Band:	Domovoyd
Album:	Domovoyd
Style:	Stoner metal
Release date:	May 08, 2015
A review by:	Auntie Sahar

01. Domovoyage
02. Ambrosian Perfume
03. Caustic Afterglow
04. Mystagogue
05. Amor Fati
06. Vivid Insanity

If you've been paying attention to metal coming out of Finland, especially in the past five years, you'd know that the country has seen a considerable increase in the presence of psychedelic bands within the context of the genre. In 2013, Domovoyd proved themselves as willing to get in on this action with their debut, and in 2015, they're looking to solidify their status as formidable within it, an effort at which they certainly succeed.

Compared to Oh Sensibility, Domovoyd's self titled sophomore album feels a lot more formless and atmospheric at points, tapping even more into many of the laid back, turn on-tune in-drop out elements found on their debut. The band have really refined their trippy effects down to a science here: whether lurking teasingly in the background ("Amor Fati"), or busting out in force on the forefront ("Caustic Afterglow"), those synthesizers, keyboards, and whatever else these guys decided to use for their hallucinatory odyssey, are a total mind numb. These techniques were quite good on the band's debut to begin with, but here it feels as though Domovoyd have taken them to even greater heights.

Bearing that in mind, however, this does not mean that Domovoyd have lost their predominantly stoner metal personality either. Domovoyd is still, for the most part, highly catchy and riff heavy, and "Ambrosian Perfume," perhaps the highlight of the album, is just groovy as all hell. If there's one area in which Domovoyd have really matured and come into their own with this release, it's the intricate art of combining their groovy side with their more relaxed and faaaaar ooouuuuuut side. Opener "Domovoyage" is as perfect an example as any. Just listen to right around the 7 minute mark: you're floating in a sea of lysergic acid diethylamide, with a soft, lazy guitar to lull you into repose, and then BOOM! Shortly after 8 minutes in, those stoner riffs arrive like thunder, and you're in for some serious head bobbing. It's an excellent compositional technique, and many more moments like this follow throughout the album.

With their eponymous second album, Domovoyd are moving closer to the development of a sound that can truly be called their own, and getting better at learning how to form a synthesis of their groovy and atmospheric personalities. Still relatively young, the band are eager to leave their mark on the growing trend of Finnish psychedelic metal, and, with another excellent release or two, could easily see themselves standing with the likes of the more prominent Oranssi Pazuzu, or Dark Buddha Rising. If you're a trippy head, or just a fan of atmospherically-inclined metal in general, keep your eye on these guys, because they're definitely going places.

*And, of course, we also see the trend of Domovoyd getting some straight up bitching album artwork continuing. I mean, really, are you going to debate how awesome this cover right here is? Say it isn't and I'll decapitate you.