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Rating: Leitmotif is a metaphor, something that accompanies your life. A fixed point, a leitmotif. The truth, the truths of life: this is the reason and purpose of the search of the young protagonist of this concept album, as well as the first full-length album, by dredg (to be pronounced with the G of "garage" and not of "giraffe").
Leitmotif begins with a philosophical vein. Symbol Song is precisely the symbol song of the whole album, it overwhelms you and immerses you into the dredg-sound characterized by precision (nothing is left to chance and to noise), a touch of improvisation, melody and power (Take these words, be on your way you will find your now). Dredg don’t like to label themselves, they emphasize this in every interview. It's clear that theirs is a rock-oriented style, but they also demonstrate with great eloquence how they do not impose limits in their composition.In the "second movement", Crosswind Minuet, it is like witnessing a composition in real-time: a simple and direct drum line precedes the entrance of the bass, which then opens up to the piano groove (played by the drummer himself, Dino Campanella).
After only 1 minute and 32 seconds of listening, enveloped by the hypnotic and sober mix, everything stops to give space to "Traversing Through The Arctic Cold We Search For The Spirit Of Yuta", a sort of acoustic track similar to Acoustic Alchemy (with the necessary differences in composition and sound). A track over 6 minutes long in which the four Californians have fun improvising, leaving the last part to a series of shapeless noises à la radio-frequency-signal style (well, I had to try to explain it lol).
The album flows like a charm. It is very direct and for this reason enchanting. Plus, it's well played: they are not the usual 4 kids grabbing a couple of sticks, some picks, and deciding to make a racket.
At times they remind me of Incubus, for the taste, precision, and the particularly melodic line of the singer Gavin Hayes (hey, at 2:09 of Lechium he really sounds like Brandon Boyd!).
But I don't want to degenerate into easy and useless comparisons. Dredg is a solid group with character. Download Symbol Song (and don’t worry if it cuts off suddenly, it’s a concept!). If it grabs you, then move on to the second, and then the third track. You will end up downloading the whole album and perhaps, like me, you will even order it from your trusted store.
Curiosity and info: the album is from 1999 but was re-released by Interscope in 2001. Release date September 11, 2001. Does it ring a bell? :P
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Symbol Song (04:23)
He said: patience is the key to
For a change to ensue
Warm the arctic cold
And drop down
To the ground
Wait for the sound
Of the cold
Take these words
You'll have your day
Live it as your last
He said: love will build your heart and
Bring you up from the sand
Now i wish to go
Accept you bravery
For it is all we are
It's all we are
Take these words
Be on your way
You will find your
Now...
He said: faith, distrust, and reason
With this you'll be kneeling
Before the world
And drop down
To the ground
It's all we are
It's all we are
Take these words
Be on your way
You will find your
Now....
03 Lechium (06:24)
Yes take time
To realize what you have
Yes i did
But suspended
And now i hang
Beneath the ground that we have made
For us
To walk on.
See me now
Crawl away, crawl away
See me now
Crawl away
Yes take time
To realize what you have
Content
But descended
And now i swim
Beneath currents of hope and faith
Now it is time
To surface.
????
See me now
Crawl away, crawl away
See me now
Crawl with me
Believe me now
Crawl away, crawl away
Come crawl with me
05 Traversing Through the Arctic Cold We Search for the Spirit of Yuta (06:37)
You don't hide your wound on the inside, in
Don't talk anymore deepen inside your head
Chew a little bit of thoughts, leave it
All we are, we are
(??? nobody)
We are
(??? nobody, ??? nobody)
All we are
All we are
???????
Take my fate, you got me away
The way you walk
The way you see
Is all I had to see
This time (yeah) make me feel, the flame go (yeah)
(???????)
(Don't fall on the spear)
Don't ever dare the sky
I can't be you
(??????)
You
(??????)
(??????)
No, lead my way
No, lead my way
Hope you'll be waiting
Hope you'll be waiting, I'm falling apart
Hope you'll be waiting
Hope you'll be waiting, need you inside
Hope you'll be waiting
Hope you'll be waiting, I'm falling apart
(wait for me ???)
Hope you'll be waiting
Hope you'll be waiting
09 Yatahaze (03:44)
Climbing
Building us up
Tearing me down
Lifted back up we are climbing
All of this time
Drifting right back to the ground
Suddenly, suddenly, suddenly, suddenly
Questioning, and saying
Our opinions, they're failing
They're constantly changing
Our ignorance, remaining
We're hoping, and waiting
We're living, but dying
While tring to find out
My meaning isn't planned out
Come to the conclusion
Might as well be an illusion
While trying to find out
I did nothing, but shut out
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