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Domes - Single Review: R

02 Oct 2020 // A review by [email protected]
Domes are a three piece space metal band based somewhere between London, Australia and New Zealand. Their sound is atmospheric and doomy yet ethereal and melodic - the band describes it as "Heavy music that is forward looking". Domes’ creative process draws on the compositional capabilities of all band members, in a kind of cloud collaborative that culminated in the capturing of a record, on board an 80 year old heritage vessel moored on the river Thames.

R is the band’s latest single, a melancholic march through atmospheric, dynamic undulations. Delicately picked, sparse, clean guitars in the verse collapse under the weight of the enormous wall of distorted guitars in the chorus. The chorus chord progression is compelling, and winds the listener through a kind of harmonic narrative. The meaning of the lyrics is veiled in metaphor and just beyond reach. It’s a fair bet, however, that the lyrics don’t lend themselves to the feel good hit of the summer.

The production is evocative, with recording blips and rising sine waves in operation in the distance. Bosher’s incredible voice effortlessly reaches delicate high notes and belts out powerful wails in the chorus. The rhythm section of Brendon Kahi and Dan combine quite intentionally to propel R forward like a dying giant, one agonising step after the next. The rhythmic arrangement of drum and bass creates acres of space for the details of the production to shine through, while the bass notes underpin the chordal arrangement.

R is dark and clever, like a mad scientist. The song effortlessly evokes images of Russian winters and space exploration, while lamenting an uncertain future. A great track to listen to, while you sit and ponder on humanity's relative insignificance in an unfathomably large universe.
Rating: ( 5 / 5 )
 

About Domes

Domes started as an adventure—a big, bold idea to galvanise musicians Brendon Kahi and Mathew Bosher in a creative sprint. The goal: to start from scratch and record on the other side of the world in one year.

Distilling their accumulated experience across several bands, album releases and international tours, the project was designed to celebrate the art while avoiding the mundanity and mistakes of operating a band in the usual way. The result was a unique experience in every sense: from an experimental songwriting approach to recording on an 80-year-old heritage vessel some 18,000 kilometres away (Bosher resides in New Zealand, Kahi in Australia).

This is metal with elements of space rock and post-hardcore. “We’re writing songs that we want to hear. We’re going after heavy music that’s forward-looking,” says Bosher. Not overstating the musicality nor telling the story plainly, the songs are conceptually deep and artistically broad. “We were looking for meaningful moments: richness of tone, nuanced performance, curious lyrics,” Kahi reflects. Indeed the laconic run-times are no less elaborate in traversing post-metal tropes and thematic landscapes.

Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Domes

Releases

Vol. 1
Year: 2020
Type: EP

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