DWELLERS OF THE DEEP

DOTD is The fifth studio album by Norway's #retroprog and #symphonicprog band #wobbler and was my point of entry to the band, thanks to an episode of album Review by YouTuber #petepardo of the #seaoftranquility channel. It is unquestionably an impressive piece of work and my favorite of the whole catalog, I have played this album in its entirety at least 30-35 times since tu first listen on 2021. Four incredible songs clocking slightly over 45mins that contain absolutely everything a symphonic #proghead would expect and like when searching for new challenging music, simply spectacular. By the Banks opens at full speed, the instrumentation is fenomenal, same with the vocals! Fat bass, minstrel instruments, frenetic and accurate drumming, flutes, keyboards, outstanding guitars? can't get enough of its melody and power, up and down, down and up, perfection! Five Rooms has a different mood to it, mellow start with keys and strings? Vocal harmonies that merge announcing another twisted crazy fast tempo that shows the listener how tight and virtuoso this rhythmic section is, Kneppen (drums) & Hultgren (bass), face melting playing! To discuss Frøislie's (keyboards) playing would need another review on It's own, and Halleland's guitars mandates further and further listens of the track, of the album! Magnificent modern prog. Naiad Dreams works like the antidote to such greatness and will prepare us for the epic closer track. Without further explanation, Naiad is the song that made me understand and acknowledge that the enchanted Norweian forests is a place I really like, I want to sleep there, eat there, drink there, etc., it's the track that got me into Norweian prog. Merry Macabre, now that's a whole diferente beast and it's exactly that, happy and dark. I just can't get surprised enough by Wobbler's musicianship and song crafting. They're are writing albums that will have a place in music history as the likes of their influences, no questions asked. The #yestheband #jethrotull #genesistheband #cameltheband #gentlegiant must and have to be immensely proud of what their classic work has influenced and deliver beyond their own music. Wobbler is authentic high quality music and not only within the prog genre or sub genres. Mandatory listen!