Domhain – Nimue (Blackgaze Dirges for the Sullen)
This is a debut? Amazing. It almost seems not in the realm of possibilities. I’ve heard many attempts at this kind of thing, and I hate genre-tagging criticism, but man there’s a lot of stuff in here. Shoegaze, blackgaze, blackmetal, atmospheric metal, post-metal, doom metal, folk metal, dark folk, post-shoegaze, damn it almost sounds like they couldn’t decide what in the hell they wanted to do with their lives! But, as much of a mess as that sounds, they do it beautifully. Put a few actually skilled musicians together, give them a dark dream, and Nimue is the result.
I like when a band goes deep, but is more clever about it, because Domhain means ‘deep.’ If another band would dare call themselves such and presume they’re actually deep, you’d probably puke, but Nimue reveals this group isn’t playing pretentious games. Consisting of three long-form tracks of somber majesty, Nimue relies on ornate, atmospheric passages carried by dreamy vocals that, at times, collapse into their own agony through screaming and bring out that blackened hopelessness it makes you crave. Another plus is that the folk elements are kept fairly hidden, yet you can feel their presence. Domhain place you in a lonely region at the edge of nature, some sort of musical outlands that call an overcast on any positive emotions you thought you had. Incorporating the aforementioned genres, yet mixed with other luxuries like cello (woah), the end result will not only impress but lure the listener into obsession.
Written by Stanley, Devourer of Souls
Domhain – Nimues
These Hands Melt
Cover Art: Anaïs Chareyre-Méjan
4.8 / 5
