"Ain't it cool?" front man Travis remarks with a smirk before bursting into their first song with no introduction.  They start strong with one of the classic Dreadline songs, "Comin' Down."  Showing off years of experience, no one has any problem keeping in time, despite the sudden stops in the song and the abrupt start.  Travis belts out his lyrics all while playing the rhythm comfortably, while lead guitarist Dave's guitar screams and howls at the command of its master.  He and Travis sync up for an incredibly simple yet effective breakdown before the lead singer has a little fun of his own, playing at a mile a minute and showing off his shredding skills.  They continue playing with precise timing and quickly come to a stop.

Mere moments later another nasty lick is being played, this song starting out with a surprisingly melodic introduction, yet heavy as you would expect from a band called Dreadline.  Joe, the bassist, lays down the beat that allows the guitars to get their groove without ruining the song, occasionally following the guitar but keeping his own groove for most of the song.  This song sounds nothing like the last one, taking more of a positive tone in the "I'll do what I want" kind of manner.  Going into a slow breakdown, Dave lets off more unearthly howls before the tension in the band shifts, getting heavier and heavier as he plays a meticulously crafted solo that accents what the song is all about in the way only sound can.  Ending with another sudden bang, they take a moment to thank the other bands that played, as well as Magazine33.

The title explains itself for the next song - "Still Got Rock 'n' Roll."  The riff is dirty and fast, and Travis hops across the stage to pose in front of Joe.  Fred has a nasty look on his face as he pounds his drum sets, using a cowbell for the verses and breaking into stunning rolls and a bit of well-placed double bass.  The chorus is very well-crafted, with the strengths of the respective members shining through with every word.  Travis keeps his voice powerful while maintaining a respective rhythm, Dave adds layers of music on top of that, while Joe and Fred hold the song down and keep its reins tight so Dave can do his thing.  Dave really goes crazy on this one, playing incredible licks that most guitarists aspire to that send shivers of glee down this writer's spine even after his solo has finished, giving the song a high-paced ending and showing they aren't just going from verse to chorus.

Taking a moment to request beers, the next song starts without a hitch.  "Turn Your Back on Love" definitely has a different sound than the rest of the songs played so far.  They slow it down a bit, but keep showing off more and more classic metal riffs that are akin to days of old, while keeping it fresh and trashy like we've come to expect from Dreadline.  Dave's trademark howling is back, but it's merely the introduction for him to start some utterly ridiculous tapping solos - truly a jaguar of guitar playing.  The end of the solo is played slowly, however it's just as imperative to the song because of the feelings it invokes.  You can tell that these songs weren't just thought up at random; they truly take life experiences and convert them into music that anyone can understand even if they've never heard the song before.  The outro really gets wild, and they tease you with the start of the chorus riffs, a chord played four times with a sudden stop.

The next song "Put You Away" starts out slowly...atmospheric drums accompanied by a thick bass sets the mood, while the guitar throws wave after wave of discontent and disgust on top of it for a truly intimidating intro.  The distortion then kicks on, and the anger is clear and loud across the room.  Even Travis' powerful voice sounds a bit more like the Grim Reaper, and Dave's guitar goes up the fret board skillfully before belting into heavy chords that one would associate with the likes of Zakk Wylde.  Travis turns his back to the crowd to get into Fred's face, only to rip out an inspired solo before turning around, grabbing his tuning knob to manipulate his E with the kind of skill only an experienced guitar player wields.

Dave plays a bit bluesier while Travis entices the crowd before the song "Who I Am" begins.  This continues as the song starts, with the rhythm being a simple burst of chords plucked note by note.  Then the drums and bass kick in, causing the ground to vibrate and giving the song a distinct weight as Dave plays riffs Chuck Berry would tap his foot to.  Then they remind us why Chuck Berry isn't going to be at this show with a powerful chorus that shows off insurmountable distortion and a sick riff.  As it turns into another verse, Fred's drums set the tone once more and Dave goes back into the blues vigorously.  The chorus starts once more and quickly ascends into a stunning instrumental, the pain that inspired this song growing in the chests of everyone present like a swelling bruise.  Fred's head bobs with the beat as he crashes the cymbals down, keeping the band in time no matter what style they prefer.  They bring us up and down like a rollercoaster, going back into the intro riff for the outro and bringing us down slow.  This song represents a myriad of musical genres and talent which were combined gracefully.

The next song is considerably more upbeat, kind of like a metal boogie that has a bit of playfulness seeped deep into it.  Dave sways back and forth, while Travis energetically demands the crowd to "Wake the Dead!"  Fred keeps the tempo easily, keeping the beat fast and hard as the song transitions into another face-melting solo.  No howls from Dave this time, just pure fast fingers moving up and down his fret board like a possessed demon, the way metal should have been represented in the olden days, without all the cheesiness.  Travis even puts his fingers on Joe's bass as they play.  You can tell they are having tons of fun with it as every member goes into a fast improv ending.

Dreadline doesn't take too long greeting us with a song that's never been played in public.  The starting riff is surprisingly uplifting and bright, and the song continues in that vein, albeit getting much heavier.  They truly don't play a set with songs that sound the same, which is a problem with a couple of the bands that played earlier. The tone stays distinctly upbeat, even as Dave goes into another unique solo that's a tad bit slower, but carefully made for the song.  It fits it perfectly, bringing the song to a sudden pause.  Dreadline is never one to let the crowd down, they belt into the riffs and Dave steps to the front of the stage, frantically sweep picking and going absolutely bat shit crazy. The song "Read My Mind" finishes with the intro riff that hooked us in, bringing it to a satisfying close.

The next song "Half a World Away" starts with thick palm muting and ear piercing howls.  It's got a southern vibe to it, and Fred pulls off some impressive drumming at the intro.  It's the kind of sound that makes you want to get up and jump around, drink a beer and thrash around a bit.  These kinds of songs start riots, drunken bar fights, and occasionally moments of pure genius.  Travis' voice erupts across the microphone with expertly maintained precision, and then a few pinch harmonics later Dave is going into another sickening solo that's a mix of powerful metal jam groove and stomach churning howls.  Seamlessly going into the chorus once more, they finish the song by going crazy with their rock star ending just before kicking into the main riff once more with almost telepathic timing.

The wah comes thick in the last song, showing off more of that groove that's inherent in each member in some manner.  The verse mixes tons of sounds - pinch harmonics, string sliding, and funkier wah.  It goes into a thick breakdown while Dreadline continues to throw every sound they could possibly whip out, truly a treat for the discerning ear.  There are so many influences and genres mixed up in this song that you couldn't juggle them without four arms, but they throw them around like they created a new genre all on their own and mix it up with one another as if they were meant to be that way.  It's truly a mesh of incredible musical talent that someone got together. Travis starts introducing the band members one by one, first showing off Joe's bass, heavy and thick as we like it, but with a bit of that jam.  Fred's turn is next, keeping the drums heavy and powerful while providing the backbone for the rest of the band to keep in time with.  Travis rips his fret board in half for the next one, and introduces Dave who makes such unearthly sounds from his guitar that it's almost scary.  Seriously, Tool has nothing on this guy.  They all shine for the ending, shredding like the masters they are and giving us one last bang for our buck.  Truly a performance for the fans and themselves, they've shown us all why we should board the Dreadline.

33: What inspired you to play your respective instruments?
Travis Fox: AC fuckin' DC.
Joe Bruney: What inspired me - I was a fan of Dreadline before joining the band.  I used to go to their shows, I was talking to Travis one time and he told me they had been looking for two months for a bass player with no luck.  He also said he and Dave didn't know what the hell they were gonna do, so I kinda just volunteered, auditioned, took it from there.
Fred Collier: To take up the drums?  I would have to say I possessed no real role model out there in the music world that turned me to it, it was actually a guy by the name of Joey Ross.  I went and saw him and my uncle Bill when I was younger, and he had one of those monster 80s kits, and I sat behind it, and that was it.  I knew that's what I wanted to do, and from there on I've been truckin' along.
Dave Coleman: Oh, I did it to get laid. [Everyone laughs]
TF: I was like ten when I picked up the guitar, so I didn't have nothing about getting laid, I had just seen...was watching MTV back when they had videos, sitting on my grandmother's living room floor just like this, Indian-style, watching videos and the video for "Heatseeker" off of AC/DC's Blow Up Your Video came on, and they had the television screen on the television screen, and the riff started.  Then all of a sudden, this explosion, and this dude in a school uniform came busting out, screen exploded and I was like...I want THAT job.  And it was all downhill from there.

33: Dreadline's had a lot of band members, I know the original lineup was vastly different from the current one, and it has created sort of different "eras" for the band, so how would you compare the lineup today to the past?
TF: It's matured.  I mean, we still like to play some of the songs that we wrote, the last song that we finished with, "Breakdown," was the very first song I wrote lyrics for when I came into the band.  Eric, Skinman, Kenny Andrews started the band, and they started as an instrumental band because they didn't have a singer, and that was the first one that they had the music recorded on the little 2-track or whatever, and Eric had it online where I could listen to it.  We still have that incorporated into our music, every time we've had a change up in the band, I don't like to have anybody feel like they're guns for hire, I want everybody to feel like they have a vested interest in the music.  So when Fred and Joe got in the band, we were like "Let's fuckin' throw down some new tunes and see where we can go with it," and kinda get that new blood flowing in the band, and you get those creative juices flowing.  We played some of the older songs that the other guys wrote, and we try to get them as close as possible to them because that's how we've been playing them for a long time, so that's how we want them to continue to sound so the people that are used to hearing those, they know what they're gonna get, but then we write new stuff and it's like "Look, you guys, blank canvas." I can't tell a drummer how to play drums.  The long and short of it is, I write a lot of the lyrical content, I think probably all of it, and we build songs kind of together, come up with riffs and ideas.  I can only really tell them if something sounds off.  I can't tell him "Do this!"  I have no freakin' idea how to tell a drummer what to do, or "Do a thing that goes [makes various drum noises]."  That don't make no damn sense to him, so it's kinda like everybody gets to get involved in the writing process and build...I think the sound is more...the only term I can think of is it's mature.  It's more...we've just been kind of evolving with the different members that have come into the band, different sounds, different uh...
JB: Actually, I hear a lot more melody with the newer stuff than the older stuff.
TF: That's kinda what I'm getting at, we've been trying to rather than just, I mean we like to be loud, don't get me wrong, loud is good.  Dave is the loudest motherfucker on this planet.
DC: My ears are still ringing right now.
TF: What?! [They laugh] Somebody answer the phone!

33: [to Dave] Do you have anything to say since you were in the band the whole time?
DC: [Slight pause] No. [Everyone laughs]
TF: I told you!

33: Obviously old school metal is not getting the attention that it used to, so what do you think Dreadline brings to the metal scene as far as the local scene?
TF: I think we like to carry the banner for what was the new wave of British heavy metal, the real heavy metal style.  Priest, Maiden, you know, uh...
DC: We're trying to undo what Kurt Cobain did. [Everyone laughs]
TF: We're trying to undo the 90s, yeah.
DC: Kurt Cobain totally destroyed 80s rock 'n' roll.
JB: It destroyed 70s rock 'n' roll.
DC: I mean grunge was alright, but, you know, I miss the days of Dokken, Great White, Whitesnake, and all these heavy metal bands where the guitar player got to shred, instead of just going out there and smellin' like teen spirit. [Laughter]
JB: I'm a big fan of the new wave of British heavy metal.

33: What are your roots in the local scene?
TF: Whoo!
DC: Aw..Well, let's go back to this-
TF: How much time do you have? [Laughs] Vin's like "You got five minutes!" [Laughter]
DC: I was playing around here since early 80s, 'cause I'm old as dirt.  And I've played different bands, I've been in this band longer than any of them though, I've been in this band for ten years almost, yeah.
TF: I've been in the band for - nah, I joined the band in 2003.
DC: This band started in 2000.
TF: Did it really, you guys ran for three years before you had?
DC: Yeah.
TF: Wow. [Laughs] What's that tell ya there, killer?
DC: Yeah, I've been in the local area before Kurt Cobain screwed everything up.  And everybody was wearing spandex, ya know, going out there trying to be-
TF: Bandanas and jeans with holes ripped in them.
DC: Trying to be the baddest guitar player that could just do everything, and then I went through the 90s and that all went away, and now it's actually coming back, you've got bands like Avenged Sevenfold that's coming out there, and you look at their guitar players-
TF: Isn't their drummer dead?  Didn't that guy die just recently?
DC: I don't know, but I tell you what, both of those guitar players, they go out there and play solos again.  The solo is actually coming back.  It's actually a great thing to me.

33: I definitely missed that.
DC: Yeah, I missed it, since Kurt Cobain killed it.

33: Are there any upcoming projects you'd like to tell your fans about, like any upcoming albums or tours or anything?
TF: We've been trying for years to fucking put an album together.  And it's been...we don't have really, I mean we've got demo stuff that we've put together from live stuff and goin' in the studio.  We're our own worst fucking enemies when it comes to that stuff because we've been so super critical.  We've either been so critical or so wrecked when we've gone in to try to record, that it's been just a cluster fuck ever single time, it's like "Well, that was money well spent."  You know, going in and being drunk, or stoned, or whatever.  And we really need to because we've got so much good new material that Joe and Fred have actually been involved in the writing process, and we've got so much other material that we've had for so long that we really wanna keep the momentum that we have, and the strength of the writing that I think we've got and we're trying to build on.  So we wanna record, we're gonna keep playing, we've been trying to get out of town and try to play some towns in some other markets.
JB: Which we've already started.
TF: But we need to have a record to do that, because if we go out there and we don't have nothing to take with us, nobody's gonna have anything to - they're going to hear us and nothing.  They won't have any point of reference afterwards; it'll just be "Uh, I remember that band. What did they sound like?"
FC: That record will be done this year - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.
TF: Thank you Fred, God bless you son!

33: So on that note what do you see in Dreadline's future?
TF: Lots of naked chicks.  [Laughter] I'm gonna help Dave realize his dream.
JB: A lot more out of town shows, becoming more of a mid-Atlantic band, regional but...that's what I foresee in the next twelve months.

33: Being veterans of the local scene, would you say there's more talent out there nowadays, or would you say it's better before?
TF: There's a lot of fucking talent, I think.  Dave's spent more time in the scene from back in the day, back when there were 25, 30 clubs in this town that had live music, had live sound that were not all cover bands all the fuckin' time like you get at the meat markets, that you can hear if you hang out here in town now.  There is a lot of...I think you saw some of it this evening.  There's young fellas in Hobgoblin, they've got that fuckin' Metallica Kill 'Em All vibe with just the killer raw...talent's there, all they've gotta do is just shave the edges out and smooth it up a little bit.  They're brilliant.  And the first band, Silence the Day, Lucky's-
DC: He's older than dirt too, he's been around as long as I have.
TF: Lucky's the same age as me, actually, but he's been around the scene a lot longer than I have, probably about as long as Dave.
DC: Yeah, I can remember playing with Lucky back in the 80s.
TF: He's probably one of the most gifted songwriters/musicians that I can think of in this area.
FC: How about the guys from Mad Hatter?  They're all talented.
JB: Hell yeah.
TF: There's a lot of great guitar players, and Charlie, Charlie back there, Charlie Rock, Scarz Within is a-

33: Yeah, I saw him at the Dimebag Show.
TF: Oh, you were at the Dimebag show?

33: Yeah, I was covering SiNN.  How has Virginia Beach received Dreadline?
JB: Very open-armed.
TF: Up and down in my opinion.  It seems to be so hit or miss, man.  There for a while it seemed like we could pack a place out and play three weekends a month, and have people there every time.  Now it's kind of like we're in a hole right now.
JB: Yeah, but, I don't find that unusual.  But you look at the good shows, we're drawing crowds and everything...so me personally, I'd have to say open-armed.
TF: I think we have a good crowd response regardless of how many people are there, and I like the way that Skinman thought of it, go out to a show and there's always somebody out there that needs to hear us play that night.  That's who we're playing for.  That whole room could be full of people, but there's one person out there that needs to hear the music, and that's the person that we're trying to play for.  Dave'll play, if the only place you could go see him play is a toilet at the Metro Station, Dave'll fuckin-
DC: I'll be there.
TF: I think I'd probably be by his side, too, at the next stall, or maybe one over because you get man space.
JB: I'd walk by and throw a dollar in the can.
TF: All right! That's more money than we make sometimes!

33: How did the whole Dimebag thing start? The whole thing was for charity obviously, it was Toys for Tots, but it was also celebrating the death of an icon for the metal scene, so how did you guys get into doing such a selfless thing?
TF: The year after it happened, I bought the Dimebag Dean ML, the Far Beyond Driven ML, and brought it out to a show in Portsmouth that first year, it was looking like November, it was right before the anniversary, the first anniversary and we had some friends come and play with us from out of town.  It was called Destruction Overdrive, named after a Black Label Society song because Dime and Zakk were real big, like best pals and I'm obviously a big fuckin' Black Label fuckin' fan.  We started, Charlie and I, beating the idea around that we needed to do something a little more substantial, the idea was kind of born out of...the place we did it first, Tonics, they had been doing Toys for Tots over the years, and it gave us the opportunity to combine our efforts and work towards a common goal.  They already had the Toys for Tots idea set up, and we just kind of, the first year we did it we just kind of bandwagoned on it, you know.  We just built it up each year beyond that, the first three bands we started out with, we called them the "alumni," and every year we try to pump it up just a little bit.  The past two years it's been an officially recognized Toys for Tots event, not just us carrying toys out to the donation booth.  We've had, you were there, Marine Corp guard, Honor Guard there, and all the toys.  This years was three times better than last years, and next year will be the fifth year we've planned it, we're hoping to do it again, hopefully we'll have some even more cool stuff that we pull off.  And I think that everybody who's anybody in rock 'n' roll these days, if they don't have at least some influence from Dime, then they are living under a fucking rock.  The guy, love him or hate him, and it's hard to hate the guy because he was a beautiful human being.  He was just a phenomenal musician and he was a beautiful person.  He was great, a heartful, very honest human being.  It still hurts a little bit to think about him being gone, man.  Try to honor his memory and celebrate what was so great about his life by trying to give something back to the community, because we feel like we get, our fans and friends and all that, they give so much to us, we wanna try to give back something, like you said a selfless act in his honor.  Because that's the kind of person that I feel like he was.

33: Well this is the last one before we get kicked out of here-
TF: We got kicked out twenty minutes ago.

33: Is there anything you want to say to your fans?
TF: Buy our shit.  [Everyone laughs] Kidding, kidding.
FC: Keep coming out.
DC: Come to the shows.
TF: Keep coming out, and have-
DC: Wear tight shirts if you want.
JB: Thanks.
TF: Be patient.  Thanks and be patient with us, man, we are gonna do the fucking record, we are going to do the goddamn record one of these goddamn motherfucking days.  I swear, we swear to you fans.
JB: Most importantly, a big thank you to them all.

Whether young or old, if you can appreciate the way metal used to sound, you will find something to like about Dreadline.  They aren't ridiculously cheesy like the 80s, or unrealistically idealistic like the 70s, but they take the best from both worlds and create a sound that's both well crafted and incredibly raw.  Don't expect any ear piercing screaming or gruelingly slow breakdowns - just good music and good people.  All aboard the Dreadline.

MySpace.com/Dreadline

SkinniesRecords.com/

 

By Author: Ryan Mason

Ryan Mason was born in Hampton in 1989. He grew up listening to the generic bands on the radio before discovering classic rock and expanding his horizons. Now you'll find him listening to just about anything, from Pink Floyd to The Sound of Animals Fighting. Naturally this lead to him playing music himself, and he is the proud owner of a Gibson SG and a 5 string bass guitar. Unfortunately he sucks at them both, but hey, there is always Magazine 33! Some other bands he likes are Stiff Little Fingers, the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Incubus, Hendrix, Lamb of God, The Doors and the Gorillaz.

 

 

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