Release Date: September 08th 2023. Record Label: Magnetic Eye Records. Formats: Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl
Sonic Moons: Tracklisting
1.Whispers
2.Stellar Winds
3.Magnetism
4.Slowburner
5.Downpour
6.Black Moon Rising
7.The Big Chill
Members
Martin Wegeland - Vocals/Bass
Martin Widholm - Bass
Anders Dahlgren - Drums
Review:
Sonic Moons is the new album from Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal heavyweights Domkraft and once again they embrace their love for all things Psychedelic, Cosmic, Fuzz and Spaced Out Heaviness. The influence of bands such as SLEEP, Monster Magnet and Spacemen 3 remains but there’s a sludgy Progressive vibe drawing on bands such as Mastodon. However, Sonic Moons is most definitely a Domkraft release with its sludgy and fuzzy overtones that offer a more adventurous sound for the band to build upon.
Opening song Whispers allows Domkraft to play their trademark FUZZ heavy guitars and psychedelic layers of Space Rock sounds. The song slowly changes into a more subtle style of Progressive and Post-Doom grooves with the vocals building upto a more frenzied pace. However, it’s the Post-Rock or Atmospheric Sludge elements that appear later within the song that gives this a more “world-building” quality to the whole album. The music is melodic and aggressively violent at the same time with the BOMBASTIC levels of FUZZ that can be quite deafening in places.
Second song Stellar Winds opens with a killer guitar riff that would make Monster Magnet proud but with a more vibrant level of FUZZ Rock slowly merging into a more distorted Psychedelic Sludge sound. Martin’s vocals once again stand their own ground against the fast-paced violent grooves with this showing a more dangerous side to Domkraft. The music is quite melodic and soulful in places even with the levels of distortion heard throughout the album. Domkraft once again moves into that “CINEMATIC” and “WORLD BUILDING” style of music with both the lyrics and intense extended grooves being played at a more furious pace.
Third song Magnetism continues the creative route(s) of the previous track but with a more subdued delivery. The song is more DOOM & GLOOM with Martin’s vocals once again having a sense of despair behind them. Domkraft moves further into the AMPLIFIER DISTORTED and GUITAR REVERB abyss with the music being quite bleak and opaque. The instrumental work is quite multi-layered and challenging to hear at times but allows this to be one of the standout tracks on the album. The later stages of the track is quite experimental with the glitchy Ambient noises and sounds being quite intense when merged with Domkraft’s trademark Psychedelic Sludgy guitars.
Fourth song Slowburner is classic sounding Domkraft through and through. The progressive and psychedelic sounds become more Doom Based with a true END OF THE WORLD feeling with the lyrics hitting upon this narrative throughout the song. The music is more insane and top-notch Atmospheric Metal with high levels of Distorted Fuzz leading the creative charge.
The final stages of the album showcases perhaps some of the best music that Domkraft have released to date on songs such as Downpour, Black Moon Rising and The Big Chill. As the music is more aggressive and sees Domkraft play with a new sense of dystopian purpose on the tracks Downpour and Black Moon Rising. The mood moves from Post-Doom, Psych Rock, Ambient Metal to full on Sludge/Stoner Metal aggression. Downpour and Black Moon Rising are two of the shortest tracks on the album running over four minutes each. However, both of these tracks feel twice as long thanks to Domkraft’s wicked style of Progressive Sludge Metal that has dark areas of Fuzz Metal that could rival the mighty Electric Wizard in places.
The final song The Big Chill runs for almost ten minutes and is the most daring and heaviest song on the album. The atmosphere is more theatrical in places but it’s the non-stop style of different Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal creative themes that build upto an exciting finish that will leave you wholly satisfied.
Sonic Moons is a record that features first-rate production values that allows Domkraft every chance to prove why they’re one of the finest and standout bands from the Swedish Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal scene.
The album has fastly become my favourite album I’ve heard this year and I have a feeling that won’t change for me. As this is Domkraft’s most outstanding and definitive release to date. This is being released on the same day as Doom Metal Titans SLOMATICS new album Strontium Fields and they’re both the perfect companion albums to each other.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to All Noir PR and Magnetic Eye Records for the promo.
Sonic Moons will be available to buy on Cassette/CD/DD/Vinyl via Magnetic Eye Records from September 08th 2023
Links:
