DREDG GONNA PISS SOME FANS OFF

Word on the street is that Dredg’s new album Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy — now set for release on May 3rd in the U.S. and roughly a week earlier everywhere else — is different. Like, very different. Vocalist Gavin Hayes told us as much back in November when he revealed in a MetalSucks interview that they were working with producer Dan The Automator, whose past production credits include the Gorillaz, Deltron 3030 and Head Automatica, but with the album’s pending release the press machine is gearing up and we’ll soon be hearing what he meant.

I can’t imagine Dredg would’ve gone to Dan The Automator if they didn’t want to do something different; seems to me the goal was to shake things up a bit. But are Dredg fans prepared for this? Dredg are one of those bands who have morphed and changed noticeably with every new release, like Radiohead or Pink Floyd or for that matter even Metallica (for better or worse); they ain’t no Slayer. And while they lost some fans post-Leitmotif when it turned out they weren’t really that metal at all, I think most fans who stuck with them then have been with them ever since. Dredg are synonymous with quality; whatever they do, they do it well. I’m sure the same will true with the admittedly ridiculously titled Chuckles and Mr. Squeezy, but I’m very curious to hear what Hayes means when he describes the record as “dark pop.”

Nevertheless, some folks are sure to be upset with Dredg’s new direction. Much like Radiohead lost their core alt-rock base when they ditched the sweet, jangly guitars of Pablo Honey and OK Computer for the computerized blips and bloops of Kid A, Dredg are sure to see some of their base vanish. But without risk there’s no reward, and hopefully Dredg, like Radiohead, will see the creative and perhaps even commercial benefits of taking an artistic chance. Too few bands do take those kinds of risks these days.

We’ll all find out on May 3rd. Can’t wait.

-VN