The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

[noresolution]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Man I can't believe I skipped Cartoon Showroom the first time thorugh. The end is intense.

The lyrics still strike me as corny at times, but I'll get over it. This album sounds great.

[Knifeboy]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Hrm, i'm in a dilemma
I have to keep reading this thread in case someone leaks a proper rip
but reading it sorta ruins it when i haven't listened to the album yet!

[noresolution]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

God damn quotes is epic.

More epic than Canyon imo. I think ending the album with Horizon is just throwing people off.

[InfraredDream]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

dredgfan, you share some of my initial feelings towards the lyrics. I have some issues from now on, the baby cry (birth) is not in the begining. Horizon is definitely about "the End" of life, i.e. the death. But it is a calm fading, the person is in comfort with that. Because he is religious or maybe the opposite, because now he knows more than the religion and that gives him rest.
Very early interpretations. Still have a long way to go.
I was anticipating this for so long. Like most of us here.
---
Knifeboy, 3 hours ago I was feeling exactly the same way and was ready to leave the board for a month. Then I downloaded the CD rip, it's good, especially with some good headset and a little bass boost.
I am not pushing you though. I feel for you.

[dredgfan001]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

I understand what your saying. Again, I don't think dredg would tend toward the obvious on that end. Also, I have always appreciated dredg's ambiguity and the open endness of their concepts and don't think I'll ever really come to a final conclusion about what, if anything, this album is actually about. I appreciate it as an art piece for showing me aspects of something and allowing my mind to create the bridges it decides within the piece. not to say thats not what your doing. just trying to share my excitement on the album and in no way want to be redeemed or confirmed upon my interpretation. just excited drivel is all. carry on.

p.s. just another thought. think of it as a social birth and death. if we were talking about The Mars Volta they'd have a baby crying at the beginning, because they're so abstract they have to make things literal conceptually and get caught in their own syntax.

[InfraredDream]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

I love that about the music and art in general - to leave you with your own vision and perspective. I love the digging into that kind of lyrics as (usually) I can relate and feel most of them. But there is always the autor's take of the story. We just rarely know how close we get to it.
Your interpretation of different aspects is very interesting and I hear you about most of it. But I believe there is a more general connection and a real story behind the words.

As for "gathering the pebbles", I found a religious meaning of it - gather the pebbles and toss them in the water, so lose them implying one loses (erases) one's sins. Makes some sense.

[nowhere11]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

So, I get an email from this board wishing me happy birthday. I forgot I had an account here and came to close it, and low and behold, here is this thread. Fate must want me to listen to this album. Last Visit: August 26th, 2006 at 02:12 AM. Wow.

Anyway, I have mixed feelings about this album. It has restored my faith in this band slightly. Catch Without Arms made me lose all confidence in dredg, and there are some spots on this album where that poppy attitude that pushed me away has carried over. I mean, they really cheese it up on "Ireland" and "Information" for example. I don't want them to remind me of Hoobastank for christsakes. I want them to remind me of the band that made Leitmotif and helped change my entire musical landscape back in 2003.

Still, there are some strong tracks here. "Pariah," "Drunk Slide," "Lightswitch," "I Don't Know," "Quotes." Some tracks tow the line between their more sensible musical experimentation and pop-cheesiness for me to make a judgment right now ("Gathering Pebbles"), but I have a feeling they will grow on me since they intrigued me enough while giving me some head-bobbing moments.

This album's also helped me come to a conclusion about the band. What I really dig is their rhythm section (bass+drums) and their sense for bold musical exploration. Firstly, as a drummer, this gentlemen here (whose name I really should look up one of these days) is obviously talented and owning the kit here, and when the bassist can lay down a solid, bouncy groove on top of that, I know I'm going to love the song. They've always done this to outstanding results (see: "Crosswind Minuet" or "Same Ol' Road"). Really, all the instrumentation is top notch here, I just think the bass and drums stand out first. Additionally, they did an outstanding job of laying some great unconventional, yet sensible guitar on top of that foundation.

Secondly, take the intro to "Long Days and Vague Clues." It is something you won't likely hear too many bands doing. I love that shit. El Cielo is an example of a band bucking trends and really exploring music for what it is. That spirit is still alive and well in dredg based on my listen to The Pariah, the Parrot, the Delusion.

This is what hooks me about this band and they've resurrected it on this new one. So, while this certainly is a return to form from Catch Without Arms, there are still spots I see them trying to pander to misguided pop sensibilities. I can overlook that for the most part, though, based on the strength of most these tracks. Oh yes, and the cover art is hands down awesome.

OK, this is getting kinda long, so I'm just gonna leave it at that. Cheers and happy listening.

[noresolution]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Last guy basically summed up my reaction but much more eloquently.

Yes, this album is better than Catch Without Arms, hands down imo.

[InfraredDream]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Happy Birthday to you!
I hope you will be able to see how much more this album has to offer. It is far from "cheesy" whatever that word means.

[nowhere11]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Thanks.

And to be fair, I don't think the album as a whole is cheesy. If I didn't make it clear in my last post, I do like the album. "Ireland" and "Information" just rub me the wrong way, and they made "Information" a single too. Kind of like what happened with "Bug Eyes."

[InfraredDream]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

I think Information is a great choice of a single as it has the potential to hit more people. Bug Eyes for more odd, for the general audience. But still "random" fans react very strong when it is played live, so I guess it is still well known as a single.

[nowhere11]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

I'll continue to give it a listen. Maybe it will grow on me, who knows? It does have that fantastic piano line in the verses that is extremely fitting.

[noresolution]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Information is the only track on this I still really dislike.

[bokkers]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Wow, what an album. Listening through the whole of it for the third time in a row now and can't really see myself putting up anything else in the next couple of days. Love the melancholic atmosphere that runs through it, and the diversity arrangement-wise, tons of details to discover. So far Gathering Pebbles, Mourning This Morning, Quotes, Pariah and Lightswitch are my favourites, Information is the weakest track of them all for my taste, although I still like it a lot.

[Sins Of Arcadia]

Re: Album Discussion: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

I continue to be utterly baffled by the hate for Information, lol.