Band: DOOL
Album title: The Shape Of Fluidity
Release date: 19 April 2024
Label: Prophecy Productions
Genre: Dark Rock, Doom Metal, Post-Rock
Tracklist:
01. Venus In Flames
02. Self-Dissect
03. The Shape Of Fluidity
04. Currents
05. Evil In You
06. House Of A Thousand Dreams
07. Hermagorgon
08. Hymn For A Memory Lost
09. The Hand Of Creation
After two excellent albums, a couple of EPs and a recently released live album, Visions Of Summerland (Live at Arminius Church Rotterdam), the incredible Dutch band DOOL, fronted by Raven van Dorst, returns with the masterpiece The Shape Of Fluidity. DOOL decided to spoil us to the point of exhaustion with its powerful dark rock, which is difficult to put into moulds, as it is a crossover of different genres and subgenres mixed into one very compact sound compound. Already the debut, Here Now, There Then, released in 2017, and its 2020 successor, Summerland, both released via Prophecy Productions, left a heavy mark on the ear canals and senses of all accustomed fans of dark riffs. Now, The Shape Of Fluidity, which follows the pattern but with new approaches, yearns even more to conquer the dark hearts of a well-deserved fan base.
The nine songs, conceptually powered by Heraclitus' famous saying "everything flows, nothing ever stays the same", basically do not stand out too much from the already established musical guidelines of this quintet, so in this sense, you might expect something already heard but DOOL serves with extremely fresh compositions that impress without pomp from the first beats. The Shape Of Fluidity is a more personal album than its predecessors - it talks about changes, personal, psychological, and physical, and the constantly changing world around us. It is also the music of DOOL, flowing, changing its shape and power, changing from line to line, but remaining compact, sometimes flowing like a calm river, then immediately raging like an ocean in a storm, and always in a smooth way. "Such a dreadful display. A Powerplay by the gods."
The connection to disbanded occult rockers The Devil's Blood is still present in its sound, and it's no wonder since a few members of DOOL come from there. In the music, influences can be felt from progressive rock of the 70s to doom metal, gothic rock, post-rock, atmospheric metal, psychedelic rock, even hard rock, stoner rock and alternative rock, so the influences of The Cult, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, The Sisters Of Mercy, Sonic Youth, The Doors, Type O Negative, Danzig, and even Anathema and Katatonia. There is less time for tenderness, even though singing melodies and heartbreaking choruses follow each other like on an assembly line. In some parts, everything sounds like a kind of dark stadium rock, which DOOL skilfully use to create a powerful soundscape where the recognizable and powerful vocals of Raven van Dorst, together with incredible guitar riffing, solos and the inexorable rhythm section, put the listener's whole body into a cathartic state.
It's hard to talk about standout songs because the album is meant as a complete creation, and you'll also have a hard time pressing the stop button because the opening "Venus In Flames" grabs you with all its might, if not before, with an incredible chorus, and doesn't let go that easily. It similarly follows with the turbulent, slightly more psychedelic-oriented "Self-Dissect" and heightens the already heated atmosphere and emotions with the album's title track. A bit of a break comes with the atmospheric interlude "Currents", then a slap in the face with the galloping, energy-charged "Evil In You" before DOOL descends into calmer dark waters with the prog-doomer "House Of A Thousand Dreams", which would be the envy of even doom giants like My Dying Bride or Swallow The Sun. Relentless, sensitive, breathtaking and powerful, the excellent "Hermagorgon", the monumental "Hymn For A Memory Lost", and the incredible ending with "The Hand Of Creation", which calls for repeat listening, follow like a conveyor belt.
Powerful, sonically rich, atmospheric, and emotionally relentless, The Shape Of Fluidity surprises from step to step. DOOL are masters in creating dark rock with captivating choruses, cohesive sound structures and dynamic compositions. Additions of psychedelic and retro rock do not harm but rather benefit the whole experience as they fit smoothly into the sound scene. DOOL creates music that should appeal to a wider audience, from rockers, metalheads, darkers, doomers and other lovers of alternative rock and metal. DOOL's The Shape Of Fluidity is one of the better albums of 2024 so far and more than worth a listen.
The review was written by Tomaz
Rating: 9,5/10