Numerous rising bands have graced my ears and gotten my attention after doing these reviews for almost an entire decade, but few bands have been as promising and satisfying to watch rise as Domkraft. Ever since I came upon them with their second album from just five years ago, it was clear that Domkraft was the real deal in the world of psychedelic doom, and time has only seen them get better and take opportunities to turn even more people to their excellence. Returning to us after an extremely flavorful split with the venerated Slomatics last year, Domkraft has clearly been letting this work sit in the oven for some time to only take it out at the perfect time. Pound for pound and beat for beat, Domkraft’s fourth is its most refined yet potent experience to date.

Whereas the evolution of a band’s sound can be quite erratic or even schizophrenic at times, Domkraft’s has been satisfyingly linear. That might sound unappealing or even boring to some, but being able to trace the threads of greatness from their first album to recent efforts is a pleasure to bear witness to as those seeds truly bore excellent fruit with no album offering us that in more splendid fashion than what’s been brought forth in the seven tracks of “Sonic Moons”. As heavy as it is psychedelic in every given moment, this is what happens when no-nonsense doom metal blends perfectly with that which our minds can never fully comprehend. The visages, emotions, and experiences that Domkraft taps into in order to bring this kaleidoscope of an album to life leaves one astounded by how well it could come together in such an impactful form with “Sonic Moons” not just having any one of the elements that makes up a record of this caliber be it the smoke-drenched riffs, impeccable psychedelia that elicits the most exquisite kind of hypnosis,  or the heaviness that leaves you shivering by the end of such an electric performance. Rather, Domkraft brings it all together masterfully. Where we saw them elevate themselves above the competition with “Seeds” and do a little bit of cutting loose in their adventure with Slomatics, it is here with “Sonic Moons” that Domkraft feels extremely focused in their vision for what it means to deliver top-tier psych-doom with the effectiveness of their power on an undeniable level with the results speaking for themselves at every given turn.

I was content to wait at least another year after what they brought to the table last year that helped make “Ascend/Descend” one of the best pieces of 2022 in my opinion, but it becomes magnificently clear after these seven tracks that Domkraft has much more to throw our way than we were giving them credit for. The scene has long been theirs for the taking, and it’s with the arrival of “Sonic Moons” that Domkraft only tightens their grip upon our psyche.

“Sonic Moons” releases on September 8th via Magnetic Eye Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Sonic Moons” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Domkraft on Facebook here.