Zopp: “Dominion” (2023) – Album Review

Summary

Dominion, the second album from Canterbury Scene prog band Zopp, skillfully suffuses intricate musicianship, compositional innovation, and jazzy idiosyncrasies along and among enthralling melodic rock content. The end result is an exhilarating fusion of multiple prog rock elements into a cohesive and engaging work.

Album Info

Introduction

You could fit all I know about the Canterbury Scene on the head of a pin and still have room for the Chinese Army, but the good news is that that’s the last of such clichés we will be employing in this review.

All jests and japes aside, my knowledge of this progressive rock genre (or sub-genre, if that’s your nit to pick) was and is rather limited. This knowledge basically boiled down to the following about the Canterbury Scene:

1. Emergence in the late 1960s in Canterbury, England.
2. Notable for its fusion of jazz, psychedelia, and avant-garde elements.
3. Placed emphasis on musical improvisation, compositional complexity, and whimsical lyrics.

I’ve enjoyed some Caravan and Soft Machine from time to time, but overall, the genre didn’t feature prominently in my album rotations. So when I noticed Zopp’s 2023 release Dominion getting a huge amount of buzz over on Prog Archives, at or near the top of their 2023 highest-rated albums list (where I often discover new music to try), I gave the album a fair listen.

But first:

Some backstory…

A brief bit of band history: Ryan Stevenson, a British composer and multi-instrumentalist, formed Zopp in the 2010s. They released their first album in 2020, a Canterbury instrumental collection where Stevenson played practically everything (keyboards, organs, synths, piano, bass, guitars), with Andrea Moneta on drums (alongside a handful of guest musicians on woodwinds). Stevenson also wrote, mixed, and produced the album.

Suffice it to say, Zopp is a Ryan Stevenson showcase. With Dominion, the 2023 Zopp follow-up, he expanded the band’s palette by adding his vocal talents to the mix as well. Recorded over the course of three years from his home studio, Dominion represented a transition away from Canterbury into a more traditional neo- and symphonic prog.

With that said…

My preconceived trepidations led me to expect a challenging, impenetrable, or deeply inscrutable work, predicated around the apprehension that the album showcased self-indulgent meanderings in lieu of connective musical artistry. Boy, am I pleased to report that this couldn’t be any further from my experience with Zopp’s sophomore album.

While it does not suffer from any lack of intricate musicianship, compositional innovation, or Canterbury-laden idiosyncrasies, the album skillfully suffuses them along and among enthralling melodic content. Dominion is a thrilling and impactful fusion of numerous progressive rock elements into a cohesively engaging work.

Review

The slow organ drone, keyboard-driven riffs, soft drumming, and abstract vocalizations by Sally Minnear and Caroline Joy Clarke on the opening track ‘Amor Fati’ might lead one to believe the record is immediately diving deep into avant-garde territory. Make no mistake though, these and other disparate elements culminate into a driving musical purpose that leads directly into the second track ‘You,’ a riveting 11-minute showcase, almost a mission statement.

Stevenson’s keyboards and Moneta’s drumming ramp up ‘You’ with swirling musical tension as a prologue, and then powerfully resolve into the song’s intro, developing its central melodic themes. Drenched in fuzzy keyboards and Stevenson’s affected, slightly nasal vocals, alongside tasty sax work from Mike Benson, ‘You’ engages so directly that, when the sojourn ends after 11 minutes, it still feels sudden. Not jarring or incomplete by any means, but sudden. You don’t want the ride to end.

‘Bushnell Keeler’ moves into different but no less intriguing territory. Almost out of the gate, the song hits us with some predominant tenor sax work from Jørgen Munkeby, which, complemented by Stevenson’s organ lines, lends an air of Steely Dan-esque Yacht Rock jazziness. Munkeby also provides some flute accompaniment, and the fuzz and distortion used to beef up the overall tone evokes early King Crimson. With all these disparate elements, it could be easy to lose the thread, but Stevenson brings the entire mix into resolution as a satisfying, complete piece. ‘Bushnell Keeler’ disarms with its breezy, uptempo melodic charms.

“Uppmärksamhet” drops the tempo with a somber, melancholic keyboard rumination in quiet conversation with a reassuring bass line. A shimmering piano line falls like raindrops over an acoustic guitar backbone, with outbursts of electric organ and guitar like desperate voices working through the atmosphere to grab our attention. Of all the album tracks, this is the only one that I felt needed more time and development, as the hypnotic scene painted by all the instrumentation is quickly shattered by “Reality Tunnels.”

“Reality Tunnels” hits hard, fast, and with the immediacy of a grade school recess bell. The aura is frenzied and dynamic, with a heavy focus on its driving rock elements. Here is where we have some really strong bass work that is prominent through the track, locked in place with Moneta’s drumming but still with room to really walk and groove. Moments of distorted havoc are balanced with piano interludes that attempt to bring the song’s frenzied eccentricities in for a soft landing, but instead opts for resolution via mellotronish dissolution (alongside a final drum fill from Moneta). “Reality Tunnels” is a satisfying romp, a total brat of a tune: childish, petulant, and utterly unyielding.

We take a breather with “Weitko Approaching,” in which Stevenson returns to the microphone to deliver a measure of a piano-driven ballad. With its subdued, somewhat shambling atmosphere, this is the shortest and perhaps least-developed song on the album. Viewed as a prologue into the next track, “Weitko Approaching” works much more effectively.

And speaking of the next track, “Toxicity” triumphantly closes the record in grand fashion. This piece indulges the listener with a thick melodic fusion of symphonic and eclectic prog, flowing with both purposeful uptempo drive and a loose, innovative spirit. The centering riff roots itself in bluesy, minor pentatonic territory, practically Zeppelinesque, providing the foundation around which Stevenson and company layer a barrage of dynamic musical content. Stevenson’s howling vocals remind me of Sting and Ross Jennings (in style if not quite in timbre), bringing assertive inquisitiveness into the mix.

The song maintains momentum with multiple instrumental stretches featuring organ, sax, and guitar solos scattered throughout its runtime. There are even two vocal shout outs to King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, who Stevenson cited as one of the album’s inspirations. Rob Milne’s sax and flute work deserves recognition for adding splashes of tone and character that contribute to the song’s overall cohesive flow. “Toxicity” might be the most musically concordant ode to entropy I’ve heard in a good while. And much like the epic opener, when the closing track ends, even at 14 minutes, it still feels too soon.

And in closing…

Dominion is a great album. I mean it though, this record provides uptempo rock, proggy innovation, jazzy swing, tight musicianship, and impressive compositional development throughout. Sure, you can appreciate any and all of the lofty, innovative elements, but these songs go for both the head and the heart. While I could (and did) nitpick some very minor criticisms, none of them detract from the album’s overall quality. Zopp crafted a deeply engaging and satisfying experience with Dominion.

What similar albums does ChatGPT recommend?

While it behooves me to remind my readers that everything you just read is 100% Mills, let’s ask our friendly neighborhood AI for some similar album recommendations.

If you enjoyed Zopp’s Dominion and are looking for similar music, here are a few recommendations:

1. Soft Machine – Third: This is a classic Canterbury Scene album from 1970, known for its complex jazz-rock fusion and experimental sound.
   
2. National Health – Of Queues and Cures: Another classic album from the Canterbury Scene, National Health’s 1978 release is a fusion of jazz, rock, and avant-garde elements.
   
3. The Mars Volta – Frances the Mute: This 2005 album by The Mars Volta combines progressive rock, punk, and Latin music into a unique and experimental sound.
   
4. Thank You Scientist – Maps of Non-Existent Places: This 2012 release by Thank You Scientist is a blend of progressive rock, jazz, and metal with intricate musicianship and complex song structures.
   
5. Gong – Camembert Electrique: A seminal album from the 1970s psychedelic and experimental rock band Gong, Camembert Electrique incorporates elements of jazz, rock, and avant-garde music.

I hope you find these recommendations helpful and enjoy exploring new music!

Output from ChatGPT, OpenAI to Mills, 22 March 2023.