Dommin - 'Love Is Gone' Roadrunner Records
In Stores May 12, 2009

THE BAND:
Kristofer Dommin - vocals
Billy James - bass
Cameron Morris - guitar



TRACK FRAGMENTS:

1.) “My Heart, Your Hands” – The intro to this track opens with a keyboard arrangement over the top of a cello.  When the main intro kicks-in the band added what sounds to be tubular bells.  This is also where the rhythm guitar kicks-in.  There is a small tom-tom fill connecting the intro with the musical verse.  The main instrumentation underneath the vocal lines is the drum line and cello.  The rhythm guitar does not kick back in until the opening lyric line of the chorus.  The vocal lines of the chorus had a echo attached to them.  The band incorporated a xylophone for the music that connects the first chorus with the second verse. Here it is just the first track and I have already used two musical instruments I have never used in doing reviews.  All the vocals even through the chorus have a very subtle sound to them.  After the second chorus there is a small break down section.  Over the top of this breakdown section there are a few lead vocal accents.    
2.) “New” –This intro opens with a bass line/tom-tom pattern underneath the effects of wind.  About two measures into this there is a small effect and the addition of a keyboard arrangement.  There is a drastic musical change for the musical verse.  The musical verse had a huge musical hook attached to it.  The music arrangements underneath the vocal lines of the verse consisted of just bass and drums.  In the way the drummer wrote the tom-tom pattern allows it to follow along perfectly with the vocal lines.  The rhythm guitar does not kick-in until the pre-chorus.  Musically and vocally the pre-chorus had a huge hook attached to it.  The musical chorus had a very solid groove attached to it.  In many ways this track reminded me of early eighties pop.  There is a small keyboard change for the third chorus.    
3.) “Evenfall Hollow” - Instrumental
4.) “Tonight” –The instrumental that is track three opens the intro of this track.  The main intro is fairly basic.  The guys choose to use the same keyboard arrangement for this track as the instrumental just use a different effect.  There is a drastic musical change for the verse where the drummer switches from a standard hi-hat pattern to a pattern on his tom-toms.  The song really does not kick-in until the hook of the chorus.  I have to say as a drummer the highlight of this song was definitely the tom-tom pattern.  This is the first track on the release so far that had what you could call a lead guitar solo.  The backing vocals of this track were amazing!
5.) “Love Is Gone” – The huge drum fills of this track made this intro.  The rhythm guitar riffs along with the vocal lines of the verse were very similar to Glenn Danzig’s stuff.  There is a small vocal echo connecting the second pre-chorus with the second chorus.  This track does have an actual minor short solo.    
6.) “Dark Holiday” –The intro to this song had a big band feel.  The guys used the same music arrangement for the musical verse as the intro.  There is a small snare drum fill and lead vocal accent that connected the intro/verse with the chorus.  This is one of those songs that smacks you in the face because you’re not expecting it at all.
7.) “Without End” – This track opens with a simple rhythm guitar riff.  The intro for this song was very short.  Once again the guys used the same musical arrangements for the musical verse as the intro.  The lead vocals of the verse were double tracked.  The only musical change was or the chorus.  The vocals of the breakdown was double tracked with the backing vocal having a strange effect attached to it. 
8.) “Within Reach” – Instrumental
9..) “Closure” – This track opens with an acoustic guitar arrangement.  To connect this intro with the main musical intro there is a small vocal line.  For the main intro the band built from the acoustic adding an electric guitar, strings, drums, and bass.  The band drastically changes the instrumentation of the musical verse.  To just electric guitar and drums, there is a third instrument however, I can’t hear it well enough to figure out what it is.  The chorus had a huge hook attached to it.  Some of the vocal lines of the second verse were echoed.  The band added a keyboard arrangement to the second verse to separate the first from the second.  The choruses of this track really make the track.
10.) “Making The Most” – This track opens with a piano section underneath a rhythm guitar arrangement.  The vocal lines of the verse where echoed.  As the verse progresses the song builds to an explosion of hookieness for the chorus.  Though this track was very simply structured it is one of the best on the album. 
11.) “One Feeling” – The intro to this track opens with a rhythm guitar riff that sounded very similar to the old ‘Headbangers Ball’ them.  The band used the same music for the verse as the intro.  Scattered throughout the song there are little keyboard arrangements.  The choruses of the song were about as basic as they can come There is a actual lead guitar solo that connects the second and third chorus.
12.) “I Still Lost –This track opens with a long orchestrated intro section.  The first vocal line connects the verse with the intro.  There is a small arrangement change for the musical verse. If it was not for the gothic vocals connecting the verse with the chorus the two would run one into another.  This was a very simple ballad in this style of music.
13.) “One Eye Open” – Instrumental
14.) “Honestly” – This track’s intro is actually track 13.  The main instrumentation underneath the vocal lines is the bass drum of the drum line and mist effect.  The snare drum was done with a drum machine.  For the chorus it literally sounded like they edited two different songs together.  No pun intended however outside of the lyrics I could have done without this track on this CD.


     However, to my surprise I was amazingly please with what I heard.  For the most part the lead vocalist of Dommin sounds as if Ville Hermanni Valo of H.I.M. and Glenn Danzig where to have a love child.  Which, I loved!  At times musically the band reminds me of HIM mix in with early underground eighties pop.  I feel in love with CD however, the band has a narrow market if you are not into artist like HIM them you won’t like this band.  With that being said if you’re into mellow-laid back ‘goth’ style rock then you should definitely check this band out!!!!