Norwegian heavy progressive rockers Wobbler will issue their new album, Dwellers of the Deep, through Karisma Records on Oct. 23. The band has been active for more than 20 years, and Dwellers of the Deep is their fifth full-length since making their debut in 2005. Its four songs are intricately composed and woven together with classic progressive styling, and each serves a purpose in adding to the pastiche of the 45-minute release as a whole and bolstering a conceptual feel and the overarching melodic focus.

Keyboards run alongside guitars, rhythms play in tight, somehow-funky bursts, and pieces range in movements from grand sweeping sonic gestures to stretches of minimalist atmospherics, the Oslo-based five-piece of vocalist/guitarist Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo (also recorder, percussion and glockenspiel), lead guitarist/backing vocalist Geir Marius Bergom Halleland, bassist Kristian Karl Hultgren, keyboardist/backing vocalist Lars Fredrik Frøislie and drummer Martin Nordrum Kneppen (also recorder and percussion) creating a lush breadth and character of sound that feels at once forward and backward looking. That is, certainly there are elements of King Crimson and other such easy prog influences to note, but more an 20 years on, Wobbler are also no strangers to putting their stamp on prog, whether that’s the in the initial rush that opens “By the Banks” or the subdued acoustic-and-mellotron-driven renaissance folk sweetness of the later “Naiad Dreams,” premiering below.

Those folkish tendencies don’t just show up on “Naiad Dreams” either. That song, the penultimate of the four, might bring them most into focus, but they’re there too even at some of Dwellers of the Deep‘s most spirited moments. The album sandwiches the eight-minute “Five Rooms” and “Naiad Dreams” with the significantly longer “By the Banks” (13:49) at the outset and “Merry Macabre” (19:00) at the finish, and the effect of doing so is to set up the long-player as precisely that — a full-length intended to be taken in its entirety rather than a collection of songs.

I don’t know if it was written that way, as one or two long pieces subsequently broken up into separate movements to fit on vinyl sides, but the flow conjured throughout makes the proceedings all the more immersive, as Wobbler keep a poise to their delivery even as they dig through the farthest reaches of “Merry Macabre,” which has plenty of time to crescendo, recede, and cap the album with futuristic synthesizer as though the band were uniting the past with what’s to come in stylistic terms. Coupled with the bouncing organ in “Five Rooms” earlier, the periods of heavier push to be found, and the sheer nuance of the material, it’s a testament to Wobbler‘s established status that the record doesn’t collapse under the weight of its own headiness, but it doesn’t at all. Wobbler are able, on a level of execution, to realize the ambitious scope of their songwriting both because they’ve done it before — 2017’s From Silence to Somewhere; also a gem — and because it’s a central part of their modus. It is because it has to be and it has to be because it is.

So. You should not approach “Naiad Dreams” thinking it summarizes the entire album. It doesn’t. At all. To be fair, neither does “Merry Macabre,” and that’s about four times as long. You take what you can get. However, on a compositional level and in terms of the atmospheric affect of Dwellers of the Deep, you’re at very least getting a piece of the greater puzzle, and one with a peaceful and pastoral melody at that. You can always go back and check out the full record when it’s out, but for now, losing your head for a couple minutes and mellowing out with “Naiad Dreams” feels like the way to go.

As always, I hope you enjoy:

Wobbler, “Naiad Dreams” official live video

Wobbler on “Naiad Dreams”:

“‘Naiad Dreams’ is special in the way that it’s our first foray into a short song that stands on its own. It came to life late in the recording process and was written and recorded on an inspired May morning. It’s a rather minimalistic composition with very few elements that gets plenty of room to shine. It is the breathing space on the coming album where playful naiads make you gaze into the depths.”

Preorders:
https://www.karismarecords.no/kar194-wobbler-dwellers-of-the-deep/ (Karisma)
https://wobbler.bandcamp.com/album/dwellers-of-the-deep (Bandcamp)
https://karismarecords.aisamerch.com/ (US orders)

Consisting of four distinctive pieces “Dwellers of the Deep” is a fine example of WOBBLER´s trademark creative whims and playful exuberance, and the band has offered an insight into what fans can expect from the album and what went into its creation:

The recording sessions were somewhat shaped partially by what was happening during the first months of Covid-19. In a very Decameronesque way, we sent “histories” to each other from our hermitages, while the plague waited in the shadows outside. It contributed to a sense of meaningful gravity, making it crucial that the task at hand be fulfilled with our most sincere and unparalleled endeavours.

The lyrical themes on the album deal with human emotions, and the ongoing struggle between juxtaposed forces within the psyche. An introspective voyage amongst the realms of memories, feelings and instincts, where the light is brighter and the dark is darker. The concepts of wonder, longing and desperation permeates the histories told, and the currents from the deep are ever present. The final track, “Merry Macabre”, is a 19 minute suite taking the listener through aspects of the darker sides of WOBBLER´s sound. It probably sums up what we wanted to express this time around; songs with a weirder tint, an experimental, almost impressionist splitting of themes that at the same time provides a larger frame.

Formed in Hønefoss in 1999, WOBBLER’s lineup features Lars Fredrik Frøislie on keyboards and backing vocals, Martin Nordrum Kneppen on drums, percussion and recorder, Kristian Karl Hultgren on bass, Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo on vocals, guitar, glockenspiel, recorder and percussion and Geir Marius Bergom Halleland on lead guitar and backing vocals.

Wobbler on Thee Facebooks

Wobbler on Bandcamp

Wobbler website

Karisma Records on Thee Facebooks

Karisma Records website

Classic progressive rockers Wobbler were last heard from with 2017’s pan-flute-and-mellotron-laced From Silence to Somewhere, a listener’s buffet of proggy delights that ran through four mostly extended songs. The follow-up, Dwellers of the Deep, looks like it will take somewhat similar shape — at least in its basic construction — also playing out across four tracks, the last of which is an extended finale. If you’re not familiar with the Norwegian outfit, don’t sweat it too hard, but their melodies and the kind of stately bounce of their rhythms make their sound genuinely engaging, and they’re clearly well schooled by now in where they’re coming from as a band. They’re prog and they know it. And you know they know it. And they know you know they know it. And so on.

Karisma Records certainly knows it, which I’ll assume is why preorders for Dwellers of the Deep are up now ahead of the Oct. 23 released date.

No audio yet, but the PR wire brings art, details and links:

Karisma Records Announces Details Of New WOBBLER Album “Dwellers Of The Deep”!

When WOBBLER’s fifth album “Dwellers of the Deep” hits the streets on the 23rd October, it´s exactly three years since the Norwegian’s last release “From Silence to Somewhere”, and if anyone is expecting an identical album, they may have to think again, because, according to the band, the new album will be a different beast entirely:

When we set out planning the new album we agreed that we couldn´t make the same album over again. With “Silence” we did things without wanting to fit into a progressive box, and the process behind “Dwellers of the Deep” was even more along those lines. In that sense it´s more experimental.

Some songs contain rock blast outs while others provide the calm of a foggy morning in the woods; all have their place in what eventually became a thematic dive into the depths of human emotion. Our take on it, anyway.

“Dwellers of the Deep” promises to serve up an exciting blend of both carefully planned and passionately jammed compositions encompassing everything WOBBLER has done up to now. These new musical directions will no doubt further enhance the quintet’s aural idiosyncrasies, and solidify the band’s burgeoning stature as one of the most exciting and interesting bands on the global music scene, independent of genre.

The production is open, detailed, warm and punchy, making the soundscapes put together by Lars Fredrik Frøislie to an aural feast. “Dwellers of the Deep” will be available in Digipak CD and digital formats, as well as in four different 180 gram gatefold vinyl editions; black vinyl, two different limited edition coloured vinyls, and a limited edition transparent vinyl. All the limited editions come with a poster.

Side A contains two pieces at medium length showcasing the band´s mastery of dynamics and flow, with passages and themes veering from the scenic and serene to the downright rocking.

Side B opens with the welcome respite of four minutes serenity, cradling the listener in pastoral and mystic swathes of acoustic guitar, glockenspiel and gentle vocals before an album closing 19 minutes journey into the unknown with the band in full blast.

Track listing for “Dwellers of the Deep” is as follows:

1. By the Banks (13:49)
2. Five Rooms (08:28)
3. Naiad Dreams (04:24)
4. Merry Macabre (19:00)

“Dwellers of the Deep” is now available to pre-order from:

Dwellers Of The Deep is now available to pre-order from:

Webshop: https://www.karismarecords.no/kar194-wobbler-dwellers-of-the-deep/

Bandcamp: https://wobbler.bandcamp.com/album/dwellers-of-the-deep

US Webshop: https://karismarecords.aisamerch.com/

Consisting of four distinctive pieces “Dwellers of the Deep” is a fine example of WOBBLER´s trademark creative whims and playful exuberance, and the band has offered an insight into what fans can expect from the album and what went into its creation:

The recording sessions were somewhat shaped partially by what was happening during the first months of Covid-19. In a very Decameronesque way, we sent “histories” to each other from our hermitages, while the plague waited in the shadows outside. It contributed to a sense of meaningful gravity, making it crucial that the task at hand be fulfilled with our most sincere and unparalleled endeavours.

The lyrical themes on the album deal with human emotions, and the ongoing struggle between juxtaposed forces within the psyche. An introspective voyage amongst the realms of memories, feelings and instincts, where the light is brighter and the dark is darker. The concepts of wonder, longing and desperation permeates the histories told, and the currents from the deep are ever present. The final track, “Merry Macabre”, is a 19 minute suite taking the listener through aspects of the darker sides of WOBBLER´s sound. It probably sums up what we wanted to express this time around; songs with a weirder tint, an experimental, almost impressionist splitting of themes that at the same time provides a larger frame.

Formed in Hønefoss in 1999, WOBBLER’s lineup features Lars Fredrik Frøislie on keyboards and backing vocals, Martin Nordrum Kneppen on drums, percussion and recorder, Kristian Karl Hultgren on bass, Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo on vocals, guitar, glockenspiel, recorder and percussion and Geir Marius Bergom Halleland on lead guitar and backing vocals.

https://facebook.com/wobblerofficial
https://wobbler.bandcamp.com
https://wobblerofficial.com
https://www.facebook.com/KarismaRecords/
www.karismarecords.no

Wobbler, From Silence to Somewhere (2017)

I was fortunate enough to see Norwegian progressive rockers Wobbler last year in Oslo at the first night of the Høstsabbat festival (review here). They played on the larger of the two stages at the Vulkan Arena and offered a style that basked in classic progressive fluidity and still maintained a vital rock edge. Prog and rock! Both kinds of music! To my detriment as a human being, I did not end up buying everything they had for sale in the merch area, but I probably should have, and needless to say, I’ll be keeping an eye on the Oct. 20 arrival date that’s been set for their fourth long-player, From Silence to Somewhere, by their new label home, Karisma Records.

I haven’t seen or heard any audio from the release as yet, but that should be along soon, and in the meantime, the PR wire had the album art and following details to offer:

WOBBLER – From Silence to Somewhere

Norway’s leading Symphonic Prog band WOBBLER have inked a deal with Karisma Records and are set to release their fourth full-length album, “From Silence to Somewhere” on the 20th October.

Formed in Hønefoss in 1999, WOBBLER’s current lineup features current and former members of TUSMØRKE, WHITE WILLOW, THE CHRONICLES OF FATHER ROBIN and JAGA JAZZIST. With Lars Fredrik Frøislie on keyboards and backing vocals, Kristian Karl Hultgren on bass, bass clarinet and bass pedals, Martin Nordrum Kneppen on drums, percussion and recorder, Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo on vocals, guitar, glockenspiel and percussion, and Geir Marius Bergom Halleland on lead guitar and backing vocals, the band can avail itself of a considerable array of instruments that have a huge, and very interesting impact, on the overall sound.

“From Silence to Somewhere” offers up a sound that is enigmatic, multi-flavoured and adventurous, with the use of copious amounts of Mellotron, Moog, Hammond, Chamberlin and other classical analogue keyboards, and of course the renowned Rickenbacker Bass. The guitar riffs go from poignant to edgy. Melancholy harmonies combine with powerful crescendos and high-energy, spinet-driven passages, flavoured with a touch of Flamenco and Italian Renaissance music to produce and album comprising four epic tracks that explore the idea of metamorphosis and alchemy. It is a natural continuation from WOBBLER’s previous albums, but with a darker, more introspective edge.

With artwork by Thomas Kaldhol (Samuel Jackson 5, Panzerpappa, Lukas Kasha etc) , and a running time of 47 minutes, tracklisting on “From Silence to Somewhere” is as follows:

1. From Silence to Somewhere
2. Rendered in Shades of Green
3. Fermented Hours
4. Foxlight

Release details + links:

Format: LP, CD, Digital
Label: Karisma Records
Distribution: Soulfood (Germany), Plastic Head (International)
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: 20/10/2017

http://www.facebook.com/wobblerofficial
https://wobbler.bandcamp.com
http://www.karismarecords.no

Wobbler, “In Orbit”

As much as that kind of thing can be, the flight over had been a joy. By that I mean I slept. Driving past awesome trees and Euro-looking buildings en route, I got into Oslo and to the hotel in time to crash for a couple more hours before the first night of Høstsabbat kicked off at the Arena Vulkan. My first time here, my first time there, but the impression was immediately positive.

Høstsabbat is held across two stages in the Arena Vulkan, which is the Norwegian word for “volcano.” The Vulkan itself is upstairs. A sizable spot. High-ceiling, well lit (when Bong weren’t playing), great sound, bar off to the side. Downstairs is the Pokalen; a smaller performance space but with bar seating, tvs playing the fest schedule on a loop and a mellow vibe. Also great sound. The whole venue is tucked away on a side-street with an international market across the way filled with fish, meat, cheeses, bread, beer, coffee, tea, restaurants, and there are tables outside for smokers or those who might just want to catch a breath. All is immaculately clean — until beer is spilled on it, of course — and welcoming.

The first of the two nights comprised a seemingly manageable six acts, each with an hour set allotted, alternating between the stages downstairs and upstairs, playing one at a time. I won’t lie: by the time Conan were going on to headline, I was falling asleep sitting on the barricade in the photo pit, but for seeing them and Bong, as well as bands I’ve never caught before in Day of the Jackalope, MaidaVale, Cult of Occult and Wobbler, the evening was a joy for its variety and for the level of performance each band brought to the stage, whichever stage they happened to be on.

I’m thankful to be here. Here’s how it went down:

Day of the Jackalope

Earlier this year, Oslo natives Day of the Jackalope released their self-titled debut EP on 12″ vinyl. To open Høstsabbat on the Pokalen stage, they would play all five songs from it — “Waste,” “PTSD,” “Profiteer,” “Take it Back” and “New Lies” — as well as a cover of Jimi Hendrix‘s “Manic Depression” and several others that I’ll assume were new. Their sound was a heavy boogie blues rock, and depending on the moment one could hear a strong influence from self-titled-era Clutch with some of Orange Goblin‘s gruffness thrown in, particularly in the vocals of Anders Hellestveit, joined in the band by guitarist Jens Andreas Storaker (also one of the organizers of the fest), bassist Lars Brodal and drummer Bård Sigurdson. They made a highlight of “The Salvager,” broke out a shaker for “PTSD” — had to wonder if there was a comment there — and some cowbell for “Agitate (Vaskebrett)” and pulled in a solid early crowd to start the day off with a raucous and weighted groove.

Wobbler

My first encounter with Wobbler came just last month when they were announced as the final addition to the lineup for the fest. However, upon checking them out, they were immediately one of the bands I was most looking forward to seeing. The Hønefoss five-piece dug immediately into lush classic-style prog, marked out by the keyboards and synth work of Lars Fredrik Frøislie. The risk with a style like theirs presented in a live setting is it can feel staid if the band doesn’t keep a focus on delivery — all of a sudden, you’re just watching dudes noodle — but Wobbler avoided the issue entirely and had a vibrant performance, with vocalist/guitarist Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo providing a frontman presence backed by the lead work of guitarist Geir Marius Bergom Halleland and given a dynamic foundation from bassist Kristian Karl Hultgren and drummer Martin Nordrum Kneppen. Their material — still largely unknown to me, though they made a compelling argument for purchasing both their albums downstairs in the merch section; if I had any krone, I would have — was fluid and at times gorgeous, but didn’t necessarily give up thrust for indulgence, thereby striking a rare balance between progressive and heavy rock.

Cult of Occult

Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, French foursome Cult of Occult made ready to unleash a vision of sludge so extreme it bordered on the grotesque. Primal. Brutal. All that fun stuff. They’d have the biggest crowd of the night for the Pokalen stage, and they treated it to nothing less than a bludgeoning, like Bongripper taken to a place of vicious misanthropy. Yup, and they were heavy too. Deadlight Entertainment put out their third album, Five Degrees of Insanity, in 2015, and from it, “Alcoholic” was recognizable for its resounding “fuck you all” chorus during which the crowd did indeed get flipped off from the stage. They played pretty much in the dark, at least at the beginning, and that felt about right for the hate-laced filth on offer in their sound, the sole communication with the audience coming in raised beer cups and near the end when drummer Rudy was the only one left on stage — they deteriorated their set-finale, departing the stage one at a time, vocals, guitar, then bass, to leave the drums as last to go — and he waved the cheering crowd on, fists pumping in the air in slow motion to his crashes. There’s an element of spectacle there, even if they’d never admit it, but in their tones, screams, lumber and push, they were righteous and unrepentant in their delivery. Not really where my head is at, but hard not to respect what they were doing and the grueling intensity with which they were doing it.

Bong

I know I’ve seen UK dronelords Bong before at Roadburn 2010, but that was six years and probably that many lineups ago for the band, whose prolific ritualizing continues to yield immersive fruit and whose live incarnation as a trio on the Vulkan stage at Høstsabbat had to be one of the most tonally claustrophobic performances I’ve ever witnessed. And that’s not a small room to make it feel like the walls are closing in. After trying to take pictures of them in the dark, I went and poured myself a cup of much-appreciated free water at the bar and watched as the ripples created by their sheer volume and low-end frequencies danced in a circle of geometric patterning that looked like the alien communication it truly was. With guitarist Mike Vest starting out the show by taking a violin bow to his guitar, bassist David Terry dramatically quoting Lovecraft or something like it and adding throat-singing chants and Conan drummer Rich Lewis filling in on drums, Bong were a litmus test for how much assault earplugs could actually take. Downstairs, between bands at the Pokalen, they played Parliament, which was an enjoyable irony, but after catching my breath and making sure my head wasn’t going to explode, I was back up to watch Bong again, their slogging sound just too much the soundtrack for my jetlag to be missed any more than medically necessary.

MaidaVale

As time has gone on and the heavy rock underground has kind of moved past the hey-let’s-pretend-it’s-1972 ethic of vintage worship — at least for the most part — the impetus has been toward blending the classic and the modern, so that clarity of sound and tone don’t need to be sacrificed to tap into an essential swing. Swedish four-piece MaidaVale arrive at this moment and make themselves right at home. Their debut album, Tales of the Wicked West, came out last month on The Sign Records, and from it they plucked the tracks “(If You Want the Smoke) Be the Fire,” “Dirty War” and “Standby Swing,” among others. The swing, by the way, was not at all on standby. It was front and center and thrust forward by the bass and drums as vocalist Matilda Roth met it head-on, dancing and soulfully pushing her voice to its limits as the lineup of Linn Johannesson, Sofia Ström and Johanna Hansson behind her left no question as to how a group who just released their first album might come to headline the night on the Pokalen stage. The songs were fluid, the bounce in the drums refreshing, and the tones warm and classic-feeling, again, without tapping directly into retroism. As they belted out “Dirty War” late in the set, they sounded very much like a group at the beginning of a growth process, but their stage presence was formidable all the same and the sense one got was that their progression will only make it more so as time goes on. Need to check out that album, is the bottom line.

Conan

Five bands and five distinct looks at different kinds of heavy at Høstsabbat, and then suddenly it was time for Conan to come on and — as they will — destroy everything in their path. By the time they went on at midnight, I was hours past dead on my feet, but to see “Thunderhoof” into “Battle in the Swamp?” Oh yes, easily worth it. You can sleep anytime. Conan don’t just happen every day — or at least not in the same city. That was actually the most striking impression. It’s been a little more than a year since I last saw them, they’ve gotten even tighter with the lineup of guitarist/vocalist Jon Davis, bassist/vocalist Chris Fielding and the aforementioned Rich Lewis on drums. The stage dynamic between the three has been (war)hammered out and they were absolutely on fire, Lewis adding some of his own flourish to the gallop of “Gravity Chasm.” As a unit, all pro. I was also struck by what seemed to be an emergent YOB influence from Davis in his vocals. As Fielding has come to handle lower-register growling parts, Davis‘ exploration of cleaner singing has a tinge of Mike Scheidt to it that’s somewhat unexpected, but fits well repurposed into the shouting context of “Hawk as Weapon.” They were locked in in such a way as to make me think that their next album will be something really special. I won’t say a bad word about early 2016’s Revengeance (review here), but Conan made it plain to see they’re more than ready to move forward to their next vista of smoldering landscapes during this earned-through-devastation headlining set, and I’ll look forward to when they get there. Until then, “Total Conquest” never sounded more apt a title.

—

Night Two kicks off in a couple hours, so I gotta get ready. Thanks for reading. More pics after the jump.

Read more »

With the addition of countrymen proggers Wobbler, the lineup for Høstsabbat 2016 next month in Oslo is complete. I’m very proud to say that I’ve been invited to attend the fest this year — in a write-about-it capacity, obviously — and the flight’s not booked yet, but I’m going to do everything in my power to get there, including get my camera repaired once again. It will be my first time in Norway and I’m already nervous and excited about it.

The lineup though is so completely insane — imagine seeing Siena Root and Conan and Jeremy Irons and the Ratgang Malibus on the same bill, MaidaVale about whom I keep hearing awesome things or goddamn Slomatics, whose new album is so good — that it would be harder not to be excited at the prospect of being there to witness it. Wobbler, again, the final addition to the roster, come from Oslo and play a lush, synth-infused prog that traces its roots back to 1999. They’ve got three records out, the latest of which is 2011’s Rites at Dawn, from which you can hear the track “In Orbit” below.

I’ve also included the full lineup for Høstsabbat 2016 — Bong, Mammoth Storm, Reptile Master and all — for your perusal. It looks like it’s going to be an awesome couple of days and if you’re going, I will hope to see you there.

Dig it:

With the announcement of Norwegian prog-legends Wobbler, the best active prog-band in the universe, Høstsabbat 2016 has completed its line-up.

We look forward to welcoming you at Vulkan Arena in September. More information coming soon.

Høstsabbat 2016
September 16 – September 17
Vulkan Arena
Vulkan 26, 0175 Oslo, Norway

Bong (UK)
Conan (UK)
Siena Root (SE)
Truckfighters (SE)
Slomatics (UK)
Cult Of Occult (FR)
Kollwitz (NO)
Mammoth Storm (SE)
Wobbler (NO)
Jeremy Irons & The Ratgang Malibus (SE)
Reptile Master (NO)
Wild Rocket (IRL)
Maida Vale (SE)
Day Of The Jackalope (NO)

http://www.ticketmaster.no/event/festivalpass-hstsabbat-2016-billetter/489339
https://www.facebook.com/events/685619441581239/
https://www.facebook.com/hostsabbat/

Wobbler, “In Orbit”