THE WINDMILL are a Norwegian Symphonic Progressive Rock band formed in 2001, in the outskirts of Oslo. Their debut was released in 2010, followed by a sophomore effort in 2013. Five years passed, and now the present their third album, titled "Tribus," which contains five new tracks.

"The Tree" is a twenty-four minute opening track. Soft clean guitars combine with warm bass tones and flute notes, sounding like the beginning of a nice dream, as you snuggle down and fall asleep. Keys enter the fray and you find yourself sinking deeper and deeper into sleep. You dream sees you sailing over distant lands...lush, bright forests and flowered fields. Following an extended passage with vocal, the opening sequence returns in a reprisal fashion. A guitar solo is then unleashed in short passages with a swinging rhythm. Overall, a pretty serene jam with a lot of character. "Storm" is the second track, clocking in at just over the ten minute mark. Opening with an easy rhythmic bass line soon joined by jovial flute notes. They keys are old school with a lot of vibrato. It's a melancholic song with just a bit of darkness.

"Dendrophenia" is a five-minute straight ahead rocker, with a mid-tempo pace fueled by one main riff. "Make Me Feel" is just under ten minutes in length. A somber opening gives way to some despondent tones. Things pick up a bit in the chorus, with some vocal harmonies. Overall, very mellow in scope, ending with a guitar solo that follows the melody line quite well. "Play With Fire" closes the album. Opening with clean guitar, piano and flute, it leads to a combination of the instruments dancing together in a light samba. The chorus is full on with vocals, and a bit of an IRON MAIDEN influence, ending with the word "fire."

Overall, this was a fairly mellow and melancholy album, with a lot of pronounced flute. Too many of the five tracks had a similar sound. I get that the band has had a lot of time together to hone their sound, but a little more variation would go a long way. Still quite enjoyable if you are in the mood to leave it all behind an escape.