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Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
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Reviews

The Dredge — Torches
(Apollon Records AP184, 2024, CD / LP / DL)

The Dredge — Down the Beach
(Apollon Records AP265, 2026, CD / LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-06-09

Torches Cover artDown the Beach Cover art

It’s safe to say that Norway, as a country of less than six million people, punches far above its weight when it comes to music. Here on the Exposé website, we have 217 artists from Norway, putting it easily in the top ten most represented countries, compared to not even being in the top hundred most populous countries in the world. And we’re only dealing with artists in the styles we cover here, so we don’t have pages for Röyksopp or Aurora or hardly any of the hundreds of black metal bands supposedly active there. Anyway... you can add The Dredge to your list, as we have. This band is based in Bergen, and June 2026 brings the release of their second album, Down the Beach. It builds on the foundation of their 2024 album Torches, where they presented a sound that included aspects of Porcupine Tree (minus the heavier bits) and Airbag, but also such diverse bands as Mogwai, The The, and even Police. Kjetil Vikene handles the guitar and lead vocals, joined by Mats Andersen (bass) and Frode Røsjø (drums), and Vikene’s lyrics are particularly noteworthy, touching on a range of topics and full of memorable phrases. 

Down the Beach sees the departure of Andersen, with Vikene taking over the bass parts. It also sees the band emphasizing the more rhythmic aspects of their music, with less of the atmospheric ambience and a distinct fondness for 5/4 time. To my ears, this album is much more immediately appealing, full of energy, clever riffs, and unexpected rhythms, where Torches was more moody and subtle. Throughout, Vikene’s strong vocals are front and center, and he’s up to the challenge of being the focus. Saxophone maestro Kjetil Møster gets in a few notable appearances as well. The Dredge doesn’t fit within the progressive rock genre particularly well, though the odd meters make it at least prog-adjacent, and the imaginative arrangements fit comfortably with other musically sophisticated bands prog and otherwise. I might summarize my initial reaction to The Dredge’s debut as, “Well, that was pretty good,” but from the first listen of Down the Beach, it was, “Oh, yes, I need to listen to this again!”

Filed under: New releases, 2024 releases, 2026 releases

Related artist(s): The Dredge

More info
http://thedredge1.bandcamp.com/album/torches

 

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