Panta Rhei. Everything flows, nothing ever stays the same. Life itself is in a constant state of change. Personal change, physical change, psychological change, the ever-changing world around us. How does this affect us? And how do we keep being ourselves in a world that is so incredibly demanding and aggressive with all its input? We must be as fluid as water to navigate ourselves through this ocean of possibilities and uncertainties – and make peace with chaos and impermanence.
After critically acclaimed first two albums ‘Here Now, There Then’ (2017) and ‘Summerland’ (2020), Dutch five-piece, DOOL, returns with a captivating and enthralling album that shows a band that has truly developed their own unique identity. Produced and mixed by Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna, Russian Circles, Tribulation) and mastered by Ted Jensen (Ghost, Mastodon, Muse, Talking Heads, AC/DC), ‘The Shape Of Fluidity’ exhibits an eclectic but seamless mix between progressive rock, metal and post-rock in combination with a songwriting that doesn’t lose sight of the inherent catchiness and dynamic backdrop that DOOL is so well known for.
The album is marked by the bundled forces of songwriting trio Raven van Dorst, Nick Polak, and Omar Iskandr. Combined with the sub-frequencies produced by JB van der Wal and the abundant creativity of new drummer Vincent Kreyder, this results in an album that is audibly the most collective endeavor of the band to date.
Thematically, the album deals with the concept of identity in a world that is constantly in flux. How can we be true to ourselves when the world around us has such high and constraining expectations? It is a question everyone faces one way or another. On a more personal level, the lyrics deal with the story of lead singer Raven van Dorst, who was born intersex, and as an infant surgically forced to live their life as a girl. That was until deciding to take matters into their own hands a few years ago by reclaiming the space that was taken from them, changing their name, and finally becoming at peace with their hermaphroditic nature. These themes are materialized in ‘The Shape Of Fluidity’, which is an album about finding oneself, swimming up against the stream, and facing the world head on.
‘DOOL’, being derived from the Dutch word for ‘wandering’, originally emerged out of the ashes of ‘The Devil’s Blood’ and ‘Elle Bandita’ in 2015. By soul-searching their way through rhythms and melodies, debut album ‘Here Now, There Then’ was born. Not long after its release on German Prophecy Productions in 2017 the album was awarded Metal Hammer’s ‘Debut Album Of The Year’. The album – which featured the cult hit ‘Oweynagat’, with its accompanying ominous music video – also initiated the band’s fierce live reputation, by resulting in multiple headline tours throughout Europe, which included spots at festivals such as Graspop (Belgium), Lowlands (The Netherlands), Wacken Open Air (Germany), Wave Gotik Treffen (Germany), Hellfest (France), and Metal Days (Slovenia).
Following the release of the ‘Love Like Blood’ EP, which included their unique and widely hailed take on Killing Joke’s classic song, the band returned to the studio for the recordings of ‘Summerland’ in 2019 – together with producer Martin Ehrencrona (Viagra Boys) and later on mixed and mastered by Magnus Lindberg. The sophomore album further developed the dynamic entity that is DOOL, as it blended its musical craftsmanship with an exploration of new dimensions and sonic atmospheres. ‘Summerland’ made it to number 9 in the German album charts and was praised by many. It was received as album of the year by Metal Hammer Poland, Rock Hard (France and Germany), and Sonic Seducer magazine amongst others.
Although the global pandemic put constraints on the worldwide tours that were planned for ‘Summerland’, the band toured through Europe in 2022 and was featured on festivals like Brutal Assault (Czech Republic), Desertfest (Belgium), Grauzone (The Netherlands), and Graspop (Belgium). The concluding show – which formed the apex of the tour for all those involved – was documented in the form of a live album, managing to capture DOOL’s spellbinding live energy. ‘Visions of Summerland’ was recorded underneath the colossal organ and stained-glass windows of the Arminius church, situated in the band’s hometown Rotterdam. It was also the last show of longtime friend and drummer Micha Haring.
2024 will see DOOL appear at stages around the world once again, beginning with a release show at the infamous Roadburn festival in Tilburg (The Netherlands).
May all those who wander gather under the fluid flag of DOOL.
LINE UP:
RAVEN VAN DORST – VOCALS / GUITAR
NICK POLAK – GUITAR
OMAR ISKANDR– GUITAR
JB VAN DER WAL – BASS
VINCENT KREYDER – DRUMS
Past members:
JOB VAN DE ZANDE – BASS (2015-2016)
REINIER VERMEULEN – GUITAR (2015-2019)
MICHA HARING – DRUMS (2015-2022)
DISCOGRAPHY:
OWEYNAGAT – SINGLE 2016
HERE NOW, THERE THEN – ALBUM 2017
LOVE LIKE BLOOD – EP 2019
SUMMERLAND – ALBUM 2020
VISIONS OF SUMMERLAND (LIVE AT ARMINIUS CHURCH) – LIVE ALBUM 2023
THE SHAPE OF FLUIDITY – ALBUM 2024