TRACK LIST:

1.  Three Things 2:34 
2.  Popeye 2:24 
3.  R Daniel Olivaw 3:07 
4.  Royal Jelly 5:27 
5.  Rats & Me 4:35 
6.  She Got the Bony Cleave 2:22 
7.  Gulf of Tonkin 1:06 
8.  The Boston Crab 2:22
9.  Tiny Machines 4:27 
10. Bunnaschidt 4:51 
11. Kazak - The Hound of Space 0:54 
12. One Trick Pony 1:51 
13. Nag Champ-a-laya Live 6:57 
14. Derby Days 8:30 

LINEUP:

Bob Lord - basses; keyboards; vocals
Justin Walder - guitars; keyboards; saxophone; vocals
Rick Habib - drums; vocals
Tim Haney - drums 
Andy Happel - violin 

Analysis. Dreadnaught play experimental progressive rock with quite a unique overall sound, which is most often beyond comparison as regards other artists. To a greater or lesser degree, many songs seem to be linked with blues, some having sections that are dominated by features of that style. The other relatively major influence is indie rock, but there are also some country and western-tinged motifs to be found here. In addition, the band undertakes quite a few trips to some scantily explored territories, investigating different types of experimental music. What sets Dreadnaught apart from many other prog rock bands is how well they mix their numerous stylistic influences, often merging them into one unique whole, though their craftsmanship in both composition and performance can also serve as an example for many. Most of the fourteen songs on Disc-1 are properly complex, revealing quite a few turns and twists, featuring plenty of moves where harsh, quirky guitar riffs adjoin melodic guitar leads which, in combination with often fat-and-heavy bass lines and the pounding drumming, create an eclectic musical intrigue with a strong identity to it. Even most of the short songs are quite intricate, featuring changes in style, mood and pace all alike. Before I start on listing the prevalent (or rather instantly recognizable) stylistic ingredients of the tracks, I should mention that the majority of the pieces have also some degree of a distinct avant-garde quality to them. Three Things is a blues-based hard rock song with elements of country, though violins and synths provide also symphonic colorations, as they also do everywhere they appear. Popeye is basically in the same style, but saxophones add a funk component to the fusion. R Daneel Olivaw can be perceived as something halfway between rock, electronica and jazz-fusion. The instrumental Royal Jelly and the song Rats & Me both have too many styles to cite here, nearly ever-changing compositions, abundant in dramatic transitions, that keep the listener thrilled from start to finish. She Got the Bony Cleave comes across as a mixture of punk, glam rock and experimental stuff, whilst Gulf of Tonkin sounds like an eccentric rock jam, with rolling bass, quirky guitar and inventive synth effects making the tune quite a fascinating journey despite its shortness. The Boston Crab combines 70's style psychedelic hard rock and fusionesque landscapes with country-evoking moods. Tiny Machines is blues-based hard rock and is dominated by staccato playing. Bunnaschidt ties together funk, indie, hard- and jazz-rock modal constructions. Kazak the Hound of Space is a brief piano improvisation, while another short cut, One Trick Pony, stands out for its eerie organ sounds and distorted guitars. On the live version of Nag Champ-a-Laya, the band perform improvisational jazz-rock, not afraid of dissonance when necessary:-). The disc's curtain scene, Derby Days, while bearing some obvious signs of The Beatles' influence, overall represents quite a resourceful synthesis of hard rock, fusion and electronic with a certain futuristic feel in places. The tracks on the first disc are all either good or excellent, though personally I find R Daneel Olivaw and (yes, the brief) Gulf of Tonkin to be the most innovative of the lot.

Disc 2 - "Chin Music"
(56:13)