Every one of us has a unique experience in this world, and the things that impact us and make us who we are tend to be personal, things only we, in our shells, can understand. That sometimes can make us feel like we’re alone at the pole position, battling adversity, trying to understand our own plights, and confronting changes in all forms, testing us to see what we can endure to become who we truly are.

Dool, the Dutch dark rock band that is ready to unleash their third full-length “The Shape of Fluidity,” embody that struggle. They’re human like we are, facing adversity, trying to find ourselves in a world and within a society that doesn’t always make the journey easy. For singer/guitarist Raven van Dorst, the idea of fluidity takes on even greater meaning as they work to understand who they truly are. Born intersex and surgically assigned female status after birth, they have fought through misunderstandings, taboos, and a society not always kind to people on this journey, finally embracing their hermaphroditic nature. As for the rest of the band—guitarists Nick Polak and Omar Iskandr, bassist JB van der Wal, drummer Vincent Kreyder—they back up van Dorst’s fight and also help create nine tracks and nearly 50 minutes of exciting, infectious, and genuine music that transforms this group from a promising force to one that is ready to wholly dominate.

“Venus in Flames” is a prodding opener, one that gets into your bloodstream in a hurry. The dark rock storm drives steadily, van Dorst calling, “Would you lay with your love, now the time has come?” Guitars heat up and illuminate flesh, the melodies rushing and tingling, everything fading into the sea. “Self-Dissect” blisters with humid guitars, murky and steamy, a glaze spread over everything. Melodies turn on a dime and make everything stickier, the leads searing and flooding over with attitude. The title track has guitars dripping and synth zapping, sludgier riffs taking over and flexing. “The water flows in many ways until the moment we drown,” van Dorst jabs, the clouds thickening and threatening. “For I, recklessly, carelessly, I never learned to swim out in these parts,” van Dorst admits, their vulnerability on display yet driving with determination as they call, “We dive deeper down now in lost time.” “Currents” is a brief instrumental with noise clouding, guitars waxing and waning, unloading spacey heat into “Evil in You” that starts with liquifying riffs and plodding bass. The playing is fluid and steady, steely and melodic, basking in energy and pulsating rhythms, van Dorst leveling, “I’m caught between the devil and the deep blue ocean,” as everything returns to the waters.

“House of a Thousand Dreams” is delicate and dark, talk-like singing emerging, van Dorst luring, “Come lay down in my arms.” The track ramps up from a sonic and emotional standpoint, the guitars spilling lava all over the terrain. “A new dawn is arriving,” van Dorst promises, everything bleeding out into a fever dream. “Hermagorgon” is doomy and ominous, psychedelic heat eating away at you, softer singing luring you into the shadows. “On the edges of your shadow in a tangled knot, I’ll be waiting,” they vow, “I’ll be ready for the serpent call.” The strength gets bolder from here, van Dorst’s singing drilling into your chest, the soloing exploding as the melodies add several layers of energy, coming to a burning, churning end. “Hymn for a Memory Lost” lets guitars rain down, the power heating up, lush melodies washing over your leaking wounds. The playing plods darkly as the chorus emerges, warm leads doing battle, the moodiness climaxing as zaps and jolts dash into the stars. Closer “The Hand of Creation” has drums rousing, guitars shimmering, and deeper singing digging into your psyche. Dark tensions mount as the stormy pace acts as a test of strength, van Dorst calling, “And the heavens smiled as the bellowed roars came from the sky,” an apocalyptic vision blending with buzzing energy that brings a dark finish.

Change is inevitable for all of us, though the reasons for that and forces behind us are different for everyone. Dool and van Dorst both have experienced the gamut of these experiences, and the music that makes up “The Shape of Fluidity” also demonstrates that the members of this band are not content to sit still and follow a template. This is a band that keeps growing on astonishing levels, and what Dool create on this album is a message to their audience and their doubters that they cannot be predicted or anticipated, and they’re only beginning to unearth their real powers.   

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/allthosewhowanderaredool

To buy the album, go here: http://lnk.spkr.media/dool-fluidity

For more on the label, go here: https://en.prophecy.de/