Progressive Rock Review: Dreadnaught-Have a Drink With Dreadnaught

Release Date:August 30, 2013

Label: Red Fez Records

Website

Dreadnaught might not be a familiar name to many, but it is never too late to get acquainted. Based out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Dreadnaught consists of Rick Habib (drums, vocals), Bob Lord (bass, vocals), and Justin Walton (6 string guitar, vocals).  This “totally and utterly deranged” trio has been making their special blend of music for some 17 years, and their new EP Have a Drink With Dreadnaught shows them at the top of their game. It is a masterful achievement and these 5 totally different and unique songs are unforgettable. 

“Corrupticus 5” is a smooth, hopping country-inspired tune that is sure to have feet tapping and heads bobbing.  The carefree, open road nature of the song is enhanced by the pleasant vocal harmonies that make for the perfect sing-along jam.  And I cannot forget about the guitars, which never fail to impress and take the song to that extra level of musical magic.  “Surface Raid” gets the blood pumping with its manic energy.  It has an overall atmosphere of a trippy space adventure, like a dark dream that you never want to wake up from. 

“The Bear” is a playful tune with a carnival-like atmosphere, featuring strong dual vocals.  “Jpf” is almost hard to describe with all that is going on in it. It has a bit of pop, rock, and progressive rock elements, all mixed into one to make for one sweet treat of a song.  Saving the best for last, “Trophy Bride” absolutely dazzles with its soaring guitars and delightful musical twists and turns.  

Have a Drink With Dreadnaught is musicianship at its finest.  This is the type of music that will stay will you long after the last note has been played.  This EP contains some of the most progressive and experimental rock that I have ever heard.  Every song is different with its own soul.  If there were ever a band and an album to take a chance on, then Dreadnaught and Have a Drink With Dreadnaught are it.  

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Brian McKinnon

February 5, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

Progressive Rock Review: Dreadnaught-Have a Drink With Dreadnaught

Release Date:August 30, 2013

Label: Red Fez Records

Website

Dreadnaught might not be a familiar name to many, but it is never too late to get acquainted. Based out of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Dreadnaught consists of Rick Habib (drums, vocals), Bob Lord (bass, vocals), and Justin Walton (6 string guitar, vocals).  This “totally and utterly deranged” trio has been making their special blend of music for some 17 years, and their new EP Have a Drink With Dreadnaught shows them at the top of their game. It is a masterful achievement and these 5 totally different and unique songs are unforgettable.

“Corrupticus 5” is a smooth, hopping country-inspired tune that is sure to have feet tapping and heads bobbing.  The carefree, open road nature of the song is enhanced by the pleasant vocal harmonies that make for the perfect sing-along jam.  And I cannot forget about the guitars, which never fail to impress and take the song to that extra level of musical magic.  “Surface Raid” gets the blood pumping with its manic energy.  It has an overall atmosphere of a trippy space adventure, like a dark dream that you never want to wake up from. 

“The Bear” is a playful tune with a carnival-like atmosphere, featuring strong dual vocals.  “Jpf” is almost hard to describe with all that is going on in it. It has a bit of pop, rock, and progressive rock elements, all mixed into one to make for one sweet treat of a song.  Saving the best for last, “Trophy Bride” absolutely dazzles with its soaring guitars and delightful musical twists and turns.  

Have a Drink With Dreadnaught is musicianship at its finest.  This is the type of music that will stay will you long after the last note has been played.  This EP contains some of the most progressive and experimental rock that I have ever heard.  Every song is different with its own soul.  If there were ever a band and an album to take a chance on, then Dreadnaught and Have a Drink With Dreadnaught are it. 

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: ALL

Brian McKinnon

February 5, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

Prog Rock Featured Artist: Dreadnaught

Over the course of over 17 years, half a dozen albums, and more metric shifts than you can shake a stick at, the ever-evolving DREADNAUGHT has carved out a musical niche unlike any other. This is because, very simply, we're totally and utterly deranged.

In May of 2013, the perpetually idiosyncratic DREADNAUGHT – bassist BOB LORD (the guy writing this), drummer RICK HABIB , and guitarist JUSTIN WALTON – finally released the first studio recordings from our HARD CHARGIN' project. It's been a while (6 years to be precise) but in that time we continued to perform, compose, and create without pause, in the words that the late great JOHN UPDIKE uttered about us, “the sound of terror.” Utterly uncompromising multi-movement prog-rock opuses, gritty bar-band Americana, experimental electronic music, even music for orchestra... we’ve done just about everything a band can do, and stuck to our guns the whole way.

Our subsequent releases were no more normal and just as logically bizarre. From the fully instrumental, fusioned-up Americana- and electronic-inspired Musica En Flagrante to the spastic, unadorned trio-only musical explosions of Live At Mojo to the more vocally-based yet no less outlandish new material on the double-disc semi-retrospective hybrid High heat & Chin Music, we’ve explored every nook and cranny that our collective hearts desired.

In between were some unusual and enjoyable gigs, like a commissioned cover of THE WHO’s “Going Mobile” for an advertising campaign, some music for independent films, a recording of a newly-arranged and orchestrated version of a track from The American Standard by the MORAVIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, and the theme song for New Hampshire Public Radio's flagship program The Exchange. If nothing else, we know how to have our cake and eat it too.

Really – what is the point of doing what has already been done? We'll leave that to the other folks. Duck for cover... head for the hills... here comes DREADNAUGHT.