Fourth Dominion – Diana’s Day

Release date: 1-August-2024
Label: Fiadh Productions

Intro

Hailing from Rochester, New York, Fourth Dominion is an intriguing band that spans across gothic metal, new-wave, and post-punk influences. Touching on artists like Hole, Bad Religion, and The Cure, the trio seemingly coined the genre “deathwave”, an apt name. Proudly playing in their hometown, they have also toured as far as Washington, D.C., supporting acts such as Harakiri for the Sky and Flummox. On the side, their drummer has also been working on his side project, the prog rock outfit Electrically Generated Reality. The band’s first offering, Wings of a Dying Crow, was released back in 2017, and showed that they had serious chops. Now, seven years later, Fourth Dominion are spreading their wings with their sophomore album, Diana’s Day.

The Album

The album opens with Bloodstains, a bouncy romp with guitars reminiscent of HIM, Wyand’s vocals calmly echoing. Halfway through, the track gains some legs, getting harder and more punchy before trailing off at the end. Next is Lilum, a dark ballad that oozes the “wave” of Fourth Dominion‘s deathwave. The guitar here is quite interesting, easily diving between being light and airy to almost crunchy during the solo. After this, Burn the Prisons! dips into being a bit more punky, with quicker drums and lyrics that call for precisely what the title exclaims. From Below goes back to the wave-y sound, the classic almost underwater sound of the guitars carrying Wyand’s pleading vocals. There is a unique change halfway through that is somewhat post-punk while still keeping up the wave from the guitars. Goetia is a nice mix of goth, punk, and the ever-present wave, the focus mostly on the dully rolling guitars.

Slowly whispering open, Hill of Swords presents clear guitarwork, fast-paced drums, and slow, harmonic vocals. There is a moment where one guitar plays mysteriously as the solo rises that is particularly gratifying, but like the song, it doesn’t last long. Comparatively, Death in Fall relies on the guitars throughout, new riffs played every few seconds before exploding into the solo. Next, Tormenta Purgatoria sees itself as on the softer side, with lightly strummed guitars and slow drumbeats. Wyand’s vocals are fascinating here, resonant and calm yet restraining a kind of soft anger. Her Wings begins with a fast-paced, gentle guitar that opens into a rising ballad, guitar and drums barely keeping up. The last track on the album, Casca Dreaming, is a slow, acoustic chorale, Wyand’s vocals careful and tranquil. Near the end, there is a moment where these vocals nearly burst out, but are then wrapped up again, the subdued guitar leading to a close.

A Final Word

Fourth Dominion make music for the lost and lonely, the angry and hurt, and most notably, the queer. All their songs have a kind of sadness to them that is often in contrast to instants of controlled rage. There is a lot of love put into their sound, whether it be the poetry and melancholy of the gothic and other or the heat and passion of the earthly and familiar. Fans of Woods of Ypres, Chelsea Wolfe, and Ötzi will definitely find something to love here. All in all, Fourth Dominion are a fantastic introduction to anything attached to the wave moniker, and hopefully, deathwave will make a big impression on the world very soon.

Line up:

• Meadow Wyand (she/her) – Vocals, bass, guitar
• Dave Milburn (he/him) – Guitar
• Brady Mentz (he/him) – Drums
• Aldi Priyanto (he/him) – Guest guitar on tracks 2-4, 6, and 9

Links:

Bandcamp
Facebook
Instagram