domes of silence

Oxford may be known as an elitist seat of learning for the country's more intelligent University fodder but scratch the surface and dig a little deeper and you will find a pulsating rock and roll heart. Domes of Silence have been gestating and mutating for many years to finally arrive at a sound that takes the stoner rock of the American deserts, repackages it with a uniquely British sheen and sends it back bigger, fitter and better!!! It hasn't always been so. The band initially started as a much different prospect centred around vocalist Sean Parkin's darker but infinitely less rocking studio project that resulted in the 2004 album, "Mescaline" on the Shifty Disco label. Although well received, no sooner had Parkin got this album out of his system the urge to rock bubbled in his veins and a full band began to magnetically coalesce around him. Of course, as with any band, some people have fallen by the wayside where others have stayed true and the Domes of Silence of today is a tight knit, living, breathing rock and roll organism. Combining the low-slung, molasses thick fuzz of Fu Manchu with Queen's Of The Stone Age's innate melodic pop suss and topping it off with some shamanistic, Jim Morrison meets Iggy Pop bellicose yet edgy crooning, Domes of Silence create a unique, compelling and intriguing clash of riffs, tunes, elephantine low end and propulsive rhythms. Their impressive blend of brawn and brain looks set to topple the foundations of the stoner scene and the wider world of rock and roll. Deciding to grab a slice of the corporate pie, the band are stepping out on their own Silver Buddha label and have two recent releases under their collective belt; the driving buzz saw kick in the nuts of "Temple of the Wasp" and the more considered and beefed up "Hunter ST", as well as tracks included on video games such as "Test Drive unlimited" and "Vietcong". With the momentum now rolling like a fat kid going down a steep hill on a go-kart, Domes of Silence are preparing more libations to the Gods of rock in the studio and more chances to bask in the power of the riff on stages around the country…and if there is a God and justice prevails, beyond our borders to Europe and elsewhere. In a music world bursting at the seams with mediocrity and unoriginality, Domes of Silence emerge from the mire as one of the few bands deserving of the term "vital". The question is, can you afford not to take notice?