THE ENDLESS

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.

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.

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).

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/