Evolution in Metal seems to have a deep link with mixing the genre with elements from others musical ways. Thrash Metal was born by mixing traditional Heavy Metal with Hardcore/Punk adrenaline; Black Metal and Death Metal follows such trend (in ways that are particular to each genre); Progressive Metal was a combination of Heavy Metal with Progressive Rock elements. Today, acts as ALCEST plays a mixing between Metal elements with Shoegaze (a musical genre that arose on Pop scene, being influenced by acts as MY BLOODY VALENTINE and THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN, and whose roots are in acts as VELVET UNDERGROUND, HÜSKER DÜ, THE CURE, SIOUXSIE AND THE BANSHEES and others), creating an introspective and melancholic form of music. And using such trend as foundations, the Ireland-based quartet DOMHAIM comes with its new EP, “Nimue”.

In the 90s, their musical work would be labeled as Atmospheric Black Metal, but today, it’s not a sin to classify the band’s music as Post-Black Metal/Shoegaze, and can be saw as a Black Metal version of ALCEST, but with a more personal and dynamic musical core: contrasts between shrieks and tender clean vocals, noisy and disturbing distorted moments shifting to landscaping parts with no problem, and always in a way that is able to entangle the hearers easily. Yes, this EP is really a surprising release, even for those who aren’t into Shoegaze and Post-Metal tendencies.

Chris Fielding (a known English producer and sound engineer) worked on the recording, mixing and mastering of “Nimue”, giving it the noisy and distorted sonority that bands of such genre usually demands, but with a very good definition (traditionally on Shoegaze, the instruments form a mass of sound with no definition at all) that allows the hearers to understand what is being played. And on the cellos, here are as guests Raul Andueza on “The Morning Star”, and Jo Quail on “A Pile of Stones Upon Her Grave”.

The band delivers on this first release three long songs that are filled with melancholy and introspection, but with some very aggressive parts. And it’s not a sin to think about some Psychedelic Rock, Pagan Metal and Progressive Rock elements entering the mix, because “The Mourning Star”, “A Silent Frequency” and “A Pile of Stones Upon Her Grave” share such elements and more than one, two or three auditions on “Nimue” can allow to understand. It demands time for a deeper understanding, even being an EP easy to like; but such musical layers is a tasteful trial for the fans.

As final words, DOMHAIM deserves praise for such a release, and it’s a desire that a full-length comes as soon as possible to succeed “Nimue.”