Wobbler, Norway

Retro prog

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Latest release: Dwellers of the Deep (2020)

---UMR notes

Dwellers of the Deep (2020)

Here's how I opened up my review of From Silence to Somewhere: "For any number of legitimate reasons I can lay out, it wasn't until November that I heard my first new album of 2017. And that one album was Wobbler's 4th opus From Silence to Somewhere. But what a way to ring in the new year! 11 months belated perhaps, but it doesn't matter because I can say with a certain amount of confidence this will be album of the year for me."

Three years and one month later, and ummm, yea exactly that. In fact I insisted in getting this listen in, lest I miss the entire year.  God how I love Wobbler! I keep expecting many other bands to follow in their footsteps, and yet very few (if any) really do. They seem to do everything just right, including awaiting 3 years to release a new album. For 2020, I have figuratively traveled the world with vinyl LPs - given the vast amounts of crazy pieces brought in while digging in the wilds, or inheriting a houseful of records from a fellow collector. Despite that, I love coming home to my favorite "city" - that of early 70s styled symphonic progressive rock.  It seems I will never tire of this most wonderful genre.

What one notices about Dwellers of the Deep is they have backslid a bit to their very Yes-like Rites at Dawn. Which is hardly a complaint, but it does take away from their native Nordic Anglagard-y approach of From Silence to Somewhere. All the same, I found myself enjoying Dwellers of the Deep on the same level for the first half of the album. Especially on 'Five Rooms' where I could swear I heard an organ jam that could have come straight from a Caravan album circa 1971. In The Land of Grey and Relayer one dreams of. The second half of the album, while still excellent, didn't quite have as many hair raising breaks and melodies that Wobbler are capable of. At this point, I'm rating the album a skosh off a masterpiece. But of course that could change over repeated listens. Whatever the case, yet another great album by a great band. Let's take that one step further: Wobbler are my favorite contemporary band. Competition is welcome of course...

From Silence to Somewhere (2017)

For any number of legitimate reasons I can lay out, it wasn't until November that I heard my first new album of 2017. And that one album was Wobbler's 4th opus From Silence to Somewhere. But what a way to ring in the new year! 11 months belated perhaps, but it doesn't matter because I can say with a certain amount of confidence this will be album of the year for me. It's currently in the running for album of the decade. Of course not everyone will agree to such an assessment, but as I write this, it maintains the top spot on Gnosis, ProgArchives, and RYM (for the style progressive rock that is - only #42 overall (#32 in 2023), but impressive all the same). For the same reasons Anglagard finds themselves under the bus on occasion, so will Wobbler: It's an old sound brought forth. Oh my though - we're talking an album that goes toe to toe with the best of 1972. From Silence to Somewhere is Wobbler living up to their potential - and then some. I've been a fan since Hinterland first hit the shelves, and had no problem with its, and successor/predecessor Afterglow, obvious Anglagard/Sinkadus worship. Wobbler took an odd turn on Rites of Dawn, circling The Yes Album wagon and draining it completely of all its assets. Though one can't blame the band for taking advantage of Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo's strong resemblance to Jon Anderson.

But what of From Silence to Somewhere? Well it's pretty much progressive rock perfection, that's what. I've stated this phrase before, but it bears repeating: If you find yourself not enjoying this album, then it's time to reassess your love of classic progressive rock. At a bare minimum I can say this as a matter of fact, rather than opinion: This is what I look for when hearing progressive rock. At this stage of my life, it's rare I want to hear an album more than 2 times straight before moving on to the next one in the stack. With From Silence to Somewhere, it's all I wanted to hear for days on end. I came back to it in the same way I would revisit Close to the Edge as a young teenager. Each time the album would reveal more about itself. Like a John Le Carre novel, it twists and turns in various directions, keeping you guessing even though you already know the outcome. And the sound is so perfect. Thick and wedgy and luscious. You just want to bathe in it.

The 21 minute title track and the closer 'Foxlight' are just merely great. But it's within the depths of the album you find the 2 gems that are lifetime achievements. The moody introspective 'Rendered in Shades of Green' is the definition of a piano and mellotron soaked instrumental. The melancholic feel of a misty windswept Scottish countryside. Then blasting out of the gates comes the piece de resistance 'Fermented Hours' sounding every bit like Il Balletto di Bronzo tackling 'Gates of Delirium'. Every metal band worth their leather strap would love to create this kind of intensity, and yet it's done through an obvious progressive rock lens. Breathtaking.

After the album is finished, there's only one thing left to do. Hit Play again. And again.

Rites at Dawn (2011)

My comments are going to echo many you've already seen - it's clear that Wobbler has made a conscious attempt at recreating the textures, sound and compositions of 1971-1972 era Yes. Personally I think it's a style that has plenty of room to improvise and innovate in, and apparently Wobbler agrees with me, as this is a wholly original work within an obvious context. As such, I find many of the parts quite exciting, with vicious Rickenbacker bass, mellotron, organ, and loud acid guitar leads way out front. Some of the acoustic guitar work recalls other British acts of the early 70s. So the band has clearly cut ties with its Anglagard/Sinkadus early 70s retro-Scandinavian past, and migrated towards the British Isles, just as their ancestors did 1300 years ago. Works for me.

For dyed-in-the-wool old school progressive rock lovers, like me, this one is a no brainer pick up.

Afterglow (2009)

Though Afterglow was released second, this is really a newly recorded version of older material dating back to 1999. Here, the sound is more obviously influenced by Anglagard with mellotron, heavy guitar, grungy organ, flute, woody bass - the whole package. So definitely closer is sound to Hinterland than their newest release Rites of Dawn. Easy recommendation for those into the heavy early 1970s sounds of northern Europe. For me, I'm not sure I'll ever tire of this sound. The more the merrier.

Hinterland (2005)

Not since Anglagard, did a band receive so much attention before their debut release. There were plenty of folks trumpeting its release ("pass the torch", bla bla bla ...) and, not unexpected, a full gathering to say Wobbler are really not all that amazing - overrated, over-hyped, over whatever. Since there isn't a single album that everyone agrees is great, this point / counterpoint is bound to happen in the virtual progressive rock town hall. Personally I don't think we can have enough bands like Wobbler. It's analog keyboard heaven. It has the flutes, the woody bass, the active drumming, the loud fat acid guitar leads, the great production. It's rhythmically complex. It's dynamic with real climaxes and releases. It's an open ended style of progressive music, that allows for many avenues, crooked alleys and hidden piazzas. And it takes many listens to discover the various paths. So not every band is the all-time greatest ever, but if there were 50 bands operating in the Wobbler style, most would score very well with me. Either that, or perhaps we've reached a new pinnacle of cynicism, and you have to begin to wonder if you're even a fan of symphonic progressive rock anymore. Admit it, you stumble on something like this album in the record store: 1974 Polydor Norway. And you wave your hand dismissively and bark "It's just average - whoopeedoo". Yea, sure. Through it all, I can't help feeling bad for good ole' Sinkadus. They're really the only other modern band that went down this route in the 1990s, and they were just TRASHED for daring to walk the sacred ground of Anglagard. Time will most certainly be good to Sinkadus. Time has already been good to Wobbler. Bravo!

7//05; 7/27/11; 10/15/11 (new entry); 11/30/17; 1/5/18; 12/30/20; 9/9/23