Zopp – Dominion (Flat Circle Records, 2023)
Zopp, the British progressive rock outfit, has released their second album ‘Dominion,’ a masterful progressive rock work that incorporates various elements. Although Zopp were known for their solid Canterbury-inspired sound, their new recording takes the band beyond, skillfully adding symphonic rock, jazz, ambient, folk, psychedelic rock, and various other influences. However, the Canterbury roots are still firmly there and fans of this progressive rock subgenre are in for a real treat. Indeed, in addition to the outstanding keyboard work, Zopp has added delightful vocals that recall the lovely work of the Northettes (the vocalists for Hatfield and the North).
The new material effortlessly ventures into epic and majestic symphonic progressive rock, especially on two spectacular and engaging suites that clock over 10 minutes each.
Ryan W Stevenson, the mastermind behind Zopp, who is responsible for composing, mixing, producing, and performing most of the music (excluding the drums, which were once again expertly played by Leviathan’s Andrea Moneta), recorded the album over the past three years at his home studio situated in the outskirts of Nottingham, UK.
Zopp’s distorted organ and technical playing style remains present, but has matured. Ryan comments, “I believe it’s more grandiose than the first album. Writing a 14-minute progressive composition like ‘Toxicity,’ where the song continuously flows, was challenging but a successful experiment. It’s essential for me to incorporate various elements into the mix from different music sources that inspire me. I’ve been fascinated by bands such as King Gizzard and Tame Impala in recent years, not only for their psychedelic sound but also for their do-it-yourself, independent approach to creating music.“
“Dominion” is by far one of the finest albums of the year.
Buy Dominion from Amazon or from Bandcamp.