For their fifth full length “The Endless”, Denver, CO genre-defying progressive metal outfit DREADNOUGHT present their most spellbinding musical feature yet. With riveting vocal performances, ferocious grooves, and soaring synthesis, the quartet offers a familiarity to the melodic awe of previous records "Lifewoven" (2013) and "Bridging

For their fifth full length “The Endless”, Denver, CO genre-defying progressive metal outfit DREADNOUGHT present their most spellbinding musical feature yet. With riveting vocal performances, ferocious grooves, and soaring synthesis, the quartet offers a familiarity to the melodic awe of previous records "Lifewoven" (2013) and "Bridging Realms"(2015) as well as the dark complexities within "A Wake In Sacred Waves" (2017) and "Emergence"(2019), but with a beautifully fresh perspective in writing, production, and performance.

At its inception in 2012, Dreadnought’s four original members, including guitarist/vocalist Kelly Schilling, drummer Jordan Clancy, bassist Kevin Handlon, and keyboardist/vocalist Lauren Vieira, strove for a project laser-focused on creativity and exploration, pulling from all aspects of their musical backgrounds to craft something exciting and unique. Joining in the common ground of extreme metal, the quartet explores a blend of prog, doom, folk, jazz, classical, black metal, and post rock. Now a quintet, Dreadnought sees its live potential in full form with the addition of second guitarist Ryan Sims and keyboardist/vocalist Emily Shreve replacing Vieira.

Thematically, “The Endless” departs from the familiar abstract of Dreadnought’s first four albums and dives into a relatable character arc about the human divide of light and suffering. It is an overture to the complexities of the proliferation of life, exploring the trail of choices that shape our world and our lives. It invites the question, can we overcome our nature and make higher minded choices to better humanity and our planet? Or are we lost in a never ending cycle of shadow?

The album opener “Worlds Break” begins in a post-apocalyptic landscape, heeding our need for guidance in the direst of times. “Midnight Moon” leads the listener in trance, through depths of manipulation and fear. As we reach the title track “The Endless”, lush textures and crooning vocals place us among the pits of despair, shock, and loss. "Liminal Veil" offers a vast landscape of celestial drones and enthusiastic grooves, while "Gears of Violent Endurance" reminds us of our primal nature through great ferocity.

In reaching the album closer "The Paradigm Mirror", the dust begins to settle yet a great tension remains, inviting us to reflect upon vicious cycles of the human experience and how we can escape them.

For their fourth full-length album “Emergence”, Denver, Colorado doom-prog band DREADNOUGHT follow-up their 2017 “A Wake In Sacred Waves” acclamation with an album that takes their singular multiplex and pictorial sound to new sonic realms even more heavily textile, complex, and vastly designed. “Emergence" sees the four-piece, consisting of

For their fourth full-length album “Emergence”, Denver, Colorado doom-prog band DREADNOUGHT follow-up their 2017 “A Wake In Sacred Waves” acclamation with an album that takes their singular multiplex and pictorial sound to new sonic realms even more heavily textile, complex, and vastly designed. “Emergence" sees the four-piece, consisting of vocalist/guitarist/flute player Kelly Schilling, drummer/sax player Jordan Clancy, keyboardist/vocalist Lauren Vieira, and bassist/mandolin player Kevin Handlon, delving more into heavier and darker sonic territory as well, an aspect that was evident with “A Wake…” but has become fully realized with “Emergence”.

There are a multitude of layers that establish DREADNOUGHT’s sound, making them one of the more unique sounding bands in today’s doom/dark/progressive metal circles. Consisting of a myriad of influences that seamlessly sew their sound together, from prog, doom, folk, jazz, classical/chamber, avant-garde, and even a little bit of black metal managing to find its way into DREADNOUGHT’s audial tapestry, “Emergence” is the culmination of the band’s continued development and evolution, one that began with 2013’s “Lifewoven” LP followed by 2015’s “Bridging Realms” and the aforementioned 2017 LP “A Wake…”.

Thematically “Emergence” resonates with elements of flame, tying together similar structures between the ancient connection of nature’s most destructive yet purifying forces and the human condition. Through the four searing tracks comprising “Emergence”, the realities of this age-old cycle of rebirth, beginning with chaotic annihilation of what is, and leaving behind nourishing ash to enrich what is to come. A new being arises from the smolder, forged by the fires of self-destruction and trials of every lifetime before it.

With the ferocity of a wildfire, DREADNOUGHT opens the album with “Besieged” painting the connections of the catastrophic events of life with witnessing the Earth ablaze. In memoir of the countless losses in the immolation, “Still” is an interlude that pays tribute to the mourning of fleeting life and memories. “Pestilent” speaks to intense struggle that we as humans battle to choose reality in moments of tribulations as we attempt to escape and resist the decimation left in the fire’s wake. Wisdom granted through the labours of rebirth leaves who was once seen as the victim, the true victor by their willingness to witness a broader perspective of transformation.“Tempered” captures the essence of this enlightened perspective, named by the process of strengthening metal tools using fires, the once destructive flames are seen as a purifying method to cultivate new life.

The dust settles upon a masterful being, one that has endured a renaissance with struggles of hellfire and gained a wealth of worldly knowledge. As we enter the final track, “The Waking Realm”, DREADNOUGHT leaves us with this universal pattern of nature to reflect on as the final echoes of the album fade. No matter what cycle of rebirth we are currently in, nature’s perfected design lends comfort to those embarking on the journey of transformation as light from the fires of our own hell will guide the path forward.

A mythical connection exists between nature and music.

Within vast forests, pagans traditionally participated in midnight drum circles around cackling flames. Led Zeppelin recorded the seminal Led Zeppelin III at the infamous secluded 18th century Bron-Yr-Aur cottage deep in the wilderness. Pink Floyd cut 1987’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason and

A mythical connection exists between nature and music.

Within vast forests, pagans traditionally participated in midnight drum circles around cackling flames. Led Zeppelin recorded the seminal Led Zeppelin III at the infamous secluded 18th century Bron-Yr-Aur cottage deep in the wilderness. Pink Floyd cut 1987’s A Momentary Lapse of Reason and 1994’s The Division Bell on the Astoria houseboat.

Nestled among the Rocky Mountains, it’s hard to escape the influence of nature in Colorado. Maybe they didn’t record in the woods or on the high seas, but Denver outfit Dreadnought breathes fresh air through extreme music like a torrential force of nature nonetheless. On their third full-length album A Wake In Sacred Waves [Sailor Records], the quartet—Kelly Schilling [guitar, flute, clean & harsh vocals], Jordan Clancy [drums, saxophone], Kevin Handlon [bass, mandolin, lyrics], and Lauren Vieira [keys, clean vocals]—redefine the boundaries of heavy, swinging from gusts of black metal double bass, guttural guitar, and haunting harmonic hymnals to reprieves of fairy tale flute, anesthetic mandolin, and jazz saxophone. (For the uninitiated, think Joni Mitchell guesting with Wolves in the Throne Room).

That singular style quietly turned ears towards the band on their 2013 debut Lifewoven and its critically lauded follow-up Bridging Realms in 2015. The latter earned acclaim from the likes of Terrorizer Magazine, Invisible Oranges, AXS, Metal Sucks, Metal Injection, and more, while the group toured with Wayfarer and Ford Theatre Reunion in addition to sharing the stage with the Devin Townsend Project.

A Wake In Sacred Waves sees their patented sound consciously evolve with sharper claws, but a warmer embrace.

“Each album is loosely based on an element,” explains Kelly. “Lifewoven was earth, Bridging Realms was ether, and this is our water album. You could think of them like Zelda temples. We wanted to make this a little bit darker and heavier because we were going through heavier parts of our lives. This record tells a story about the process of life and death. A sea creature evolves into an apex predator, takes over everything, and then falls from grace. It mirrors humanity’s own existential struggle.”

The journey begins with the 17 minute-plus “Vacant Sea.” Sucked down an aquatic wormhole of claustrophobic distortion, spellbinding melodies, and unpredictable instrumental wizardry, the record immediately extends its tentacles. “Within Chanting Waters” mitigates brutality with bliss as “To Luminous Scale” and “A Drifting Reign” coalesce into a mind-blowing aural climax.

Kevin explains, “In ‘Vacant Sea’, a species gets chased into a giant trench, where it evolves into the alpha in a new ecosystem. ‘Within Changing Waters’ discusses the way life relates to the ocean itself. The water can be interpreted as the nature goddess. The final two songs see the predator come into self-discovery, rise, and then come to ruin as the rest of her species and prey turn against her and take her down.”

Dreadnought represents a new face for extreme music across the board. The presence of flute, mandolin, and saxophone adds subterranean depth to the sonic palette, while dual female melodies make for a majestic and mystical chemistry.

“By virtue of being women, we add a different dynamic, femininity, and perhaps more balance to this genre,” continues Kelly. “Our voices are a color, timbre, and sound that’s unfamiliar and unique. That makes the music extra exciting for us.”

A Wake In Sacred Waves also conjures an undeniable listening experience for anyone who boards Dreadnought’s ship.

“I hope people react in a natural way,” she leaves off. “No matter what it is, I just want them to feel something when they hear us.”