Per Wiberg Announces The Serpent’s Here LP Due Feb. 9
Esteemed multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Per Wiberg, who I’m pretty sure sat in for shows on Clutch‘s most recent European tour just because he’s Per Wiberg and on any given night he’ll probably make your band better. Known for his work on organ with Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Clutch offshoot The Bakerton Group and a big ol’ etc., etc., as well as for playing bass in classic heavy blues rockers Kamchatka, a trio I was lucky enough to see at Freak Valley this year (review here) — I passed him backstage but didn’t introduce myself; I hate going up to people I write about and being like, “Hi, I write about you on the internet”; it’s a singularly awkward experience and usually leads to a short, likewise brief conversation — Wiberg‘s new solo outing is The Serpent’s Here, a full-length follow-up to 2021’s EP, All Is Well In the Land of the Living But for the Rest of Us… Lights Out (review here), and his second solo long-player overall behind 2019’s Head Without Eyes.
The album isn’t out until February, which is much further off in my head than it is in reality, but you can stream the title-track now, and it makes it abundantly clear that Wiberg isn’t screwing around. With a driving, heavy groove, a full-band-style sound, and a core structure resonating through its grunge-informed chorus, “The Serpent’s Here” calls together different eras of heavy and subtly revels in its underlying metallism, without falling prey to self-indulgence or tipping over into an aggression that would be out of place amid the tones. It’s cogent, coherent, sharp and energetic; textbook right unto how it seems to throw that textbook away in the middle and get all noisy before coming back around to finish. If you’re not looking forward to the album on the strength of Wiberg‘s track record alone — and that would be enough, mind you — then certainly it should help the cause.
I’ll hope to have more as we get closer, and it’s worth noting that Wiberg‘s got a three-piece together with members of Viagra Boys and Kungens Män, so tour dates might be forthcoming.. Could easily see him showing up in Spring fest announcements with a solo band to support The Serpent’s Here. I think he’d probably just have to decide he wanted to do it, but we’ll see. The PR wire sent details and links for the album:
PER WIBERG: Swedish Multi-Instrumentalist To Release The Serpent’s Here Full-Length February 9th, 2024 Via Despotz Records; Title Track Streaming + Preorders Available
Swedish multi-instrumentalist PER WIBERG today unveils his brilliant new track, “The Serpent’s Here.” It’s the first single taken from his upcoming album of the same name, set for release on February 9th, 2024 via Despotz Records.
As an unrivaled musical alchemist, WIBERG’s work has illuminated an array of now-classic albums over the years performing with the likes of Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, and Candlemass, as well as Clutch/The Bakerton Group, Switchblade, and Kamchatka, among others, for over thirty years. However, it’s WIBERG’s solo conjurings that serve as the zenith of his musical voyages.
In 2019, WIBERG released his debut solo offering, Head Without Eyes. A record of Nordic prog submerged in a gnawing stew of jolting guitar notes and emotive melodies, WIBERG’s debut laid bare an unexplored sonic landscape that surpassed the successes of his past and solidified his strong presence as a unique solo artist in his own right. WIBERG followed Head Without Eyes with his equally stunning 2021-released All Is Well In The Land Of The Living, But For The Rest Of Us… Lights Out EP, a compelling celebration of innovative rock at its finest. Expanding and further evolving his vision, WIBERG expertly composed the definitive and established paradigms of traditional progressive rock with spirited and electrifying twists of dark tone.
The Serpent’s Here continues WIBERG’s innovative trajectory boasting six consuming tracks, plus a fantastically gloomy rendition of Warrior Soul’s “The Losers,” that are at once grim and surreal; airy yet ominous. WIBERG paints vivid sound tapestries with his clever sense of dynamics and thoughtful lyricism. Each song moves with alluring subtlety and suspense, not unlike the conventions of classic film noir. And while WIBERG strays far from the traditional musical constructs, there’s an inescapable melodicism and intrinsic catchiness to his output that makes even his most experimental outpourings seamlessly accessible.
“The music has a strong familiar identity I’d say,” notes WIBERG, “It’s heavy in its tone but this time a little braver, uptempo, loose, and ‘rock’n’roll’ compared to the previous two albums. Overall, this is the most epic sounding of my stuff so far. Things are more defined. I worked hard with lyrics and vocal arrangements this time.”
On The Serpent’s Here, WIBERG is joined by drummer Tor Sjödén (Viagra Boys) who played drums on the previous EP, as well as bassist Mikael Tuominen (Kungens Män). Basic live tracks (drums, basses, grand piano) were recorded at Studio Gröndahl by David Castillo and, as with previous releases, the record was mixed and mastered by Jonas Kjellgren at Blacklounge Studios.
“All songs are built from rough song sketches that I showed Tor and Mikael,” elaborates WIBERG of The Serpent’s Here’s writing process. “The idea was that they could improvise. All basic tracks were recorded live in an afternoon to give it that extra spontaneous energy, and then I’d layer keys, guitars, and vocals on top of what we recorded. Overall, there are more guitars this time as well as two basses on the majority of the tracks.”
Stay tuned for more track teasers from the record to be revealed in the weeks to come.
Find The Serpent’s Here preorder bundles at the Despotz Records webshop HERE: https://despotz.bigcartel.com/artist/per-wiberg
The Serpent’s Here Track Listing:
1. Dead Sky Lullaby
2. The Serpent’s Here
3. Blackguards Stand Silent
4. This House Is Someone Else’s Now
5. He Just Disappeared
6. Follow The Unknown
7. The Losers (Warrior Soul cover)
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