DOOL - The Shape of Fluidity (2024)

After taking the scene by storm with “Summerland”, DOOL had set an impossibly high bar for their follow-up release. Fast-forward four years and the band is ready to unleash “The Shape of Fluidity” to the world, featuring nine tracks and nearly 50 minutes of their signature Dark Rock. Further improving their energy level and songwriting abilities, this release more than delivers on the potential and promise of this excellent outfit.

From the opening single, “Venus in Flames”, Raven Van Dorst’s presence is immediately felt thanks to her signature vocals and guitar playing chops. The album starts with a bang, thanks to a very well crafted and energetic song with some epic passages and dreamy interludes. The band’s music is very melodic and guitar driven, with pieces like “Self-Dissect”, the album title track, and “Evil in You” delivering highly intoxicating riffs and perfectly crafted tempo changes. While other songs like “Currents” serve to create atmospheric pauses and brace the listener for what follows.

We particularly love how the band's sound is quite moody and somber, with songs like “House of a Thousand Dreams” being a perfect example of their atmospheric brilliance, particularly enhanced by an excellent guest appearance. The tour-de-force “Hermagorgon” is perfectly fitting as the album’s first single with its mixture of sheer power and yet fragile melody. The band’s mixture of influences from corners of Rock to Metal allows the to shapeshift between tempo changes and deliver some hard hitting headbanging passages inbetween.

Closing with the dramatic moodiness of “Hymn for a Memory Lost” and the enigmatic “The Hand of Creation”, DOOL has left yet another impossible standard for any future releases. The band’s engaging and intoxicating sound is even better live, with them giving some crazy intense performances we have documented in the past ( here ). However, “The Shape of Fluidity” nicely captures that energy and makes it available for everybody to awe and enjoy.

Label: Prophecy Productions

Release: April 19th, 2024

Genre: Technical/Brutal Death Metal

Country: Netherlands