Album Review: dredg: El Cielo

This is the second full length album from Los Gatos prog rockers, dredg, and is undoubtedly one of the greatest things that I have ever heard.

I have already mentioned that I am a sucker for a concept album. El Cielo or "In Heaven" in spanish ( which is where I feel I am when listening to this masterpiece) is a concept record focussed on sleep paralysis. The way that lead vocalist, Gavin Hayes, went about creating lyrics was ingenious. Hayes decided to collect letters from people who experience sleep paralysis to write to him. He then used the visions and experiences described in these letters as inspiration for the lyrics. Some lyrics are verbatim excerpts from these letters.

El Cielo is a true "album". Every song needs the song that precedes it and succeeds it. There is not a second of wasted time here. And the music is top notch. You will hear some of the most powerful chorus' of your life on songs : "Same Ol' Road", "Sanzen", "Whoa is Me" and "It only took a day".

I encourage anyone with an open mind to new and interesting concepts in music to check this record out. It has influenced and inspired many and gets daily rotation in my cd player 6 years after it's release.

www.myspace.com/dredg

They are the kings.

Dredg : Saviour

This is the new single from my favourite "active" band, dredg. This band needs about as much help and attention as is humanly possible. Check it out, and you are nuts if you don't classify it as either

• Bumpin'
• Jammin'
• Rockin'

http://udr.media.universal-music.de/dom/_artists/dredg/saviour.mp3

Album Review: Forgive Durden: Razia's Shadow: A Musical

"The unrelenting constancy of love and hope,

will rescue and restore you from any scope."

Forgive Durden, once a full piece band is but one member strong now. His name is Thomas Dutton, and the vision he had for the band was not exactly "traditional". This could be the reason behind him cleaning house and placing the responsibilities of the band solely on his shoulders.

Instead of recording a standard rock record, Dutton decided to take his childhood love of musicals as inspiration to write his very own. With the help of his multi talented brother, Paul, the brothers co wrote "Razia's Shadow: A Musical". 

Put simply, the story of Razia's Shadow is a creation myth. Put even more simply, it is a love story. The main character of the first half is Ahrima, an angel created by the "creator" character, O The Scientist. Ahrima believes he has plenty more to offer the world and is discouraged that O The Scientist refuses to acknowledge his true greatness.

This story ark leads to Ahrima's eventual downfall, and without revealing too much, the entire world suffers the consequences of his selfish actions. It is then told by the Oracle, that someone very similar to Ahrima will set the world right again. Enter: Adakais.

Adakais is the protagonist of the musical, and the main character of the second half. He is very similar to Ahrima, and has the same aspirations of granduer. However, Adakais seeks to clean up Ahrima's mess. 

The musicianship and production of this record are incredible. The main attraction is the character work which is supplied by vocalists from a litany of bands, some more popular than others. Perhaps the most notable cameo is supplied by Brendon Urie of Panic at the Disco fame. Urie plays Adakais' evil brother Pallis with perfection and conviction.

You will get to experience Say Anything's, Max Bemis, as the persuasive and cunning Barayas The Spider. As well as Chris Conley from Save's The Day as Toba The Tura, the angelic judge of the world who labels Ahrima with his fate. Fans of lesser known bands such as: The Dear Hunter, The Hush Sound, Portugal. The Man, and Gatsby's American Dream will see their vocalists appear in certain roles throughout.  

The single greatest piece of character work is provided by Shawn Harris of The Matches as Doctor Dumaya. It sounds like Harris literally BECAME the doctor, and at times you can feel him channeling Heath Ledger's Joker.

All I can say is check this album out, it is definitely unlike anything you have listened to recently. I can guarantee that. Anyone seeking out something new and fresh, this is it.

SHAMELESS PLUG TIME!!! 

Me and my friend, Rob Burke, have been lucky enough to be chosen by Thomas Dutton as one of 50 people to receive legal rights to the musical, an instrumental version of the album and the script to stage our own PRODUCTION!! We are very excited about this, and are going to work our hardest during the summer to make it a Fall/Winter release. I hope to see many of you there!

Recommended if you like: Musicals, Panic at the Disco, The Dear Hunter.

STREAM THE ENTIRE ALBUM HERE:

www.purevolume.com/forgivedurden