Personal disclaimer: I’ve been looking forward to this record. I’ve reckoned Dominic as one of the best Norwegian bands on the hardcore scene. I love their previous records. Let’s not hope I’m too biased on this review. Then again, no review can claim perfect objectivity. Here goes:
Nord is the latest effort from hardcore band Dominic - a band hailing from way up north in Rognan, Nordland, developing a decent back catalogue over the past seven years. Its first track is the re-recorded “End of Man”, an epic five minute orgasm that takes your mind on a travel over the seas and fjords. It’s implacable, rough and tough, and the vocals rip your guts out. The arrangement shifts dynamically between elegant and complex harmonies and brutal and traditional hardcore-riffs filled with furious and convincing anger.
Dominic’s drummer, Øyvind Øverås Moland, sits amongst some one of the finest in his genre. How he creatively puzzles the vitality of Nord together is breathtaking, particularly on the verses. Dominic are experts in making catchy and harmonic hardcore - the verses on the record are beautiful and persuasive, and the vocalist has pathos coming out his ears. The guitars are tight and melodic, shifting rythm and setting tones, softening the commanding and energetic screamo-metal vocals. However, it’s not gut-throating all the way; on one of the album highlights, “Railroad of Attraction”, the vocals are more euphonic but remain convincing and heartfelt.
Dominic stand out as one of the greatest hardcore bands in Norway. Of course, you have the magnificent Sigh & Explode and JR Ewing as a reference-hatstand to hang your reference-coats on, but Dominic strikes me a tad more complex and coherent. On track no. 2, “Idiocracy”, there’s even a trace of Radiohead-ish tones, and it doesn’t get more complex than that now, does it? “Get rich and die trying” is by far the best song on this piece of work. First of all, it has the most frantic verse I’ve heard in a long time. Second, the lyrics are strikingly relevant and doomsday-ish:
Burning forest hot as the sun.
Our extinction slowly begun.
Hard to see the mountains nearby.
Our grey self-created sky.
Pick a side. Fight or hide. Take a stand. Truth or dare. Cuts the air. The end of man.
It’s hard to tell what’s going on when all you know is what you’re told.
Thirdly, its outro is like a movie with a sad and great ending, but you’re left with a wish of a happy one - marvellous.
The artwork on this album is definitely worth mentioning: the vinyl edition is astonishingly detailed. It’s put together by Kristoffer Rødseth, lead vocalist of label mates Kaospilot, and sends medieval sparks down my spine. The vinyl record gives the album proper dynamics, and sounds better than the digital copy. However, the production is the one thing I’m not overwhelmed about. Their previous recordings, a split 12″ with French The Third Memory, sound quite better.
Trifling aside, this record deserves a designated room in every CD/vinyl/iTunes-library in the world. Nord is the best record in this genre all year, and if you haven’t fallen in love with their label Fysisk Format by now, it’s about time you do. Every song is characteristic and distinct, filled with awesome riffs and harmonic and rhythmical details, making the record more interesting for every spin it completes. Right now, Dominic is the best hardcore band in Norway.
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4 Responses to “Ladies & Gents, we have a winner”
James Burton - September 26th, 2009 at 13:49
Let me start with an exertive release of foul smelling gas.
footnote to self: In my childish abandon I perhaps voided myself in the process.
Where some reviews pick up and dissect/re-administer forgotten patterns on old and forgotten canvasses, washing the delicate tones of mystery and objectivity in frantic rainbows, this article leaves me with a distinct taste of three day old flat beer sifting through my palate.
Firstly. Secondly. Thirdly. (My reasons shall remain unannounced and therefore more powerful in their absence)
I hereby return to my saturday, wanton and distraught. Another cookie-cutter release has been adorned with robes ill-fitting and pompous.
We have a winner. Me.
Ann Sung-an Lee - September 30th, 2009 at 01:53
You have a tendency to repeat yrself, and claiming Dominic are the greatest hardcore band in Norway nearly three times in this review is not only slightly irritating, but up for serious debate. Firstly, I’m not sure any real hardcore band would consider their “complexity” likened to Radiohead a compliment. Secondly, I am trying to imagine the nature of a “reference-hatstand”, and wonder if a particular long polka-dotted green and yellow “reference-coat” aka JR Ewing was slightly degraded in the same sentence…; Thirdly, I think praising a post-2002 hardcore band for mathematical ingeniousness on the guitar/drums/bass = getting off on schoolboy intricacies no one who’s heard “We are the Romans” 10 yrs ago would give a flying fuck about…
WHAT ABOUT KORT PROSESS!!:)
andreas - September 30th, 2009 at 09:09
I will admit i’m a little biased on this review, which i also state in the disclaimer. but i don’t think being compared to Radioheads complecxity is a negative thing for Dominic. Of course - they don’t sound like Radiohead - but some of their riffs and prgressiveness do (amnesiac/kidA). i’ve never heard that in this kind of genre before, and think it’s quite cool. second, i don’t see why jrewing is degrated, only for being a reference to people that have never heard of dominic before. i also think it’s worth mentioning the skills of the guitars and rythm section. hard-core bands without skills sucks ass, and i wanted to point out that Dominic don’t. Even though, as you said, this is clearly described in the review.
Bob - February 11th, 2010 at 15:12
Are you kidding me? JR Ewing degrated? I think it`s pretty obvius that you(Ann Sung) haven`t even listened to “Nord”. Great review, great record(production aside).