Perhaps the best thing I can say about Darediablo is that they don’t sound like anyone else.
Too often, in a rush to write a review, a critic will compare one band to another. It’s an easy way to write; I say Nirvana sounds like the Pixies but with more polish, or John Cougar sounds like Springsteen without the conviction, and that’s that. It doesn’t tell you anything and it gets me off the hook.
But it’s too easy, and when a truly creative band comes around one has to come up with new ways to define a sound. Darediablo has elements of other bands, but they twist the styles to come up with a progressive instrumental heavy metal sound. Lest you think that means the second coming of Dream Theater, rest assured there are jazz influences, classic rock, ’90s alternative stylings and even some bursts of Detroit noise, the kind the Stooges used to make. This band is from
Progressive rock doesn’t have to mean long songs and inane/inscrutable lyrics, as Darediablo proves on Bedtime Stories. The longest track here approaches seven minutes, but most stay under five minutes, brief sonic squalls that you don’t want to end, especially when the band locks into a groove. “One-Way Ticket” is the perfect example; with a Hammond organ, seismic drumming, and a quiet but insistent power chords, the trio starts with nothing and builds it up to a thrilling finale, both organs exploding and the drums finally, regally booming out the final notes as the organs wind down and the guitar snakes in and out. It could easily have been a 10-minute wankfest but is kept to 2:27, far too short for the talent Darediablo possesses.
Keyboards dominate this music, but they’re never a sideshow or distraction, since the guitars, thundering bass and excellent drumming keep pace, as on “Squirm” and the killer opener “Sigurd The Dragon Slayer,” which — stupid title aside — uses simple keyboard riffs and basic 4/4 time by the drums as a basis for improvisation by the guitars. The track catches fire twice when the bass bottoms out, setting a menacing undertone to the rather buoyant organ. Total time? 2:25. It’s just unfair.
As stated before, Bedtime Stories owes part of its debt to classic rock, and much of this sounds like it could have been recorded in the late 60s, when Grand Funk, Iron Butterfly and Sabbath were making sludge popular (“Steve” is an example of this, with a keyboard riff lifted right out of Closer To Home but wielding more attitude on the guitars than Farner could ever muster). Yet the music is not sludgy or lo-fi, but instead polished and clear, bringing out the clarity of the instruments and further hardening the sonic attack.
The pinnacle of the disc is “Skipping Rocks,” where everything comes together in a blaze of glory. It’s the third to last track and by that point, you’re lost in the CD, which has managed to twist and turn in many ways. “Rocks” continues this theme but stretches it out, starting with a subdued organ and gradually adding on in volume and tempo with the other instruments until everything drops out for Jake Garcia to add a Deep Purple-esque riff, which he plays for a bit before the organ comes in for a solo, which alternates with the guitars. Finally, the tempo slows and Garcia begins his solo, with the track again picking up in tempo and noise until the final guitar/organ burst, pushing the needles into the red and ending, melting the faces of listeners everywhere.
About the only thing holding this release back is the short and useless “I Know What Your Bass Did Last Summer” and “Weasel,” which never really goes anywhere and sounds a bit too derivative of the other tracks. The closing “Shipping & Handling” makes up for this, though, with a funky descending bass riff immediately hooking the ear, keyboards lightly making noise and Chad Royce concentrating on the cymbals. It’s sprightly, which is an odd word to use for a dark progressive metal band, and is by far the most interesting track, hypnotic in its supposed simplicity and utterly unforgettable.
I don’t care what you think about progressive rock, metal, progressive metal, instrumental rock or Dream Theater. If you can find this CD, or see these guys in concert, do it. Not only are they addicting and fun, but wholly original, a rarity in modern rock and a much-needed break from nu-metal and screaming hate-filled lyrics. Nothing here but solid rock from a band that deserves to be famous.
