Dommin: Love is Gone

Ok, this is my first track-by-track album review. However, unlike some, I'm not gonna go and examine every little thing. I'm just gonna give you a run down of each track to give you an idea of what they are and help you judge if you would like the album as a whole.

The lucky victim, er winner is Dommin and their album Love is Gone on Roadrunner Records due out February 2, 2010.

Track listing
The album kicks off with, probably the best track on the list, "My Heart, Your Hands". When you first hear the song, you may, like I did, think of a snow covered Catholic church. And if you're also like me, when you hear the whole song and close your eyes, you can picture it being performed inside the church as well. It's got a great goth feel that reminds you of medieval cathedrals. It's just great. We then switch to more of an upbeat tempo with the track "New". The song has a good beat and flow. Next, we encounter the first of the albums three interludes, "Evenfall Hollow" has to be one of, if not the least productive track on this album. There was really no point to include it. Up now is the song "Tonight". Well, not a real surprise here, it's about a guy wanting to go home with a woman. Can we go just one album in the world without this? It has kind of a pop rock feel to it. It's not bad, but it's not the best song on here. For the next song, the best I could tell the band is, "Next time, less is more". For he title track "Love is Gone", Not a bad song, just on this side of mediocre. Now, this song really caught me off guard. "Dark Holiday" starts out with a marching keyboard that's rather reminiscent of the 1940s and then it's into an upbeat rock jam. After that nice "swing rock" track we're approached by a very good guitar intro that leads into a song with a nice vocal flow, called "Without End". Parts of this song might make you think of an angry Christmas song.

The back half of the album begins with an interlude entitled "Within Reach". It's better than the first, but still not really that important to have included on the final cut. The first actual song of the back half is one entitled "Closure" and it happens to be one of the better tracks on this effort. It has a great flow and beat and is well written and performed. Now, time for a change of pace, "Making the Most", rather than following in suit with the tracks prior, it's a nice, slow song that you could see someone in a movie walking in the rain listening too. Now someone of a return to the previous formula for the tracks on the album, "One Feeling" starts out with a great rocking guitar intro, though the song is more peppy than anything. It's one of the bright spots of the album. "Wait, what was that? How many feelings do you have inside you?" "Oh, just the one, ok. Just wanted to make sure." And we're back to the slower, rocking beat. "I Still Lost" was well written and has good form and flow lyrically. I'm not sure if "One Eye Open" should be counted as an interlude or a midget song, either way, shouldn't have made the final cut. It does nothing, doesn't tell a story, nothing. This one, "Honestly" had some excellent harmonizing vocals that made the song. It was well written and the vocals gave it a nice complete sound, however, it just seemed like something, I'm not sure what, was missing. Drum roll please, and now, for the final track of the album. "Remember" was a first on this album, a ballad. And when I say ballad, I don't mean some from the '80s, I mean played on the piano ballad. Not a bad song and a nice surprised from a band that you think will be just straight up goth sans variation.

On an album in which I thought the songs would be mostly slower, deeper and broodier (is that even a word?), I was pleasantly surprised by the variety of styles the songs were clearly influenced by. From '40s style piano chords to pop rock to a ballad. The highlights of Love is Gone would have to be "My Heart, Your Hands", "Dark Holiday", "One Feeling" and "I Still Lost". It's a shame however, that the album was interrupted by the interludes that did nothing to progress the flow of the album. If you want an album you can listen to several times and enjoy, I suggest you go and pick this one up. However, if you're looking for nothing but depressed goth music, you might wanna keep looking.

Enjoy,
Crash

Dommin on Twitter
Roadrunner Records artist page
Original music video for "My Heart, Your Hands"
Love is Gone at Amazon