Punknews.org

|
Sign In | create an account

Dredg

Catch Without Arms (2005)
Universal Music Group

Reviewer Rating:

User Rating:

Contributed by: soulbleed
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on July 8th 2005

Despite Dredg's proven track record, some fans have constantly complained about their lack of real songs on their albums. Both their debut Leitmotif and their last record, El Cielo, were wrought with instrumentals that were trippy, but there were too many of them. Finding the real songs on the albums was often a difficult task for the listener, especially someone who wasn't as familiar with the band as some of their more seasoned fans. Apparently, the guys in Dredg must have taken this into consideration, and their third album Catch Without Arms (which, if there's ever an award for Best Album Title, they'd definitely be a contender), is all songs. There's no interludes to be found here -- this is just straight-forward Dredg, from start to finish.

Other than the fact that there's no "movements" between each track on Catch Without Arms, there's not much difference between this and El Cielo. Lead single "Bug Eyes" sounds like it could have been a leftover from the album sessions, bearing striking resemblance to the aura of "Same Ol' Road" and "It Only Took A Day" at times. "Ode To The Sun" has similar attributes, but contains one of the best guitar riffs Dredg has ever put to record, and is overall one of their best songs. Dredg is definitely at their best when they're rocking out, as has always been the case. Other than the aforementioned "Ode To The Sun," the highlights are "Tanbark," which has some trippy breaks and rhythms and a killer chorus to boot, and "Hangover On A Tuesday," which has to be one of the best songs Dredg could ever play live. It's just one of those songs that grabs your attention and locks you in.

Catch Without Arms isn't as good as it could have been, however. While El Cielo would have benefitted from the straight-ahead approach, Catch Without Arms doesn't seem to. The songs aren't as strong here as they were on Cielo, and there aren't enough hard-hitting tracks to keep the listener interested. The soft songs aren't as involved as their past instrumental pieces, sometimes drifting into borderline boring territory. Of course, they're still better than most bands, since Dredg is probably one of the best active bands in rock circa 2005, but there's definitely material here that's not up to par with their past output. Catch Without Arms would have benefitted from the band actually recording all the songs that were on the demos, including the songs that were left off Cielo, like "Papal Insignia," for one.

However, opinions are going to definitely vary on the effectiveness of this release. It all depends on how familiar you are with Dredg and what you like more -- their atmospheric, slow stuff or their kickin' rock tunes. But when it all comes down to it, the album doesn't make a good starting point for a new listener, nor does it make the impression most thought it was going to. While it's not bad by any means, this isn't the new masterpiece it should have been. Take it for what it is (a good way to drift away from your problems), and go back to El Cielo and Leitmotif for your uber-leet Dredg thrills.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.

What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

ihavechappedlips (September 1, 2007)

I love their slow songs and the rocking songs. I think that they could do more with both.

ihavechappedlips (September 1, 2007)

I love their slow songs and the rocking songs. I think that they could do more with both.

Anonymous (July 30, 2005)

I've been a huge dredg fan for years. shortly after leitmotif was released i found some mp3's from their orph ep that simply blew me away. i havent heard any of those songs in years, but they were my introduction. songs like "yatahaze" and "orph" blew my mind apart. i was a big fan of bands like pink floyd, tool, and deftones at the time, and this was not only a great mix, but an absolute step over the next level. i started sending their pr girl hella money and having her mail copies of leitmotif to all of my friends. then el cielo came out, and i loved it. it took me a second, but not long at all, before i was absolutely immersed in the textures they were able to bring out of their instruments. i've seen them once in sacramento, ca, and once in athens, al. two very different places, and two very different shows, but dredg fucking brings it both times, so i'm even more in love with them.

this is, of course, awhile ago. so i've been gearing up for this new album for what feels like forever. at the same time, i am absolutely fucking paranoid that one of my all time favorite bands will put something out that is ridiculously sub par. so i go buy it the day it comes out. i listen to it in my car (which has a shitty system), and i'm not feeling it right away. it feels like leftovers from el cielo at first. then i get to the house and i have my band listen to it on the house speakers, and boom. it's already ten times better. it took two more listens and i can't get enough. i'm going to see them in nashville next month. i couldnt be much happier with the new album. this band is amazing, and i think they deserve all the respect they can get.
Casey

Anonymous (July 15, 2005)

Forget about the name...these guys kick ass...try listening more than once and you'll see why. Better yet, see dredg live and you'll become a fan if you aren't already one.

soulbleed (July 15, 2005)

to the kid who brought up hoobastank and lostprophets .. that shit makes no sense either.

GreenVandal (July 11, 2005)

I dont think there are any negative comments about this band outside of their name. I think that says something. I just listened to "bug eyes" and it is okay...nothing too special. It has a nice guitar line goin on in the beginning.

stevejonestherealbones (July 11, 2005)

"for years people have told me not to judge a book by its cover, but dredg is just an awful fucking band name, so i don't like them

- the other scott"

cd's arent books

judging cds by the cover has saved me from alot of shitty ass music

the best example i can think of is the rocket summer.....come on...what was that kid thinking

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

Anonymous (July 11, 2005)

i got this album online the day it was leaked and i have been going back and forth listening to it almost everyday since. this album is not being looked at correctly. i have seen it in many different lights through reading reviews and hearing it in many moods and enviroments as well as seeing them live.

this album could be a soundtrack to a movie because it flows so well and has its upbeat, feel-it moments and its coffee shop liturgies. i like how the tempos throughout the whole album change and make up a larger more intimate picture instead of a faint touch on somethin half-assed. you can tell their tracks were structured to flow from one song to the next. Though I would not regard this album as being a breakthrough record or anything of that nature, I would definitely advise a friend to pick it up and open up to it. The more you listen, the more you understand that they these guys have matured and moved on as a band and as team with the same strategy.
I saw these guys live a month or so ago and they were great. they know how to move, they know how to play, and they are on point. every feeling they have and every heatbeat goes into their current song and i felt it. i regard it as one of the best shows i have ever seen. dredg gets 4 stars in my book.

Anonymous (July 11, 2005)

This album isn't as outstanding as El Cielo (a five star record). They have moved toward a sound which is more like Hoobastank and Lostprophets, i.e. more straightforward and with an overproduced and downtuned singalong chorus in most of the songs. There isn't as much room for experiment here. I don't like the heavy side of Dredg as much as their more intimate jazzy moments in which the amazing rhythm section takes the stage. The lyrics also seem to have lost some of their deeper meaning.
Nevertheless, this album is still much better than anything Hoobastank and Lostprophets have ever recorded, and comparisons to Radiohead (totally different music) and Coldplay (a god awful band) simply don't make any sense.

Anonymous (July 10, 2005)

for years people have told me not to judge a book by its cover, but dredg is just an awful fucking band name, so i don't like them

- the other scott

Anchors (July 10, 2005)

The only thing that I know about this band, is that this girl from school, who jocks My Chemical Romance like it's her job and the job of everyone she knows, likes them.

Anonymous (July 9, 2005)

there are a few really good tracks on this album, and a few that drag on a bit. i like it overall, though.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

I'm still not sure what this band sounds like.
Bottom line is, why the hell would you spell your name wrong? Mispellings automatically conjure up shitty mainstreak rock/nu-metal.

stevejonestherealbones (July 8, 2005)

so is it "dredge"?

- jones the bones

- stevejones8770@yahoo.com

soulbleed (July 8, 2005)

um the uber-leet thing was a joke.

OKSoda (July 8, 2005)

Some of us actually like Feable Weiner! But.. uh... not me of course. That shits gay.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

There are so many cd's with better titles, way way better titles.

Inspection12e (July 8, 2005)

I like this cd as well.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

I'm gonna have to agree with the guy that said Dredg has one of the worst band names ever. That album cover is pretty god awful too.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

I got to interview this band for my college's radio station and not only are they egotistical pricks, they're also racists. Several times, the guitarist guy made comments about Jews and Asians. Not cool.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

yes their name isn't quite as bad as feeble weiner though.

rkl (July 8, 2005)

whats the difference between a real song, and a fake song?

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

this band sucks so unbelievably hard. probably the worst thing i've heard since that sunn-o))) band or however the fuck you are supposed to spell it. this band just blows.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

Coldplay is good...this is bad. Someone review A northern chorus.....

----Travis.

ElVaquero (July 8, 2005)

Sevens are the new eights which were once the new tens.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

i like this record. in fact ive listened to it almost nonstop. Its easy to hit repeat.

a good release.

wyzo

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

this sucks (coldplay also sucks)

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

i thoguht this was coldplay for a second

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

oh..i thought this was radiohead for a second.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

this cd is sooo fucking boring. next.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

I saw this band live 4 years ago and was bored out of my fucking mind.

By the way, the album name is certainly not one of the best I've heard. It's actually pretty fucking stupid. Dredg might be the worst band name I've ever heard though.

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

I loved Leitmotif, one of the better albums I own (and I love those instrumentals). El Cielo sounded a little too gothish or nu-metal for me. This does sound like El Cielo, but I like it a whole lot more. I don't really know why.

And of course, the new stuff sounds great live

Anonymous (July 8, 2005)

never use the term "uber-leet" in a review again. what a joke.