The members of DREDG aren't above injecting a little high art into their brand of hard rock. The name of the group's 1999 concept album, Leitmotif, refers to a recurring theme in an opera. Meshing mandolin, raging guitars and jazzy chord progressions, the album's songs were divided into "movements." Dredg's new album, El Cielo ("The Sky") features another cache of cerebral sounds. Riptides of riffs cascade into glowing instrumental passages, while chanting and off-kilter effects contribute to its spacey odyssey. El Cielo is a cinematic-sounding effort?so cinematic that recording the album required a storyboard. A healthy dose of Pink Floyd helped expand Dredg's sonic palette. Dino Campanella, a pianist since the age of 5, also integrated some classical influences. Bassist Roulette's flair for painting inspired visual aspects of the band's music. With El Cielo, Dredg has funneled its highbrow leanings and rock foundations into a heady concept album. A few tracks use "brushstroke" as a subtitle, though the story line isn't evident by song titles alone. The opening tune, for example, is named "brushstroke: dcbtfoabaaposba." The concept of El Cielo centers on sleep paralysis, and musically, the mix of gurgly effects and soothing vocals suggests lucid dreaming. Opening the show is CIRCA SURVIVE, whose music is a mind-bending amalgamation of influences ranging from prog-rock to art-metal.
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Listen to Dredg with Circa Survive and The Pale Pacific Songs