Domkraft – Sonic Moons

by Mark 'Yeti' Richard · September 3, 2024

Domkraft is a heavy stoner, sludgy, psychedelic doom metal band from Stockholm, Sweden. The trio released their latest record Sonic Moons on Magnetic Eye Records on July 26th, 2023. The current lineup is: Martin Wegeland on bass and vocals, Martin Widholm on guitars, and Anders Dahlgren on drums. The record is 47 minutes long and contains 7 songs total.

The band has been consistent releasing material regularly starting with their Self Titled Ep in 2015. A year later, Magnetic Eye put out 2016’s The End Of Electricity. Two years later, the band released 2018’s Flood on Blues Funeral Records. They followed that up with 2019’s Slow Fidelity. Domkraft then returned to Magnet Eye to release a live record at the end of 2020 called A Day Of Doom, followed by 2021’s Seeds. In 2022, the band released a split record with Slomatics on Majestic Mountain Records, entitled Ascend/Descend. They released other singles throughout those time periods also. Sonic Moons is yet another return to Magnetic Eye Records in which Domkraft has arguably created their strongest record thus far.

The nine minute “Whispers” begins Sonic Moons with a colossal build up of heavy slabs of doom. Starting with a fuzzy bass lift off, the song progressively intensifies with psychedelic guitar riffs and soaring drums. Wegeland’s vocals start from spoken and exceed into tortured yelling. The music meanders through lighter to heavier passages and delivers repetition without boredom. “Stellar Winds” begins more aggressively but soon shifts into more controllable territory. The spacy Hawkwind esc guitars transcend into massive sludge riffing in a moments notice. The heavy overdriven bass and powerful drums steer the song ahead while the vocals build into shearing intensity throughout. The guitar plasters the song with fuzzy leads throughout. The third track “Magnetism” starts with guitar and the bass and drums join in for a heavy dose of doom. The bombastic riffing and angry vocals drive the song into a hypnotic frenzy. By the time “Slowburner” kicks in the heart is racing a mile a minute. The cacophony of doom shifts into some more or less rocking attributes with this song, all the while still ripping your face apart.

Domkraft has a knack for swirling and devastating song structures that can numb your senses. Even a more straightforward song like “Downpour” manage to rip through your cranium in four minutes time. The sound quality on this record is fantastic, especially with headphones on. I believe Karl Daniel Liden mixed and mastered this one. He’s the mastermind behind Dozer and Greenleaf recordings and always seems to maximize a band’s sound potential. As with the sixth track “Black Moon Rising”, the song stampedes the eardrums with sludgy delight. More twisted psychedelia guitar bleeding with a heavy pounding of drums and bass. A devastating beat down to set you up for the finale. “The Big Chill” is the last cut on Sonic Moons. The song begins with all the instruments playing together creating a steam rolling menace of doom. The song travels through peaks and valleys throughout its nearly ten minute time warp.

Domkraft has really achieved a pinnacle album with Sonic Moons. They crafted very creative nuances for the doom riffs that they structure. Some bands in this genre of music tend to bore the listener with repeated exposures to repetitive riffs but Domkraft doesn’t do that to me. They flow the music effectively while adding in elements and dynamics that keep the song interesting throughout. For me, they are one of the best bands in the doom metal industry today. Hopefully, they keep producing the high quality audio assaults that one has come to expect with this band.