Wobbler (band)

Wobbler is a Norwegian progressive rock band formed in 1999.

Wobbler
OriginHønefoss, Norway
GenresProgressive rock
Years active1999-present
LabelsTermo Records
MembersKristian Karl Hultgren
Lars Fredrik Frøislie
Martin Nordrum Kneppen
Andreas Wettergreen Strømman Prestmo
Geir Marius Bergom Halleland
Past membersMorten Andreas Eriksen
Tony Johannessen

History

The band was formed near Hønefoss, Norway, in early 1999 with a desire to recreate some of the musical expressions of the early 1970s, especially in the use of the instruments of that time and the compositions of the progressive rock scene from 1969 to 1974. Bands like PFM, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Yes, Museo Rosenbach, ELP and so on were highly influential on the group. In a few months the basic ideas for the demo and the album Hinterland was created. There was a pause from 2001 to around 2003, until a demo was recorded at Lars' studio, put out on the internet.

Wobbler ended up signing a record deal with the American record label, The Laser's Edge. By now, Lars' vintage keyboard collection had grown and the recording of Hinterland began in June 2004. They did not use any midi, and only pre-1975 instruments were applied: for instance keyboards such as mellotron, hammond organ, minimoog, rhodes, clavinet, ARP, piano and harpsichord. After eight months of studio work the album was ready. In July 2005, Hinterland was revealed at one of their rare live performances, at the NEARfest gig.[1]

In February 2009, the band released the second album Afterglow. The album was released on Termo Records.[2]

The band released their third album Rites at Dawn on Termo Records in May 2011.[3]

Their latest album, named From Silence to Somewhere, was released in 2017 and met with overwhelming acclaim. As of July 2020, it is the top rated album of the entire twenty-first century on the progressive rock database Prog Archives, with an average user rating of 4.40 from more than 650 ratings,[4] and the website's fifteenth-highest rated album of all time.[5] It also appeared in the top 40 albums of the year on the user ratings website Rate Your Music, being the highest-ranked progressive rock album on the list.[6] Although the album's niche genre resulted in limited exposure in some parts of the music press, it received reviews ranging from favourable to rapturous on Angry Metal Guy,[7] The Prog Space,[8] Prog Report,[9] Prog Radar,[10] Team Rock,[11] and many others; Sonic Perspectives[12] and The Fire Note[13] ranked it as the best progressive rock album of the year, while the Norwegian website Evig lyttar ranked it as the best Norwegian album of the year.[14]

Line-up
Former members
  • Morten Andreas Eriksen - lead guitar, mandolin, tambourine, kazoo (1999-2011)
  • Tony Johannessen - lead vocals (1999-2009)

Guests:

Discography
  • Hinterland (September 2005)
  • Afterglow (February 2009)[15]
  • Rites at Dawn (May 2011)[16]
  • From Silence to Somewhere (October 2017)
  • Dwellers of the Deep (October 2020)[17]
gollark: Your parents look at your phone a lot? Troubling.
gollark: Yes, I checked.
gollark: Morphine is opioidish, isn't it?
gollark: > there are evil people and evil deedsright afterward though?
gollark: It's not like you can measure evilness as a physical property like you can mass or something.

References
  1. https://www.lasercd.com/cd/hinterland
  2. https://www.facebook.com/wobblerofficial/info
  3. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/wobbler-mn0000403458/discography
  4. http://progarchives.com/top-prog-albums.asp?salbumtypes=1&syears=2018&syears=2017&syears=2016&syears=2015&syears=2014&syears=2013&syears=2012&syears=2011&syears=2010&syears=2009&syears=2008&syears=2007&syears=2006&syears=2005&syears=2004&syears=2003&syears=2002&syears=2001&syears=2000&x=76&y=11#list
  5. http://progarchives.com/top-prog-albums.asp?salbumtypes=1#list
  6. https://rateyourmusic.com/customchart?page=1&chart_type=top&type=album&year=2017&genre_include=1&include_child_genres=1&genres=&include_child_genres_chk=1&include=both&origin_countries=&limit=none&countries=
  7. http://www.angrymetalguy.com/wobbler-silence-somewhere-review/
  8. https://theprogspace.com/wobbler-from-silence-to-somewhere/
  9. https://progreport.com/wobbler-from-silence-to-somewhere-album-review/
  10. http://www.progradar.org/index.php/2017/11/28/review-wobbler-from-silence-to-somewhere-by-emma-roebuck/
  11. http://teamrock.com/review/2017-10-06/wobbler-from-silence-to-somewhere-album-review
  12. http://www.sonicperspectives.com/features/a-year-in-review-the-best-progressive-rock-albums-of-2017-part-three/
  13. https://thefirenote.com/2017/12/11/prog-2017-the-year-in-review/
  14. http://eviglyttar.no/blogg/2017/12/24/det-beste-fr-2017-rikke
  15. http://www.discogs.com/Wobbler-Afterglow/master/179104
  16. http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/wobbler/rites_at_dawn/
  17. "Dwellers of the Deep, by Wobbler". Wobbler. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
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