I’ve been meaning to expand my prog rock horizons for sometime. I’m well versed in the gods of the 70s movement. Rush, Yes, and Pink Floyd have long been favorites of mine. It’s easy to stay trapped in this old school bubble considering the 70s was the golden age of prog and far too many of today’s crop adheres to the “modern prog” template set by Porcupine Tree. The same can be said for prog metal bands blindly emulating Dream Theater. If you’ve become as disillusioned with the current state of prog as I have, fear not. Dwellers of the Deep, the fifth album from Norwegian outfit, Wobbler, has not just saved the day, but perhaps the year.
Despite being as old as me (formed in 1999), this was my first listen to Wobbler. I heard their name mentioned on one of my favorite YouTube channels, Sea of Tranquility, as well as other assorted prog forums I frequent. So when I saw Dwellers of the Deep was set to release on October 23, I thought to myself, “Perfect! Not only do I get to write a review for the site, but I finally get to check out a band I’ve been meaning to check out for far too long.”
What I didn’t expect was the reincarnation of early 70s Yes. I’d be doing Wobbler a disservice if I merely labelled them a Yes clone, the same way Greta Van Fleet is to Led Zeppelin, Electric Wizard is to Black Sabbath, etc. They’re certainly their own band with their own unique musical and lyrical identity. However, the similarities can’t be ignored. Frontman Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo has an angelic vocal delivery akin to Jon Anderson. The bass is front and center in the mix, just like Chris Squire’s signature Rickenbacker on those classic Yes albums. And there’s no shortage of mesmerizing organs, synths, and strings, to create an ethereal listening experience.
In true old school prog fashion, Dwellers of the Deep consists of four songs, two of which cross the 10 minute threshold. “By the Banks” opens things in grand fashion. This organ driven epic is dreamy and otherworldly, exquisitely constructed in the same fashion as your favorite Yes masterpieces. This is contrasted by the following track, “Five Rooms”. What begins as a lush soundscape transforms into a frantic, up tempo rocker. It really shows off Wobbler’s musicianship, particularly that of guitarist Geir Marius Bergom Halleland and keyboardist Lars Fredrik Frøislie.
The gentle acoustic folk of “Naiad Dreams” serves as a pleasant interlude before we’re greeted by the album’s magnum opus, “Merry Macabre”. Clocking in at 19 minutes, “Merry Macabre” is an exercise in musical hypnosis. It begins by merging the light of Yes and the darkness of Genesis. Yet through a series of jazzy twists and turns, it segues into a mind numbing collision of crashing drums over modulated vocals over dramatic strings over menacing bass and rhythmic guitar riffs. The only other time my brain has nearly short circuited from such musical excellence is when Rick Wakeman’s church organ hits around the 13 minute point in “Close to the Edge”.
The widely held belief that prog peaked 45 years ago is obliterated on Dwellers of the Deep. As the years continue on, the elder statesmen of the genre will continue their voyage into the “Heart of the Sunrise”. Carl Palmer will one day be reunited with Greg Lake and Keith Emerson. Chris Squire will continue to shake the skies until Yes is back together playing “Roundabout” upon a heavenly mountain. Richard Wright will brood over his keyboards, painting musical soundscapes until Waters, Gilmour, and Mason join him for “The Great Gig in the Sky”. And Wobbler will walk the earth brave and tall: defenders of prog in a post-prog world.
10 out of 10
Label: Karisma Records
Genre: Progressive Rock
For fans of: Yes, Genesis, Gentle Giant