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DREADNOUGHT

Eclectic Prog • United States


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Dreadnought biography
DREADNOUGHT is a young band from Colorado founded in 2012. It's members consist of Kelly SCHILLING, Jordan CLANCY, Kevin HANDLON and Lauren VIEIRA, most of whom are multi-instrumentalists on their debut album which combines elements of metal, folk, post rock and jazz music all in one.

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DREADNOUGHT discography


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DREADNOUGHT top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

3.88 | 16 ratings
Lifewoven
2013
3.85 | 13 ratings
Bridging Realms
2015
3.50 | 10 ratings
A Wake in Sacred Waves
2017
3.95 | 13 ratings
Emergence
2019
4.10 | 30 ratings
The Endless
2022

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DREADNOUGHT Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 The Endless by DREADNOUGHT album cover Studio Album, 2022
4.10 | 30 ratings

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The Endless
Dreadnought Eclectic Prog

Review by TheEliteExtremophile

4 stars Denver's Dreadnought are back with their fifth full-length album, The Endless. Their previous release, 2019's Emergence, was a wonderful evolution in their sound. It demonstrated continuity with the sounds of their prior records while also being distinct within their discography.

In many ways, my assessment of The Endless is pretty similar. This album sees the band moving slightly away from their doom metal roots and incorporating a greater amount of post-metal influence. The band continues to demonstrate excellent compositional skill, and the interplay of the dual vocalists is wonderful. The songs here are slightly terser than usual, with none topping 10 minutes.

The album opens with the folky, intertwined vocal melodies of "Worlds Break". Light percussion and the occasional swelling growl of organ function as the backdrop, and eventually piano and a steady tom pattern on the drums start to propel the song along. It's subdued but subtly urgent, and it features some of their most complex vocal arrangements to date. The aura is hauntingly beautiful. Soon, though, it erupts into metallic fury with distorted guitar and harsh vocals. In the song's second half, the less-distorted moments borrow heavily from post-rock with their abstract guitar lines and echoing piano.

"Midnight Moon" opens with watery guitar, rolling drums, and an eerie synth line in a moment that reminds me a lot of certain post-punk acts. The vocals make this passage distinctly Dreadnought, though. Soon enough, echoes of black metal come reverberating through, with expansive guitars, powerful drumming, and shrieked vocals. Hypnotic, tribal rhythms and groaning bass come seemingly out of nowhere, but these suit the song well.

The mellow closing of "Midnight Moon" flows neatly into this album's title track. "The Endless" maintains a clean atmosphere throughout most of its runtime, though it morphs in its final minutes into a passage of dark, mucky doom riffs and hoarse vocals.

"Liminal Veil" opens with rolling percussion and a discordant guitar line which sounds like a spookier version of early Baroness. Synths flash in the background for a great textural component, and there's an enthralling ebb and flow in these first minutes. This song builds in tension; the music is quiet for most of its first half, but there's a sense that a storm is brewing, just out of sight. As this nine-minute monster trucks on, that power eventually comes to the fore. Waves of guitar wash over the listener, supported by a rumbling organ and broken up with sharp, tinkling piano. As the song turns the corner into its final section, the pace increases and we see flashes of black metal guitarwork.

The riff that opens "Gears of Violent Endurance" is weird and insistent, with echoes of acts like Meshuggah. This is contrasted against much mellower post-rock sections of expansive guitar and clean vocals. This sonic dichotomy is played wonderfully, and there are some lovely folky vocal melodies deployed in the quieter moments.

The Endless ends on "The Paradigm Mirror". Contemplative clean guitar and eerie synth pads serve as the backing for a delicate vocal line. This is a slow-moving, ethereal, and atmospheric closer which concludes the record with appropriate gravity.

Dreadnought's newest album is another wonderful piece of progressive metal. The music is dark and moody, with deft oscillations between quiet subtlety and brash aggression. The band continues to evolve their sound, and The Endless has a distinctive place in their output.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2022/09/19/album-review-dreadnought-the-endless/

 Emergence by DREADNOUGHT album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.95 | 13 ratings

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Emergence
Dreadnought Eclectic Prog

Review by TheEliteExtremophile

4 stars Like any metal subgenre, doom metal has an abundance of sub-subgenres, including stoner-doom, death-doom, and funeral doom. Prog-doom, to my disappointment, is one of the less-proliferated of these, even when put in the context of progressive metal. Other prog varietals?like black, sludge, and death?far outstrip progressive doom in both volume and prominence. Of the rather small cohort of bands who do fuse the murky, morose field of doom with the artistry and ambition of prog, Dreadnought are at the forefront.

Emergence is the fourth full-length release from this Colorado quartet, and it's a logical progression from their last release, 2017's A Wake in Sacred Waves. AWISW was among my favorite albums from that year, so this was a highly, highly anticipated release for me. I'm pleased to say it lived up to my hopes and exceeded my expectations. The sound on this album is massive?far more imposing than would be expected of four musicians. The guitar attacks in thick walls of guttural distortion, while the piano thunders and adds a certain weightiness rarely heard in metal.

"Besieged" sets the tone without hesitation. The verses feature gentle, almost pastoral vocals and piano set against growling, churning guitars. This contrast of delicate and harsh is a cornerstone of Dreadnought's sound, but it's not the sole component.  Vocalist Kelly Schilling can let loose with shrieks to rival the best during the heaviest moments, and there is no shortage of clean, jazzy and folky interludes. "Still", the second track, is one such interlude, which features an ominous atmosphere augmented by flute (provided by Schilling) and saxophone (played by drummer Jordan Clancy). Such a short song doesn't try to do too much, but it fits into the flow of everything, building tension and cultivating a menacing aura.

Following that interlude, "Pestilent" opens with pummeling drums and more enveloping guitar. Harmonized vocals add a hint of folk influence, while an aqueous synthesizer fleshes out the overall sound. Flute and sax emerge once more in a calmer moment, and the flute line imparts an Indian feel in its melody. The song's middle is calmer: the tempo is slower, and distortion is minimized for a spell. The tail end of "Pestilent" shows just how effective piano can be in a metal setting. In most metal bands, the instrument seems to largely be relegated to saccharine ballads; but in Dreadnought, keyboardist Lauren Vieira uses the instrument's bass register to add another layer of percussive impact.

Emergence ends on its most dynamic track. Fittingly, "The Waking Realm" opens calmly, as if first rousing from sleep. Lush guitar and synth are complemented by the occasional flash of saxophone as an insistent bassline keeps the music from aimlessly floating. When the drums eventually come in, it's a skittering, jazzy pattern that feels urgent but restrained. It's not until the halfway point that distortion arrives and this becomes a metal song. Even then, it's not some sudden cliff-edge of intensity, but a gradual, gliding ascent. This song continues to build, with the occasional contrastive ebb: rolling inevitably forward, growing into a crushing, distorted frenzy.

Dreadnought released their best album yet with Emergence. It takes all the strengths of their previous releases and matures and focuses them, resulting in a lean, powerful, impactful, emotive release that brims with the intensity of doom metal and the ambition of prog.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/06/09/album-review-dreadnought-emergence/

 The Endless by DREADNOUGHT album cover Studio Album, 2022
4.10 | 30 ratings

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The Endless
Dreadnought Eclectic Prog

Review by BrufordFreak
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Sounding like a cross between Scotland's MIDAS FALL, East Anglia's FEN, and France's ALCEST, we have a wonderful exposition of female-fronted Post Rock-infused Heavy Prog here.

1. "Worlds Break" (8:28) opening with Kelly Schilling singing gently in an Elizabeth Heaton (MIDA FALL) or Marjana Semkina (IAMTHEMONRING) kind of way while arpeggiating her electric guitar. Soon she is joined by Lauren Vieira in a most interesting (and haunting) harmoized vocal performance. Eventually other instrumental sounds join in until finally the full band has joined in by the end of the second minute as Kelly and Lauren continue, Kelly with her Elizabeth Heaton-like soprano and Lauren with the calming alto accents and balm, sounding like Katharine Blake and her MEDIÆVAL BÆBES--until the three-minute mark when full wall of sound crashes in, converting Kelly to a growling werewolf while Lauren continues along mellifluously, as if nothing has changed. In the sixth minute things calm down for Lauren to take the fore--she sings so beautifully! Drums and bass are quite wonderful throughout with the former really moving us along in a rather insistent Post Rock way. Kelly takes the lead again at the end of the seventh minute, her gorgeous wispy soprano contrasting with the heavy juggernaught propelling us beneath her. ower chord strumming over slowly descending piano arpeggi take us to the end. Brilliant! One of the most impressive songs I've heard all year! (19.5/20)

2. "Midnight Moon" (6:42) Cocteau Twins guitars, hypnotic drumming, all supporting the wonderfully intertwining of the independent voices and lyrical messages of Kelly and Lauren--until the very end of the second minute when the beast is once again released from Kelly's mouth. Great drumming in the second half despite the fact that the rest of the music begins to show signs of fatigue. The stripped down, thinning music of the final 90 seconds is definitely new and engaging. Fascinating! (8.75/10)

3. "The Endless" (4:39) seems to continue from the bleed over from the brooding, stark, stripped down soundscape of the end of the previous song. Kelly's lead vocal gives the first two minutes such an Elizabeth Heaton/MIDAS FALL sound and feel. The second half of the song is more of two-part a conversation among the instrumentalists: at first civilized but then loud and contentious--like an argument between the almighty Olympic gods with Zeus finally asserting his power and dominance. Cool song! Very unusual construct (which shows a bravery and confidence that I really like). (9/10)

4. "Liminal Veil" (9:07) thick, heavy Gothic prog music over which Lauren's plaintive vocal sounds a bit thin, even weak. The music shifts after her singing ends into something very haunting before Kelly takes over singing in a much more in-your-ear whisper. This band is so creative! So in-tune with one another! (17.5/20)

5. "Gears of Violent Endurance" (6:09) fast strumming distorted electric guitar is soon joined by the rest of the band to create a hard-driving, though not fast paced train for Kelly to growl over. A minute later, everybody backs down, the music thins a bit as Kelly switches into her little girl/angel voice for bit. But then the wall of sound crashes back in as Kelly growl-screams her arrival. At the end of the fourth minute the two women singers isolate themselves for a little a cappella vocal duet reminiscent of something I've heard done by folk sirens like Mediæval Bæbes, Faun, Hands of the Heron, or Hannah and The Moulettes. Then we re-amp up into a thick soundscape as before though never as forceful or domineering while Lauren finishes the delivery of the song's lyric (in a normal, gentle voice). Again, I am once again reminded of atmospheric "shoegaze" of French metal artist Neige (ALCEST). (9/10)

6. "The Paradigm Mirror" (6:01) very gentle, delicately played guitar arpeggi, simple bass and drum play, support the angelic presentation of the the two ladies' voices. After three minutes there is a drastic shift as heavily-effected, spaced-out guitar strums and drum beats are sung over by one of the ladies using a very crazed, unstable voice similar to what Anna Von Hausswolff can churn up when the mood strikes her. This then stops and the music slowly decays and fades. (An effect that is rather new to me and one that I like very much.) Nice theatric presentation of what feels like an archetypical story from Greek mythology. (9/10)

Total Time 41:06

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of very creative blended progressive rock music. My favorite album of Heavy Prog from 2022. A band I've definitely got to go back to explore their past discography (four previous albums).

 The Endless by DREADNOUGHT album cover Studio Album, 2022
4.10 | 30 ratings

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The Endless
Dreadnought Eclectic Prog

Review by Deadwing

5 stars This reminded me a lot of old Opeth with some great female harsh vocals and similar arrangement style. The songs are longer, and you'll find this intercalation of heavy and lighter sections that is known by their older albums.

It is far from being a lot heavy, though, but the heavy sections do surely work. There are some fantastic drum and bass work that sometimes does all the "heavy load" so the guitar/keyboards can go into more creative territories. The guitars especially are definitely more post-rock influenced, lots of delays and reverbs, long notes which gives this very spacy and atmospheric feel. With all this chaotic energy, the production and mixing are really tight which helps in the overall experience.

After reading Necrotica's review and the amazing cover that was a quite pleasant surprise and so far one of my favorites of 2022.

 The Endless by DREADNOUGHT album cover Studio Album, 2022
4.10 | 30 ratings

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The Endless
Dreadnought Eclectic Prog

Review by Necrotica
Special Collaborator Honorary Colaborator

5 stars Something that's always impressed me about Dreadnought is their ability to juggle several different styles without making the results sound disjointed or out of place. The Colorado-based quartet dabble in all manner of disparate influences, ranging from folk to post-rock to jazz to progressive metal, and yet the finished product comes off as the result of a cohesive vision and painstaking attention to detail. Thankfully the group's winning streak continues with their fifth effort, The Endless, a haunting journey full of mesmerizing locales and melancholic vibes. And right from opener 'Worlds Break', one thing is also certain: they are extremely adept at letting the music breathe and take a life of its own. The two ' yes, two ' lead vocalists, Kelly Schilling and Lauren Vieira (both of whom also serve as the guitarist and keyboardist, respectively), quietly introduce the track with clean vocals that are equal parts pensive and chilling; meanwhile, the soundscape is slowly being crafted in the background. There's a lot that you can focus on here: the beautiful vocal harmonies, the subtle ebb and flow of the percussion, the delicate piano melodies' and then the black metal finally hits you. The clean vocals are now replaced with piercing shrieks and turbulent rhythms, as the riffs become more dissonant and ugly; however, the switchup isn't jarring in the slightest. Why? Because every song on The Endless takes the time it needs to properly build up its motifs and atmospheres, ensuring that something like, say, a black metal section is just another piece of the puzzle ' rather than sounding as though you walked in on a completely different song.

As the journey continues, the well of stylistic experiments continues to deepen. 'Midnight Moon', for instance, paints an unsettling sonic portrait rife with off-kilter beats and dissonant guitar/keyboard textures; the track is a wonderful display of the band's post-rock side, as expansive musical terrain is covered to account for each emotional conflict. But those weird surrealistic moments' they certainly don't stop with this song. Perhaps the best example of their effectiveness lies in the beginning of 'Liminal Veil', which blends otherworldly clean guitar chords, propellant drumwork, and soaring clean vocals; the experience feels as though you've embarked on some mystical quest. As you dive further into the song, all of its ornaments get stripped away until all that's left are tribal drums and hypnotic choir effects, almost as if you're staring into an endless abyss. Speaking of the drumming, I'd like to give a huge shoutout to the rhythm section of drummer/percussionist Jordan Clancy and bassist Kevin Handlon; they are just as important as our twin leads in conjuring the record's most violent peaks and droning valleys. They seem to operate best with a 'less-is-more' approach, and nowhere is that more potent than on closer 'The Paradigm Mirror'. The song's climax is a stunning exhibit of rich textures and impassioned wailing, and all Clancy and Handlon opt to do is carry the most minimalist beat possible; they don't overstep any of the magic behind created above them, so as not to overcrowd such a grand display of catharsis.

And that's what makes The Endless so enchanting: the band members are perfectly in-sync, making it easy for them to play to each other's strengths. In both songwriting and instrumental work, Dreadnought can weave as many contrasts into their music as possible while maintaining laser-like focus; that is not an easy feat. The Endless may take several listens to fully digest, but I assure you that your patience will be well-rewarded with such a breathtaking musical journey.

 Emergence by DREADNOUGHT album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.95 | 13 ratings

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Emergence
Dreadnought Eclectic Prog

Review by Rivertree
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Band Submissions

4 stars If you will need it really aggressive some time, DREADNOUGHT makes sense, is worth getting close to, absolutely. They are powerful, emotional, they are loud. They are a pretty tough issue. Just take the partially harsh vocals, actually not my passion. Though attention, come what may, they also are gifted with sense of real beauty and atmosphere. This due to a thoroughly melancholic approach they are serving over and over. That special mix makes them attractive for me in the end, at least when it comes to this album, which was released in 2019. The two female musicians, Kelly Schilling (guitar, vocals) as well as Lauren Vieira, (keyboards, vocals) are taking an, if not THE important role, I'm inclined to argue. Furthermore the experienced rhythm branch again is comprised of drummer Jordan Clancy and Kevin Handlon (bass).

I would say, concerning the approach, the band Helium Horse Fly from Belgium are a proper reference too. Here on 'Emergence' they are offering roundabout 50 minutes playing time, divided in five songs. DREADNOUGHT are focussing on a gripping and diversified flow, at least three tracks are crossing the ten minute mark hereby. There's a dominant post metal ambiance to state. But, due to some piano, mandolin and wind instrument input here and there, the sound is not reduced to that alone. Just take the hilarious Still, short, doomy, simply kind of amazing. Shredding guitar riffs follow on Tempered. The album's centerpiece The Waking Realm then makes my day. Eclectic, tricky. Finally the symbiosis of neat (Lauren) and harsh (Kelly) vocals. Now reaching the verdict: this one is quite an excellent band effort.

 Emergence by DREADNOUGHT album cover Studio Album, 2019
3.95 | 13 ratings

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Emergence
Dreadnought Eclectic Prog

Review by TCat
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

4 stars The Eclectic Prog band Dreadnought (not to be confused with Dreadnaught, another Eclectic Prog band) was formed in 2012 in Colorado by Kelly Schilling on vocals, guitar, and flute; Jordan Clancy on drums and saxophones; Kevin Handlon on bass and mandolin; and Lauren Viera on keys and vocals. The album "Emergence" is the bands 4th full length album released in May of 2019. It consists of 5 tracks spanning a total run time of over 46 minutes, 3 of those tracks are over the 10 minute mark. The album is available on Bandcamp for download, CD and vinyl. The basic premise for the album has to do with the destructive and cleansing power of fire, how it causes death yet creates new life from the ashes it leaves behind, and how that all ties into the human condition.

"Besieged" begins heavy dark with mysterious sounding vocals, a bit subdued, and then suddenly screaming. While the background continues to churn along, the vocals change back to subdued and harmonized vocals, then everything cools off a bit as everything slows, but remains dark. Powerful progressive riffs bring everything back to a heavy sound with dampened keys and more harmonized vocals return, more screaming later and then more dampened piano. It's an effective style to match the growing and shrinking of flame, but the undercurrent of the track gives one a feeling of a constant threat. As the song flows into the next track "Still", it calms but becomes quite foreboding and atmospheric, bringing on an almost mourning feeling. The sax gives the mournful atmosphere and soon sad vocals work to keep this track dark as the instruments give one the feeling of destruction in this transitory, yet important track.

"Pestilent" starts with the drums crashing in, bringing in a guitar heavy darkness. Clean vocals begin again, staying somewhat subdued as they have been through most of the album. The heavy riffs contrast with the female vocals when they are clean, but you always expect the vocals to go dirty, which they do many times. Minor key harmonics keep the feeling ominous. After 3 minutes, things lighten up a little, but dark sax and flute remind you of destruction and death. The music isn't what I would call complete doom metal, but it is very close sharing aspects of the genre, but also mixing in aspects of shoegaze. But it also has a lot of variation in the dynamics, but the tone stays somber and dark. More harmonized clean vocals and more screaming vocals come and go. The piano still shows through, but is also mixed to remove a lot of the brightness of the piano so that it sounds right at home with the dark and sometimes heavy guitars. Things intensify for a while, then suddenly soften as a somber guitar solo plays. After 10 minutes, things get really intense and heavy and screaming vocals take over until the end at over 12 minutes.

"Tempered" signifies the use of fire to create and strengthen metal tools. The dark heaviness continues, with a faster tempo and the use of occasional keys giving a piano and organ effect amidst the wall of guitar noise. Clean and dirty vocals are used slipping from one to the other. Dissonant harmonies are also used. Just before the 5 minute mark, the intensity wanes a bit and the vocals get a slight gothic and hazy feel to them. Guitars come back in full force after 6 minutes. Churning doom style guitars are accented by piano chords and screaming vocals, then a screeching sax and flute join in, turning it into a boiling cauldron of sound. As it all comes to an end, though, things soften and lead into the next track.

"The Waking Realm" reflects upon the new life that a fire can create in nature. It starts off quite atmospheric and pensive, utilizing hazy, but clean vocals and softer, hesitant instrumentation. Dissonance and unclarity are rampant in this somewhat minimal track, but a slow, thumping drum and crashing cymbals finally call up a steady, almost jazz-like rhythm with dampened piano and vocals playing over the top it all. More guitar and bass come in, intensifying things a little, but still keeping restrained. Finally, after 6 minutes, the guitars and frantic drumming kick up the heaviness. Clean and harmonized vocals continue, still retaining their subdued and hazy feel that they have retained through the entire album, sounding almost like a very heavy version of "The Cocteau Twins", even with a slight goth and shoegaze feel to it, with the attitude of doom metal. Just before 10 minutes, things quiet down again with a soft guitar and soft vocals. The drums bring in one of the heaviest passages of the album with a wall of guitar and screaming towards the last part of this track as life comes back with a vengeance.

This is a surprisingly heavy and dark album with a lot of dynamic, but it tends to lean on the loud and heavy side of things more than anything else. The mix of tones in the dual female vocals are a very important sound in this album, even though they stay a bit fuzzy and subdued, they still leave quite an impact. The heavy guitars tend to bring dual styles of doom metal and shoegaze, while the keys struggle to bring a little brightness to it all, but they are always kept dampened, yet they are almost always there. There are some nice surprises throughout too, with the addition of sax and flute which are added without feeling strange and alien to the music, and the addition of some jazz elements scattered around. Make no mistake though, this album is dark and heavy, always feeling like there is a layer of ash and smoke hanging around. The music definitely fits the concept idea of the album, and this can tend to be a bit depressing, but the music is effective in conveying it's concept. The genre this band is under is eclectic, but it tends to sound more like Post Metal at times with it's heaviness and forays into doom and goth styles. Overall, it is an interesting combination of styles, which I guess in the end is what makes it Eclectic.

Thanks to historian9 for the artist addition.

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