Now, posting this album isn't exactly telling you guys anything new. After all, I've been plugging it for years. Dredg's Leitmotif was one of my favorite albums from high school, but the summer before college my copy was essentially destroyed. Somehow I kept mentioning that I thought it was a great album, but didn't actually download it again until about three weeks ago. Now I finally get to say "Here, give it a listen."
And how does the album fare to my ear after four years of not hearing it? I still think it's great, and a very refreshing listen. The album is generally considered to be progressive alternative, a fitting label. The instrumentation is very simple--one of the things I really enjoy about the album. Any of these songs would be easy to learn and preform, and most of them stick to generic rock instruments. Yet, the sometimes Eastern or jazz-influenced music is engaging, catchy, and dynamic.
You might be wondering, then, where the prog comes it. For starters, it's as pretentious a concept album one can find. It is based on a story written by the bassist Drew Roulette in which a man with a spiritual disease looks at different cultures around the world in search of a cure. The story is included with the album, but it would probably not be too difficult to find it online. As well, the verse chorus verse style is not used through most of the album. I still can't even distinguish one song from the next without really paying attention. The album seems to flow from song to song, occasionally coming to riffs that remind you of earlier songs--the name leitmotif is almost fitting in that sense.
Occasionally we see other instruments making their way in, including a cello, synthesizer, and theremin. Sadly, this album doesn't feature some of the variety of instruments found on their next album.
The sound of this album would be completely lost to the band with their second album El Cielo. Leitmotif is often a legitimately hard music style driven by the drums and distorted guitar. Occasionally we even get vocals that aren't clean to contrast the usually melancholy nature of Gavin Hayes' voice. By the next album and onwards Dredg would become a lot softer and after El Cielo a lot more suck.
I tend to see this album as one big song, so it would be hard to write about individual tracts. The first track (usually called “Symbol Song” or “Movement I”), “Lechium,” “Movement III: Lyndon,” and “Penguins in the Desert” contain my favorite moments.
Find the album here.
3 comments:
thanks for asking dickdog. see if your custom google search can find my disapproval, it shouldn't be too hard.
Excellent retort.
Also, Neil - I bought this album on the recommendation of an acquaintance when I was in high school and was never able to get into it. Listening to it again, I enjoyed it a lot.
By the way,Tzadeck, I had most of this album from back in the day when you introduced me to it, but I never gave it much of chance. I will say having listened it in its entirety now I thoroughly enjoyed it. A lot. I actually think looking back on it I would have rated these guys above APC if I had heard this back in High school, but alas, that time has passed.
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