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Dreadnaught - The American Standard
Dreadnaught’s music has been
coined ‘progabilly’ as it uniquely combines old school progressive rock and
Americana with classical and jazz. We are talking complex in terms of
structure, style and arrangement with tempos changing when least expected. No
sooner that I thought I’d recognised a major influence in the music then it
changed – number of times – within the same track! Akin to watching a
captivating horror film, you daren’t leave the room whilst it is playing for
fear of missing something whilst, at the same time, trying to psyche yourself up
for a sudden (un)expected change in tempo and style. And that’s just the first
aptly named track, Ballbuster! Ballbuster starts in a heavy,
complex King Crimson vein quickly merging into a fast Steve Howe/Chris Squire
(YES) sounding 12-second section, back again to KC before turning into classic
Zappa complete with wonderfully cynical sounding violins. The next four tracks
go under the heading Deus Ex Machina, a 20 odd minute epic showing even
more diversity than the first track. The first part of Deus Ex Machina
Introduces vocals which, to my ear, remind me of Greg Lake circa Trilogy
ELP era, fast yet clear. The second part has so many styles, to describe it
would require a long essay. Third part has a recurring ‘Space 1999’ (or
am I confusing it with that other early 70’s TV series?) theme plus some
Wishbone Ash around With all these themes going on the album is surprisingly cohesive. Dreadnaught’s Richard Habib (drums), Justin S. Walton (guitar) and Robert M. Lord (bass) state that they find their inspiration in the works of Yes, Little Feat, Aaron Copland, The Band, Frank Zappa, John Coltrane, Bach, Don Ellis and King Crimson among others, and it shows. They are joined by five guest musicians who, individually, perform on certain tracks adding Violins, flute, French horn, euphonium and synthesiser. And yes, there’s saxophone, organ and even kazoo in places! The American Standard, released in November last year, has been granted the accolade of ‘Best Album of 2001’ by many publications and fans with some justification. Having already extensively toured the US since the album’s release, they are back on the road again from mid-March to Mid-April, unfortunately only in the US. They have a website (link below) which provides more background on the band, tour information and sample sound files for download. If you enjoy innovative, energetic and complex music, The American Standard is an excellent place to start. Expect the unexpected! Jem Jedrzejewski
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©The Hairless Heart Herald 2001-2008. Reproduction in any means or form of material published on this site is strictly forbidden without the express permission of the editor. |
I’ve
just experienced a high equivalent to drinking a gallon of strong fresh coffee
and sticking my finger into a live mains socket. My heart is pounding and brain
is sparking. Dreadnaught’s invigorating The American Standard album
caught me unprepared! 
rds of the way through. The fourth part touches on
Sky for a moment amongst other styles I recognise but just cannot place. That’s
just a taster – there are a further eight tracks I could attempt to describe but
there isn’t the space (or time) to fit it all in.