LEITMOTIF

A debut that will surprise those discovering dredg's catalogue in reverse. Leitmotif falls closer to prog-metal than art rock with dredg showing their heavy Tool influence. dredg will avoid any comparison to post-rock here, and they won't be admired for their ethereal landscapes. Instead, you'll be sitting in awe of the aggression and powerful riffing present on the album. From the album's opening track, "Symbol Song", you'll be taken in by the catchy but satisfying riff. Leitmotif is heavy with a strong tribal influence coming from the rhythm section. Vocals are handled by Gavin Hayes, but you wouldn't know it without looking at the credits. He sings with a throatier yell her which gets the job the done, but at times when he tries to deliver a bona fide scream he falls on his face as he strains to come across as powerful.

A great album with somewhat of underdeveloped vocals and bass work, but still highly enjoyable. Mostly a guitar and riff driven album centered around guitars/bass/drums with only a slight guest appearance of a piano and cello. The production is a bit raw but I suppose it fits the aggression of the album nicely.