DOMINION

As you know enough, UK-based contemporary Canterbury Scene artist Ryan STEVENSON aka ZOPP won the award of "2020 PA Collaborator's Album Of The Year" with his debut eponymous album. Time passed quickly and we have looked forward to their second opus for almost three years. Our anticipation got the peak when they announced his new album would be released in early 2023. His latest creation titled "Dominion" meets our strong expectations finally. Such a crooked sleeve pic expresses his distorted but incredibly consistent, naturally integrated soundscape in a well- balanced manner.

So beautiful is the short impressive first shot "Amor Fati" featuring a gracious female chorus and complicated (but refined) keyboard or guitar works. Could I say the fervent prologue drives us into a dream? What a wonder. One of their masterpieces "You", already launched as a singlecut last year, is also enthusiastic. Deep heavy keyboard plays along with Andrea's strict, stalwart drumming craze us so badly. Cool melodic heavy rock structures in the middle part remind us of the similar vein to 70s British Rock legends like Led Zeppelin or Deep Purple. Guess such a catchy moment might be good for Legendary Rock fans, right? "Bushnell Keeler" involves favourable vibes regardless of eccentric, complex melody lines or rhythm bases. Fluent pioneering saxophone vanguards stabilize and humanize this universe, but there is no compromise all over the work.

Full of rich, matured, friendly texture is deep in "Uppmärksamhet", followed by "Reality Tunnels" that immerses us fully with uptempo solid attacks and old-fashioned aromatic psychedelic keyboard magic. Mysterious adventures in some dark tunnels in our real lives can be experienced. And their rigid, clear visions encourage us definitely. The last "Toxicity", despite a horrible theme, gives us fantastic pseudo-toxic-happiness fully utilized with rock-ish instruments and innovative sound touches by Ryan. Not virulent nor negative but clean and cool sound fusion should be perfect and professional. Why don't we call the Toxicity beneficial?

Come on everybody, wondering if we have already bumped into one of the best creations in 2023. Let me say it's not overestimating.