El Cielo

Dredg

Interscope Records

When someone…

El Cielo

Dredg

Interscope Records

When someone utters the word, “California,” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Beaches? Rock? The sports teams? Bars and clubs, maybe? It’s about time to add something new to that list, and that’s Dredg.

Who exactly is Dredg? It would be a lie not to call them one of the most provocative bands to date. They are the newest faces in rock music, but with the structure of their new CD, El Cielo, you would be hard pressed to attempt pigeonholing them with any other bands. Comparisons range from Tool, to a more aggressive Dave Matthews Band. But the truth is, they are so much more.

Dredg is comprised of Gavin Hayes on vocals, guitar and mandolin, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette, and Dino Campanella on drums, piano. Their previous album, Leitmotif, is a musical masterpiece. While sometimes aggressive, it has a raw beauty.

El Cielo almost eclipses their previous effort, with less emphasis on the aggressive and more on their remarkable musicianship. It’s also much more mellow, and at certain points on this disc, you’ll be fascinated by its amazing diversity. The vocals are soothing, the guitar work is a light background to the record, the bass provides a sexy backdrop and the percussion is nothing short of amazing.

Like on Leitmotif, El Cielo contains an intricate story written by the band in its liner notes. But what’s ironic about this effort of going against the grain is that the album itself flows like a story. The transitional points are perfect, and it sounds like one track that spans the entire disc. It would be a faux pas to listen only to the tracks on their own, because you would miss the intricate passion that this record conveys to your ears and your soul.