Dreadnaut’s a juggernaut
Local metal outfit grows more powerful with each album
Jared Story

“We got trashed,” says Robin Kimball, guitarist for local metal act Dreadnaut.

It’s the day after the anniversary of Dimebag Darrell’s death and Dreadnaut’s Chris Miller (drums), Steven Crooks (vocals), Randy Goshey (bassist) and Kimball are some rough-looking characters.

It seems they raised a few too many drinks to the fallen metal hero, as evidenced by the mass of empty beer cans on the living-room table and Kimball’s hair-of-the-dog Jägermeister treatment.

The Dreadnaut boys, all in their early 20s (except old man Miller, who’s 26), work just as hard as they party, and they’ve made good headway in a relatively short time.

“When we started playing here, we were lucky to get 40 to 50 people out to a show,” Crooks says. “If we got a 100 to 150 people it was a wicked show. Now there are 700 people coming through The Zoo during Zombiefest. It’s just non-stop growing and people taking interest into this scene and sound.

“The first show we played there was maybe 30 to 40 people that we put a great impression on. Everyone at that show started coming to the shows and telling their friends.”

Goshey can attest to this fact, as he was one of those impressed.

“I was actually at one of those first shows before I was in the band,” Goshey says. “Dreadnaut opened the show, and they stole the show.”

Miller, Crooks, and Kimball are originally from Thompson. Three years ago they infiltrated the Winnipeg metal scene, earning themselves a loyal following of horns-raised supporters. It’s not uncommon to see kids around this city donning the baseball hats or other Dreadnaut gear emblazoned with the band’s trademark D.

“It’s right in front of our faces,” Crooks says. “It’s non-stop growing. The people on the MySpace, the e-mails, you can see the growth. It’s just a matter of sticking with it and keep on watering that fucking flower.”

The band figures that one reason for its appeal is its member’s close ties. All four players reside in one house, making home a jam space.

“If we weren’t living together we wouldn’t be this far,” Crooks says. “There are other bands that have been around longer who are nowhere near where we’re at right now when it comes to popularity and record sales.”

While living together makes it easier to toast Dime and get hammered, it’s also contributed to the band’s musical growth. Last year’s A New Design was the work of a better, much more focused band than the one that released a self-titled EP a year earlier. After listening to a few demos for the next Dreadnaut album, it’s evident that the growth is continuing. In fact, a couple of the new songs have a punky, bouncy feel — still very heavy, but not necessarily metal.

But you needn’t worry, Dreadnaut fans — the basic sound is still intact.

“The melodic parts are more melodic and our heavy parts are heavier,” Crooks adds. “We still have that middle area. That balance is still there.”