August promo-picking gets weird around the Sump, weird enough even for this reviewer’s detritus-sifting sensibilities. But the sophomore album from Rochester, NY’s Fourth Dominion stood out to me for two reasons. First: a quietly stunning, lovely piece of album art. Secondly: the multiple genre drops of gothic metal, post-punk, and a peculiar term new to me: “deathwave.” Lead vocalist and primary songwriter Meadow Wyand seems to have coined the term to describe the burgeoning gothic/alt-metal scene, a style encapsulated by the much-loved moniker Chameleons, Unto Others. That comparison, along with a bevy of other name drops that we’ll get into below, was enough to get me on board the dark, melancholy pagan train of Diana’s Day.
The image conjured up by the term deathwave—a blend of dark metal and new-wave—is fitting for parts of Diana’s Day, but that doesn’t reveal the whole picture. There’s a lot of infectious punk and post-punk energy here, blending the fuck-you attitude of Hole with the ‘80s strut of Siouxsie and the Banshees. While Wyand channels the dry, droning vocal styles of The Cure and early ‘00s AFI, the rest of the band plows ahead with NWoBHM laced riffs (“From Below,” “Hill of Swords”) and more mid-tempo Untoothers swagger (“Lilim,” “Goetia”). The production here deserves mention, punching well above its weight. There’s a pleasant, crackling quality to the bass guitar throughout, lending drive and texture to the instrumental breaks (“Bloodstains,” “Lilim”). The roomy master with a DR 9 lets all the layers of guitars—which are bountiful—sit in their own corner of the sound world, rewarding repeat listens. What starts off sounding like a standard punky garage band record reveals layer after layer, something unexpected given the musical style presented.
Fourth Dominion write tight, punchy goth rock songs that aim to smack you in the mouth and get out before you can react. Tracks are lean and cut to radio-friendly proportion, generally consisting of an intro, verse-chorus pattern, bridge and outro. Trimmed-down structures like this tend to be over-reliant on their choruses for memorability, and the band manage to deliver some strong ones (“Burn the Prisons,” “Hill of Swords,” “Casca Dreaming”). The guitar leads, when they crop up, are of note and well executed, hearkening back to the NWoBHM influences (“Lilim,” “Her Wings”). A compelling trio of songs closes the album, leaning heavily on picked acoustic guitars, forming a kind of reflective, ballad-esque triptych. Combined with the raucous, off-beat energy in the center of “Her Wings,” this trio shows a completely different side of Fourth Dominion, which unfortunately makes for something of a lopsided listening experience.
There are still formidable obstacles standing in the way of Fourth Dominion delivering a great entry in the goth-rock pantheon. Truth be told, I believe Meadow Wyand’s vocal delivery is going to be a make-or-break point for many listeners, and it depends on your tolerance for the punk, post-punk style of singing. Her earnest, lyric-driven style is on brand with the band’s new-wave/gothic roots, but the combination of a siloed, upfront mix and a focus on a pitched, mid-range performance weakens many of the tracks. When she reaches into her higher register (the final chorus of “Bloodstains”) or lower (“Lilim,” “Death in Fall”) she delivers her most convincing performances. The aforementioned slim song structures devolve into repetitive forms as the album continues, and the variety found in “From Below” or the very groovy “Tormenta Purgatoria” would pay dividends spread throughout the record.
Diana’s Day takes some getting used to, but once acclimated, and upon closer inspection, there’s a breath of fresh air contained in here. It’s clear Wyand poured her heart and soul into the lyrical content of this album, and the impact of the closing tracks speaks volumes about the shared human experience of trauma and release. I think with a renewed focus on their strengths (guitar leads, variety of structure) and a better mix/variety for Wyand’s vocals the band would find a place for themselves amongst the “darkwave” elite. Until that time, I cautiously recommend Fourth Dominion for fans of new gothic metal and punk nostalgia. Something to break up the blasts and brees.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Fiadh Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: August 1st, 2024