PER WIBERG
PRESS/JOLANDA SIEMONSA
The Serpent’s Here
DESPOTZ
Melodic meditations from former Opeth keyboardist
Per Wiberg’s feeling looseygoosey this time around. The Swedish keyboardist extraordinaire first went solo on 2019’s Head Without Eyes, and it was exactly what you’d expect it to be: the dusty stoner rock of Spiritual Beggars (with whom he’s tinkled the ivories since 1998) examined through the proggy lens of his famed former outfit, Opeth. Here, Per again handles not just keys, but vocals and guitar, and has kept broadly the same vision despite stating he encouraged more improvisation from his backing musicians this time around. This results in expansive ventures like This House Is Someone Else’s Now, which swims in layers of fuzz bass, spontaneous drums and lingering, gothic atmospherics. Refined melodies like those of Follow The Unknown still show Per in complete control, however, making this second outing both signature and surprising.