The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion

Dredg | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 9, 2009)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Dredg
• ASIN: B001UJIMI2
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #38,874 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Veering between ominous dirges and wide-eyed big sky anthems, they play massive art metal that's been treated to multi-layered, intricate production in the vein of Radiohead and Pink Floyd; and for a band that can smash and roil like waves against Pacific beaches, they frequently take the subtler road, softening themselves with atmosphere and world music flourishes" --Pitchfork

Product Description

Aggressive and beautiful, visceral and thoughtful, Dredg are set to release their highly anticipated release, The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion on Ohlone Recordings June 9, 2009. Produced by Matt Radosevich, "The Pariah..." marks the Bay Area band s fourth full-length studio album. On this release, Gavin Hayes (vocals, guitar), Drew Roulette (bass, moog, speak & spell, samples), Mark Engles (guitar) and Dino Campanella (drums, keys) combine to create equal parts punk aggression and metallic complexity - a sound that brings together the artistic instrumentation, haunting vocals and emotional intensity that is Dredg. Though driven by rhythms and guitars, "The Pariah..." is far from a typical rock album. Inspired in part by Salman Rushdie s essay
Imagine There's No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen, Dredg capture the madness of the modern world, particularly its battles over religion and science, within a musical missive to the future. Fittingly, "The Pariah..." is packaged and constructed like a letter, its songs and instrumental interludes connected by eerie, evocative Wurlitzer piano-and-voice segments. Diverse and textured, these intentional imperfections allow some of Dredg s mellowest recorded moments to mingle with some of their harshest. "The Pariah..." combines the raw power of the band s earliest records with both the epic, cinematic sweep and operatic ambition of "El Cielo" as well as the exceptional songwriting and searing ballast of "Catch Without Arms."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Too long overdue, but still outstanding, June 9, 2009

By 

Gareth Scullion - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion (Audio CD)

The follow up to 2005's stellar "Catch Without Arms" is finally here, and while "The Pariah, The Parot, and The Delusion" won't be winning over any non-believers, it certainly shouldn't be a disappointment for current fans.

The band takes little risks with this release, undoubtedly in light of their obvious predicament. After releasing one conceptual masterpiece, "El Cielo," and the more straight-forward but equally as satisfying "Catch Without Arms," the band must have been concerned with how one finds balance between both albums while keeping everyone happy.

The new album manages to find that balance. Fans of the earlier work will be relieved to know that dredg hasn't gone in a more commercial direction; which, if I remember correctly, was a big concern for some after the last release.

The songs on the record should get better with age, unlike the immediately good but quick staling ones off of "Catch Without Arms." Also, the experimental edge missing from the last release is back in full-swing; Indeed, "The Pariah, The Parrot, and The Delusion" is perhaps dredg's most experimental record to date.

Of course, there's a flipside. Despite sharing a "Brushtrokes" type interlude technique (here, they're called "Stamps of Origin"), the conceptual aspect seems to be existent only on the surface. The album never reaches the conceptual heights of "El Cielo," and if there's some deeper theme to delve into here, it's blown right past me. You won't find the diversity of the previous albums here, either. For the most part, the songs all carry the same moods and move at the same tempos.

The album isn't bad by any means. It's just not the aesthetic statement fans are likely waiting for after four years of vacationing. Still, there's something here for everyone- U2's-esque soundscaping guitar solos, more experimentation with different sounds than the last Radiohead album, and a more heartfelt aesthetic approach than that of--well-- any Tool album. It could be that the album takes to few risks; low points are as few and far between as ever, but the highs aren't nearly as high as on previously releases. It may also just be that dredg just isn't the sort of band that can afford to wait almost half a decade between albums.

I give "The Pariah, The Parrot, and the Delusion" an 90/100, or 4.5/5; rounding up to 5/5.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "To sacrifice one's self never made sense to me.", June 15, 2009

By 

Matt Jacobs "Adrenaline" (Trumansburg, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion (Audio CD)

After four years of waiting, Dredg's fourth studio album can be yours for only a reasonable sum of money! This recording of music by one of Matt Jacobs' favorite bands is finally here, and well worth the price of entry! It's not as great as their last two albums, but this music is so good you'll be completely puzzled at how no major review outlet will give this band the time of day! Marvel at how despite the radical shift in the band's sound over the last decade, they've never failed to make something interesting. Tremble before the might of the rocking bass lines. Be slightly disappointed at the continued lack of lyrics in the accompanying booklet. Ignore the fact that the band members are probably really pretentious because you like their music anyway. It can be yours, today!

Included among this album's 18 tracks are:
- 3 catchy singles
- 7 more full songs
- 4 instrumental interludes of varying length
- 4 "Stamp of Origin" tracks, bite-sized musical nuggets to round out the experience
- And more!*

If you can't enjoy the thrills to be found in songs like "Pariah", "Ireland", "Information", "I Don't Know", "Quotes", and others, then I don't know what the hell's wrong with you and frankly I don't want to talk to you anymore! Act now!

*There is no more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Their best album, August 8, 2009

By 

Brian M. Lear (Portland, OR) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion (Audio CD)

This album contains the refined essence of Dredg--focused, smart, and hard-hitting modern rock fronted by a passionate singer and backed by an incredible group of musicians. The drums, especially, are creative without being busy, and add a beautiful rhythmic dimension to the songs. I am blown away by this record, basically. The production is very tasteful--you will hear strings, keyboards, the works, but it doesn't detract from the Dredg sound. The vocals are more present and harmonious than ever, understated and simple, with mature melodies that eclipse anything on the prior albums. This album seems to signify a happier band. The lyrics and mood combine to give the impression that they have learned certain realities about the world, and they are now comfortable with who they are. And this is really the fundamental difference from past Dredg albums. Before there was an agonizing, yearning, almost depressed quality to the music. Here we find the band set free, a band comfortable with themselves and their music. The result is possibly the best album of 2009.