{"id":434781,"date":"2026-02-19T20:06:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T20:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/434781\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T20:06:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T20:06:09","slug":"domhain-in-perfect-stillness-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/434781\/","title":{"rendered":"Domhain – In Perfect Stillness Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"For the second review in a row, I heard about a band via skimming YouTube, heard something I liked, and tracked down their promo. I\u2019m used to working this from the other direction, but when the almighty algorithm gives, one must take and be thankful. Domhain is an atmospheric post-black metal band from Northern Ireland, and In Perfect Stillness is their debut full-length. With an emotionally charged sound and style, Domhain touches on the past works of Darkest Era, Primordial, and Agalloch while utilizing cellos and haunting female vocals to punctuate the melancholic, often grim moods they wallow in. Over the album\u2019s runtime, they do a lot of things very well and a few things spectacularly. What they do best is keep me locked in, listening raptly to the ebb and flow of their compositions. There\u2019s something here, and that something has teeth.<\/p>\n

At just over 35 minutes, In Perfect Stillness is composed of a mood-setting intro and 4 songs running between 7-9 minutes. With so little meat on the bone, the marrow had best be savory and memorable, and Domhain achieve that. First track proper \u201cTalamh Lom\u201d kicks off in highly Gothic realms with post-y cold trems ungirding Andy Ennis\u2019 plaintive, forlorn clean singing. He lapses into harsh blackened croaks soon enough, and when things slow down, the sawing cello appears alongside sad, ethereal vocals from cellist\/drummer Ana\u00efs Chareyre. It\u2019s a beautiful and poignant combination that keeps you listening attentively as the band moves between harsh and fragile, heavy and soft. There\u2019s a beautiful flow to the music that carries you away to another place and makes you forget about the passage of time. There are slight touches of A Swarm of the Sun here alongside Darkest Era-esque moments, and there\u2019s a vague Warning vibe in the music too. \u201cFootsteps II\u201d bears a strong resemblance to the moodier moments of Ghost Brigade and Deathwhite, which is an easy way to win me over as the sadboi feelz flow like hobo wine on Skid Row.<\/p>\n

The title track brings strong Agalloch notes as downcast but furious black metal takes centerstage, and select moments remind me of Nechochwen as well. The way the ethereal female vocals pair with the blackened rasps is captivating and expertly done, creating a wealth of emotional resonance. The album\u2019s high point arrives with the 9-plus-minute \u201cMy Tomb Beneath the Tide,\u201d which is a gigantic dose of negative emotions delivered in a beautiful, beguiling package. Here, the post-black, melodoom, and atmospheric black metal ingredients coalesce into a potent brew that will make you feel things you might not want. There\u2019s an epic scope to the song that recalls the best of Primordial, but I hear a lot of vintage Votum in the vocals, and the shifts from harsh to sullen and soft are very well-conceived and executed. This is easily my favorite song so far in 2026, and I can\u2019t stop getting lost in the moods here. The production is quite good, but there\u2019s a weird background static-hiss that leaks through at times, most noticeably on \u201cMy Tomb Beneath the Tide.\u201d It\u2019s a bit distracting, and I hoped it was just on the video, but it\u2019s on the promo copy as well, which is unfortunate.<\/p>\n

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The vocal combination of Andy Ennis and Ana\u00efs Chareyre pays major dividends across In Perfect Stillness. Ennis has a convincingly dour singing voice that conveys grief and despair, and his blackened rasps are equally powerful. When he leans more toward death roars, he reminds me a bit of Nick Holmes of Paradise Lost. The guitar work by Nathan Irvine and Bryn Boothby sets the dark, dreary tableau perfectly. The frantic, post-y trems and the savage blackened riffage deliver real impact, and their morose doom noodling and trilling captivate the ear. This is an ensemble that knows how to toy with the listener\u2019s heart and mind, and over the too-short runtime, they have their way with you emotionally again and again.<\/p>\n

Domhain have a great thing going here, and though it isn\u2019t something entirely new, they stamp it with enough identity to make it their own. In Perfect Stillness is a short, sharp shock to the part of the brain that deals with feelings, and there\u2019s a genuine, raw beauty to their music that sticks with you long after you step away. It\u2019s the rare album I wish were longer, and I actually don\u2019t want it to end when it does. That\u2019s a sure sign that a band created something special. Hear this sooner rather than later, as it will make waves.<\/p>\n

\ufeff<\/p>\n

Rating: 4.0\/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: These Hands Melt<\/a>
Websites: domhain-band.bandcamp.com<\/a> | facebook.com\/domhain.band<\/a> | instagram.com\/domhain_band<\/a>
Releases Worldwide: February 20, 2026<\/p>\n

\n\tGive in to Your Anger:\n<\/p>\n