Preface: It is very rare there is a cd that is so good that it is hard to describe it in words, but that's what is happening here. I have had this album for a good month now, and every time I have tried to write something about it, I couldn't. I felt as if no words that could flow from mouth would do this album justice. It is impossible to go through this album track by track, or to just pick a few and tell you about them, because it is indescribable. This is not music you simply hear; you really feel it. Listening to El Cielo is like coming of age; you have to go through it to be able to understand it. So with that said, read on…
Once in a while an album comes along that can ignite something in a person, an album that is so captivating the music will tinker with the inner most workings of the emotions. At the moment, that album is the forthcoming release by Dredg entitled El Cielo. The sounds and melodies of this album will churn through your head and take you to place that is beyond expression. El Cielo truly is more than music; it is art in perpetual motion.
Dredg have been around for nearly a decade, but have only recently begun to emerge into the limelight, and with the release of El Cielo (on Oct. 8th, 2002) the light will only get brighter. El Cielo is an amazing masterpiece of diversity and beauty that will change the face of rock forever.
Talent seeps from every member of this band the way blood flows through the veins. Mark Engles is a master guitarist who's magical fingers inspire to no end, and Drew Roulette will take you through a billion different bass lines and back perfecting each and every one along the way. And then there is Dino Campanella, drummer extraordinaire who will also enchant the ears with his dexterity on the piano. The vocals of Gavin Hayes flow fervently and will reverberate in your ears like a ringing bell. The myriad of instruments and sounds that went into the making of this album are simply breathtaking and will move you in a way you have never been moved before.
El Cielo, meaning “the sky” in Spanish, is a very appropriate title for this album because listening to it is like exploring something as big and endless as the sky; it's a journey through the subconscious. When you listen to this album, it will remind you of a dozen different things you've heard before, but at the same time is like nothing you've ever experienced. I urge every person who reads this (and anyone they know) to go out and buy Dredg's El Cielo, trust me when I say it is well worth your time and money. And when you listen to it, do as the band requests, and listen to it through headphones, it will help intensify your experience. For more info on Dredg, visit their website at www.dredg.com.
Stand out Tracks
Same ol' Road
Sanzen
Convalescent
Walk in the Park (instrumental)
Of the Room
Whoa is Me
Miss Doubtfire
shannon [at] unearthed [dot] com
*Special thanks to Terry Wang at Interscope for the masterpiece that is El Cielo.
