and Minimoog runs) and, last but not least, pleasant English vocals (with a slight accent). The frequent use of vocal melodies on this third album contributes to more stucture in the compositions. My highlights are In Orbit (dynamic, between dreamy and bombastic, with wonderful Mellotron choirs), This Past Presence (from mellow with flute and acoustic guitar to sumptuous with swinging piano, fiery electric guitar and majestic Mellotron eruptions) and the Yes-like A Faerie's Play (strong interplay and awesome work on the Mellotron).

****

To me Wobbler sounds as a good example of the socalled Retro Prog: obvious hints from Classic Prog bands and lush vintage keyboards, so you know what to expect from Wobbler.

If you need more insights, though, perhaps I'll note that this seems to go into slightly spooker or more anxious territory than its predecessor; some of the quieter and more pensive moments on here remind me of the similarly quiet and foreboding moments that Discipline often work into their compositions. There's also a good dose of modern sounds, with pulsating electronic terrors unleashed towards the end of closing epic Merry Macabre. As far as I am concerned, Wobbler are right at the top table of present-day prog, and Dwellers is a capable defence of that position.

I also find the progosphere's eager deference to this band off-putting, and I've witnessed an awful lot of hand-waving at just how Yes-y they've become over their last few albums. Their Yes-iness isn't an inherently bad thing. Rites at Dawn is my favorite of their records, and that is arguably their most blatantly Yes-like release. But after a while, such obvious aping of another act's sound does begin to wear thin, and Yes varied their sound more than Wobbler have. To reiterate: I like Wobbler, but I don't view them through the same irreproachable lens that many other prog fans seem to hold.

Now that I've gotten my expository rant out of the way, I can address the album at hand. Dwellers of the Deep is this Norwegian quintet's fifth full-length release. Upon first listening to it, I was struck by the fact that I could identify no appreciable differences between this album and From Silence to Somewhere. The sound palette hasn't been shaken up, the albums' structures are similar, and the melodies feel too familiar?bordering on re-trod. However, the strength of Wobbler's baseline sound is such that even with these considerations in mind, Dwellers of the Deep is still a pretty good record. Not amazing, but pretty good and worth listening to.

"By the Banks" opens the album on a bombastic note, and Wobbler's bombast has always been their strongest mode in my book. The organ playing is more reminiscent of John Evan of Jethro Tull than of anyone Yes ever had, which is a nice change of pace, but the verses are weak. The melody feels forced and unnatural, and the instrumental backing lacks any real muscle. Much of the middle of this 14-minute song is instrumental, and it's something of a mixed bag. Good ideas are mixed in alongside themes and riffs which should have either been refined or cut altogether.

Following this is Dwellers' pre-release single, "Five Rooms". It opens with warm organ, Mellotron, and wordless vocals before gradually building toward another frenetic riff that sounds like it was written by Chris Squire. This song, similar to the first, is a mix of strong ideas and half-baked melodies that ultimately fail to land. The song's closing minutes strongly channel Phideaux, but that's not quite enough to save it for me. These first two songs feel somewhat scattered and unfocused.

"Naiad Dreams" is an insufferable, torpid four-and-a-half-minute acoustic dirge. I hate it. This might be Wobbler's worst song. It drips along slowly, seemingly never-ending, with almost nothing in the way of instrumental variation. I tried to couch my criticism of the first two songs by pointing out that each have good ideas, but this one is a waste.

Up to this point, Dwellers has felt like something of a disappointment. Two mixed bags and one snoozefest do not a strong release make. Thankfully, the 19-minute "Merry Macabre" ends this record on a strong note.

After a brief piano intro, distorted organ launches this song into an aggressive, askew riff which feels fresh. This eventually dissolves into ominous walls of organ and wordless vocals. This foreboding atmosphere continues for a while before transitioning into a rapid, twisting guitar line. Jazz and blues elements pop up in the rhythm and organ line. A jangly guitar line acts as the backdrop to gradually escalating keyboards and percussion, both of which inject impressive drama. There are a million ideas in this song, but it somehow holds together. This might be Wobbler's best individual song of their career.

Wobbler's fifth album is somewhat patchy, featuring both extreme highs and extreme lows. "Merry Macabre" is what elevates Dwellers of the Deep from decent-but-skippable to something worth checking out. I doubt I'll be listening to the first three songs on this album with much frequency, but I can foresee myself revisiting this closing suite quite often.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2020/11/23/album-review-wobbler-dwellers-of-the-deep/

Maybe it is the recency bias with this being the last Wobbler album I have listened to, and the fact it is the only album from them I got on vinyl, but this is such a great record in my opinion.

This feels like a huge love letter to prog rock from the 70s, more so than retro prog already is. This album is like one huge fusion between the very classical inflictions of Keith Emerson's keyboards, the pastoral folk sounds of Gryphon, the medieval charm of Gentle Giant, a very Yes-like approach to scale and ambitions, and sections that feel very in-line with Comus or Spirogyra. Whilst others may find this to be ripping off these wonderful bands and their style, to me they aren't ripping off, but doing what works, and giving it their own unique spin on flavors. Tracks like the big 27 minute epic of Hinterland, or the very profound Rubato Industry, may have moments that feel like Gentle Giant or ELP songs, but they never distract from the entire grandness of such songs.

In fact, I'd double down and say these qualities enhance these songs. Without the very ELP sounding keyboards on the beginning of Hinterland, or the almost Apocalypse in 9/8 movement from Clair Obscur, this album, and Wobbler as a whole wouldn't have been the same for me. It is kind of like an I Spy book, if you just remove all the objects from the book except for the ones you have to find, it just becomes boring. Without the clear inspirational material, Wobbler would be left in a blank state, making their music feel pointless. You need all those objects in those pages, you need the very elaborate, but very nice to look at set pieces. Wobbler is like the creator of these pages, using whatever they find; their own little toys to create this wonderful set piece.

Musically, I think this is one of the finest retro prog workings. The band really lets their work flow shine, adding on so much to these big grand suites, not holding back in the slightest. It is said that Hinterland was once a lot shorter, but the band kept adding on and on to it, making it the big epic it is now, which I think is a delightful fun fact. Obviously the two other songs on here (not counting Serenade for 1652) would probably get overshadowed by this giant epic, which is probably the only critique I can give to this record, but even then they are still really good songs that deserve much recognition. Overall, what Wobbler crafted here in these tracks, whilst quite long, are quite eventful and packed to the punch with amazing musicianship.

If there is one Norwegian prog rock record that I'd give to someone looking for some really great symphonic prog, I would look no further than here as this is a mighty fine gemstone. It is a prog rock album that does more than just the fundamentals and not only crafts a very rewarding, but very celebratory album. It is a celebration of the past, and one that I can see others looking at in fondness and inspiration later down the line.

So-called "symphonic prog", or to those not in the know, "the style of prog big in 1973 with loads of organs and theatricality", is a style that seems impossible to pull off in a modern context. Loads try it, mostly old men trying to reclaim their youth and sound like their idols, and most miss the mark. Superficially, there's not much different - the songs are virtually dead ripoffs of Yes or Genesis or Camel, and yet haven't even got a tenth of the quality or soul of those artists.

But perhaps the best way to work that out is to look at the exception. Because this is absolutely awesome. It's a modern symphonic prog album in the vein of the classics, like all those other artists, but it doesn't suck. Why? How is this possible? I think for me, it's because there's some balls to this music. There's some grit, anger, punchiness, and most noticeably - youth. Wobbler are no spring chickens, but they do a decent impression of one, with hard- hitting riffs, energetic performances, and the constant inclusion of top-shelf melodic parts, remembering that prog is often at its best when being pop in disguise.

This is no masterpiece, but it's such a stark contrast to all the other symphonic prog bands who all sound like they're in a retirement home lunchtime entertainment band. Yes and Genesis were young at their peak, and had a youthful energy that Wobbler have at least attempted to emulate here. It's the closest you'll ever come to that magic again.

7.5 (8th listen)

Part of my listening diary from my facebook blog: www.facebook.com/TheExoskeletalJunction

I got this album within 2 months of buying Prog for the first time and I found it difficult as at that point I hadn't even heard an Avant or Zeuhl or experimental album. Yet the mellotron and vocals really hit the spot for me. I also connected with that picture of the band in the liner notes for "Hinterland" with five long hairs standing out in the cold and abundant snow that this Canadian can relate to. But five albums in 15 years? I mean that's ANEKDOTEN-like isn't it? And how about the buzz for this band in 2005, they hadn't even released their first album "Hinterland" and Nearfest invited them to play that year, the word was out.

These guys would turn out to be like the reincarnation of ANGLAGARD, SINKADUS and ANEKDOTEN but from Norway not Sweden. In fact their 2 song demo release in 2003 screams ANGLAGARD and those two tracks would show up on their second release "Afterglow" but re-recorded. I still remember driving my 20 year old daughter up the mountain to her friend's place listening to "Hinterland". I was infatuated with their sound.

So "Hinterland" and "Afterglow" featured the same lineups before "Rites Of Dawn" hit us with a new singer sounding a lot like Jon Anderson, in fact the first half of the album sounded a lot like YES, too much but I did get over that strong flavour. A new guitarist for their masterpiece "From Silence To Somewhere" who continues here and we get a guest violinist on this record.

The standout track for me here is the side long "Merry Macabre" at 19 minutes and talk about some incredible passages! That mellotron and upfront bass hit us like a storm at times. I mean after 11 minutes we get hit hard as it turns dark and more powerful as we shield ourselves from that storm. "Naiad Dreams" is by far the shortest piece at 4 1/2 minutes and the best part is when the vocals step aside before 2 minutes and the mellotron comes to the fore.

The opening two tracks of this four song record really set the stage. The opener "By The Banks" hits the ground running with organ over top before vocals and mellotron arrive. Some ground shaking bass here then another calm as they continue to contrast the light and heavy. "Five Rooms" contrasts the uptempo and slower moments well and I just about fell over hearing the Canterbury organ at 5 1/2 minutes but again the mellotron is such a treat here.

Many seem to have been turned off with that YES vibe starting with "Rites Of Dawn" but these last three studio albums along with ALL TRAPS ON EARTH from 2018, ANEKDOTEN's "Until All The Ghosts Are Gone" from 2015, SHAMBLEMATHS "II" 2021 and JORDSJO's "Jord" from 2015 have all scratched that retro/ mellotron itch that I seem to have a chronic problem with.

Wobbler is a progressive rock band which was born in Norway. Formed in 1999, in the small town Honefoss, in our days Wobbler is based in Oslo, the capital of their native country. Their sound is complex, well composed, with interesting melodies and with good roots in the classic symphonic progressive rock of the 70's. So, fans of the symphonic progressive rock with extensive use of vintage keyboards, such as Hammond, Moog and MiniMoog, in addition to rare instruments, such as harpsichord, dulcimer and glockenspiel, will be certainly familiar with Wobbler's ultra 70's sound.

Despite being clearly influenced by the most modern Scandinavian progressive rock, namely White Willow, Anglagard and Anekdoten, the Norwegians have always drawn their strength much more from the classic English and Italian prog crop, with clear influences from King Crimson, Genesis, Gentle Giant, Yes, Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Plamer, Premiata Forneria Marconi and Le Orme, as the fourth studio album masterfully attests, "From Silence To Somewhere".

So, "From Silence To Somewhere" is the fourth studio album of Wobbler and was released in 2017. The line up on the album is Andreas Wettergreen Stromman Prestmo (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, glockenspiel, percussion, brass bell and children's toy), Geir Marius Bergom Halleland (backing vocals, 6 and 12 string acoustic and electric guitars), Lars Fredrik Froislie (backing vocals, Hammond C3, Mellotron, MiniMoog mod. D, Chamberlin, Hohner clavinet, Rhodes MkII, spinet, ARP Axxe/Pro Solist, Solina String Ensemble, Optigan, Wurlitzer 200, Marxophone and grand piano), Kristian Karl Hultgren (bass guitar, bass pedals and woodwinds) and Martin Nordrum Kneppen (drums and woodwinds). The album had also the participation of Renato Manzi (old man's voice), Ketil Vestrum Einarsen (flute) and Oystein Bech Gadmar (crumhorn).

The sound on "From Silence To Somewhere" is a bit more aggressive and somewhat darker than of their previous studio album "Rites At Dawn", released in 2011, and I think it sounds a bit more mature because of the more refined songwriting. Probably that is due to the new approach that Wobbler took when writing and recording this last album. Being much more of a band's product than its predecessors, I really think this quintet has clearly found a way to bring out the best in each other. The composition of this three-movement progressive symphony is absolutely perfect. It's consistent throughout, it has a couple of dramatic crescendos and uplifting de-crescendos, along with some wonderful twists and turns and wonderful arrangements that keep the piece endlessly interesting from the first to the last note.

The almost 21 minutes of the title track opens the album with some intensity and strength. As the best post- modern symphonic prog rock, Wobbler knows that can't waste the tradition. So, the excellence of the track comes from the fact that sometimes at the same time we witness the coexistence of various ways of performing the symphonic prog rock, something like thinking of Genesis, Jethro Tull, Emerson Lake & Palmer and several others. The flute lends a folk air for several minutes and right in the middle there is an experimental calm interlude of King Crimson. After a long emotional ride, it's necessary to downgrade and the mellow madrigal of "Rendered In Shades Of Green" that fulfills its function in its modest two minutes, before rushing into new electrifying sonic torrents. "Fermented Hours" opens in a psych way, with some vocals harmony from Yes and heavy guitar, appealing even for fans of Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath. More or less correctly describes a track that intersperses those heavier prog moments with longer symphonic virtuous ones that bring to our memory some great keyboard work from Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and Premiata Forneria Marconi. The closing number of the album, of more than thirteen minutes is "Foxlight". It begins with another moment of relaxation for the listener to recover from the previous extravagance. But, it only lasts for about four minutes in a pastoral atmosphere, half heavenly, type Genesis. Then there is a bridge with a big intensity that brings us back to the high level drama of the symphonic prog tortuous and intricate. And in an instant the classic ends and closes the album.

Conclusion: The Norwegian musicians from Wobbler have released a retro prog album. Those who enjoy indulging in the sounds of the early 70's will be served the very best here. The music is varied, exciting, very melodic and manages to grab on you. Wobbler's fans will celebrate this album and so will most fans of the golden age of prog too. From a pure musical aspect, this album is simply brilliant. "From Silence To Somewhere" exceeds all expectations and has everything that detractors of the symphonic prog love to throw in the face of proud fans of the subgenre. Its formal rigor is such a size that it deserves to be enshrined in the rarefied pantheon reserved for works of the caliber of the great classics of the golden prog era, the 70's. "From Silence To Somewhere" is easily one of 2017's best progressive rock releases. Glorious stuff from top to bottom and is highly recommended. It seems that Wobbler has done it again.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

The years have passed and it became clear Wobbler was growing in prog community. At that time my new heroes in the movement were Steven Wilson and Andy Tillison, but as much as there are loads of music from these musicians, I know there was need of attention to be direct to Wobbler music.

So I heard From Silence To Somewhere and Dwellers Of The Deep for many, many times, and there was no doubt the band deserves to be recognized to the point of acceptance they were.

Dwellers Of The Deep is a four songs and 45 minutes long album. I am not coherent about how long must an album last, in the beginning it is good to hear a short one because it is easier and faster to get to KNOW it. After that, when the album is really that good, I start missing more of that. This album does not differs a lot from Hinterland in a way Songs From The Wood differs from A Passion Play, their basic sound was already stablished. What increased was the QUALITY of their compositions, with melodies even more strong to our years.

By means of conclusion, Dwellers Of The Deep, as long as From Silence To Somewhere, are a strongly recommended albums, due to its musicianship, strong sense of melody or, in other words, its progressiveness. Five strong stars.

But is this truly prog? Yes it is expanding on the works of the prog greats in the early seventies. But prog is pushing boundaries. Expanding on current sounds, exploring news grounds. Wobbler doesn't do this. Instead, they are celebrating the early seventies prog. Which I very much appreciate.

From Silence to Somewhere ? Has a bass reminiscent to Squire, keys that are very much Wakeman-esk, guitars that are sounding like Howe, a Tull-ish flute around minute 8.

The build-up of the epic is also reminiscent to Yes pieces like Close to the Edge with pieces of Thick as a Brick and other masterpieces. After eleven minutes starts an ELP section. Followed by Tull. At a certain point, around the 15- minute mark, I hear Crimson and Genesis influences.

The usage of instruments is very early 70-ish too. I hear an organ, a synth, mellotron, woodwinds, minimoog, Hammond. Everything we like from early 70's prog.

In the end, they crafted it into a cohesive and enjoyable whole. Nice. But not original at all. 9/10

Rendered in shades of green - Piano and mellotron. We prog adepts LOVE our mellotron! 7.5/10

Fermented Hours - Starts with a keyboard sequence that could come from ELP. Then it gets into motion resembling heavier works from acts like Crimson. But there's also some Yes to be heard there. When the pace slows down, we arrive at my favourite section. Very ELP-like, laded with Mellotron that is. But we also hear some Wakeman style keys. And more Yes, with the keyboard and guitar. And a voice reminiscent of Gabriel. In the end, I applaud the great musicianship and enjoyed the ride. But I still missed the emotional connection with the piece. 8/10

Foxlight ? Has a flute to start it off. Combined with early Crimson like melodies. Yes, there's a mellotron :-) The track uses many different time signatures and dynamics. It is a mishmash of styles that feels a bit flat to me. It gets very Yes-ish around 9 minutes, with a KC mellotron added. The end of the track has a Tull vibe, using instruments you would associate with acts like ELP and Yes. It doesn't do a lot to me either. 7.5/10

This album is very much looking in a rearview mirror, 45 years back. I love it. I like listening to it and I enjoy it. Wobbler masterfully crafted an album that combines all the great elements of Yes, Crimson, Genesis, ELP, Tull and more into one cohesive and delicious album. But is it a masterpiece in prog? Is it essential for any prog fan? Also if they have the entire collection of the early 70 greats? I don't think so.

I give it 3 stars.