ACOUSTIC ANOMALY – Dominvs. Tinea

It isn't always easy to find valid interpretations when you are confronted with records written in languages you don't understand, so we have to rely of course on its music, imagery, and the few notes left in English by the band in the booklet and around the universe. For me, this was the case with Acoustic Anomaly and their debut album "Dominvs. Tinea".

Although all the song titles are in English, the band hailing from Togliatti (Samara region in Russia) chose Russian in order to better trasmit their message. A very legitimate decision, especially if we think that — according to the band members themselves — the record was mainly directed at their fellow countrymen, restlessly struggling for reaching success and money. In the cover artwork, the musicians seem to have been portrayed as hardworking moths striving for bringing some light in the grey and immense Russian suburbs (they are quite surprisingly sailing some sort of drakkar). Their manifesto comes through as pretty clear also thanks to the text in English on the back of the booklet, highlighting the fact that, apart from the body, also the mind needs nourishment and stimulations.

We finally got to the musical aspects of "Dominvs. Tinea", and we can sure say that there is ambition in what the band has put out, quite evident in the wide range of influences that can be heard here and there (from the more canonical stoner riffs in the opener "Circular MMXVI" to the more post-rock elements in "Somnium", and the ambient conclusion in "Choir Of The Gadflies"). Unfortunately, for some reason this record might feel a bit too much to take in all at once; maybe almost fifty minutes are too long a time for what Acoustic Anomaly have put together, or perhaps there are too many "out of context" parts throughout some tracks. Consistency appears to be the main issue, as if the band didn't really decide which direction to take. As a counterbalance, we still have the main riff that resurfaces here and there, as in the industrial-electronic tinged track "Unity" (that unfortunately might feel a bit lengthy with its seven minutes).

However, this approach does make sense if we consider that the album itself was conceived as some kind of journey through a dreamlike and abstract dimension, that of course does not have to follow precise logic rules. Still, we have to know what's in store for us when listening to a work like this, and we will see if and how Acoustic Anomaly's fellow countrymen will accept the challenge contained in "Dominvs. Tinea". All in all, an intriguing release by Symbol Of Domination, that often manages to discover musical projects in the least expected areas.