Artist: Dool
Title: Summerland
Genre: Dark Rock / Doom Metal / Gothic
Release Date: 20th April 2020
Label: Prophecy Productions
Album Review
How come this band has not crossed my radar before? This is an interesting and absorbing introduction to DOOL I must say. As I write this I have to stop typing and focus on what I am listening to without the constant tap tap tap of keyboard polluting the experience. DOOL hails from Rotterdam in Holland and ‘Summerland’ is their second release since forming way back in 2015. It is the follow up to the well-received ‘Here Now, There Then’ from 2017 which had the band inundated with offers from record companies to sign them, they finally settled with German label Prophecy Productions. DOOL is Dutch for “Wandering”. That’s what I did when listening to this album; I wandered and meandered pleasantly through it like I was some kind of dark Ninja manoeuvring myself through dark shadows in balletic manner. What I like about the album is the darkly bittersweet tone that never loses its flow or direction.
I like the exquisite use of guitars and a vocal that I can actually hear without straining my ears to do so. The first track on the album is darkly anthemic, the sort of thing to get a live set at dusk up on its toes. The eastern feel and walking bassline on ‘God Particle’ is an awesome listen. The ebb and flow of this piece is like riding a wave or a flying carpet. Title track ‘Summerland’ sounds like MANSUN. This will be the second review in as many days where MANSUN has popped up. But it’s true, this track would not be out of place on ‘Attack Of The Grey Lanterns’ or even later work by ALL ABOUT EVE, e.g., ‘UltraViolet’. When ‘The Well’s Run Dry’ starts I half expected a ‘Heart of Glass’ type song or BALAAM AND THE ANGEL riffing. Instead we have something which is Chiaroscuro. Alternating lightness pulled along by glistening guitars into areas of clouds and shadow. The final track on this album is a blinder, I love it! It has the right balance of anthemic vigour to dark gothic fatalism.
So, to sum up, this is my first experience of DOOL and the first experience was a good one. I cannot really find fault with the album so I won’t even nit-pick, let’s leave it at that, shall we?
Tracklist
01. Sulphur & Starlight
02. Wolf Moon
03. God Particle
04. Summerland
05. A Glass Forest
06. The Well’s run Dry
07. Ode To The Future
08. Be Your Sins
09. Dust & Shadow
Line-up
Ryanne van Dorst - Vocals / Guitar
Micha Haring - Drums
JB Van Der Wal - Bass
Reinier Vermeulen - Guitar
Nick Polak - Guitar
Website
https://www.facebook.com/allthosewhowanderaredool
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 8
Sound: 8
Total: 8 / 10
Comments powered by CComment