{"id":375675,"date":"2026-03-09T10:11:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T10:11:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/375675\/"},"modified":"2026-03-09T10:11:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T10:11:15","slug":"review-domhain-in-perfect-stillness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/375675\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Domhain – In Perfect Stillness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Vince<\/strong><\/a> on March 8, 2026March 8, 2026<\/p>\n

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Artwork by: Ana\u00efs Chareyre-M\u00e9jan<\/a><\/p>\n

Style: Post-Metal, Blackgaze, Black Metal (Mixed Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Primordial, Trees of Eternity, Myrkur
Country: United Kingdom
Release date: 20 February 2026<\/p>\n

Post-rock\/metal is often synonymous with patience; bands like We Lost the Sea<\/strong><\/a> and If These Trees Could Talk<\/strong> do not operate in the realms of instant gratification, but rather one of sublime mood and\u2014when executed properly\u2014devastating crescendos that can level a city. Black metal, by turns, is as instant as it gets: fierce tremolos and relentless blast beats scour the listener like frigid arctic winds, flaying mortal flesh to reveal the contemptible soul beneath. One would assume they\u2019d fit together no better than the proverbial square peg in the triangular hole. Yet despite these differences, there can be found measures of commonality, most notably in their capacity to tap into a feeling of the natural world; black metal paints pictures of wintry forests, while post-metal\u2019s introspective heft readily conjures images of post-civilization worlds, wherein mankind\u2019s hubristic grip upon the Earth has been sundered.<\/p>\n

Domhain<\/strong> arrive at this particular crossroads with debut LP In Perfect Stillness, seeking a winning fusion of post-metal\u2019s towering superego to black metal\u2019s nihilistic id erected through thoughtful, large-scale songcraft and primal, forward-moving compositions. With EP Nimue and the Of Pine and Oak split (with label mates Ephemeral<\/strong>) under their belts, Domhain<\/strong> have tested the footpaths of this genre mishmash before. However, there is no crucible quite like the first album to truly break in the boots. Does In Perfect Stillness give rise to a perfect listen, or has this young act gotten lost in the woods?<\/p>\n

While \u201cperfect\u201d may serve a more hyperbolic context, I would not hesitate to say that In Perfect Stillness represents a band comfortable in their sound and confident in the execution of their vision. Songs are traversed with the wisdom of a seasoned hiker, divested of the skittish caution and reckless adventurousness expected of a first-timer. Guitarist Nathan Irvine packs a veritable trail mix of salty tremolos and sweet post-metal chords, while drummer Ana\u00efs Chareyre-M\u00e9jan marks the footpath with weighted snare work and a forward momentum that, while rarely hurried, refuses to let the group linger too long. The trees rustle and sway against vocalist Andy Ennis\u2019 hypnotic cleans, coming through in sonorous invocations on tracks like \u201cMy Tomb Beneath the Tide\u201d, while his razored harshes cut like icy waters across the compositions, a shock of black metal primalism to freshen up the largely serene post-metal compositions. And, while Bryn Mills\u2019 bass can feel lost in the rearguard, his presence is nevertheless felt in ways subtle and systemic, not unlike the invisible pulse of the natural world beneath our feet.<\/p>\n

\u201cTalahm Lom\u201d, the first proper track after the minimalist cello-led opener \u201cUna Tarra Ci H\u00e9\u201c, wastes little time providing evidence of Domhain<\/strong>\u2019s craftsmanship. Truthfully, any of the four main tracks could easily stand as a proper induction into the mythic naturalism that, despite sounding like made-up nonsense, so appropriately conveys the experience of listening to In Perfect Stillness. Whether the melancholic treading of \u201cFootsteps II\u201d with its harrowing stringwork and pensive vocalizing, or the raw aggression of \u201cIn Perfect Stillness\u201d, there exists an inescapable feeling of communion with a world far more grand, harmonious, and resolute than any civilization mankind could ever build. The band deepen this connection with moving vocal harmonies from Ennis, Mills, and Chareyre-M\u00e9jan, each complementing the other and standing in unison with the work as opposed to fighting for some spotlight moment. Sarah Wieghell (Darkest Era<\/strong>, ex-Nemesis<\/strong>) lends her voice on closer \u201cMy Tomb Beneath the Tide\u201d, and while difficult to pinpoint which vocal is hers, therein lies the point. The natural world is one rooted in harmony, a self-sustaining ecosystem of invisible cooperation, which Domhain<\/strong> succeeds in channeling across the thirty-five sublime minutes of In Perfect Stillness.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, Domhain<\/strong> signpost their post-metal\/blackgaze fusion with admirably organic trailwork, the styles flowing into one another like streams converging down a mountainside, carrying the stones of both to gather along their shared banks. Even tracks like \u201cFootsteps II\u201d or \u201cIn Perfect Stillness\u201d, more immediately defined by their constituent parts, eventually merge to create beautifully holistic soundscapes\u2014the forest for the trees, as it were. Irvine\u2019s post-metal contemplations and savage tremolos are weighted nicely against Chareyre-M\u00e9jan\u2019s percussive guidance, and their interplay goes a long way towards securing Domhain<\/strong>\u2019s success at this winsome sonic merger.<\/p>\n

When setting out on a hike, whether blazed or off the beaten path, one must never underestimate the necessity of a sure-footed leader, one who knows when to call for rest, where to cross and when, and how to pace things out. Exhaustion, heatstroke, and dehydration are known killers in the wild, but boredom can be just as lethal when it comes to cutting a trek short. Domhain<\/strong>\u2019s overall output favors the sightseer over the marathon runner, but they manage to keep the scenery interesting while avoiding the scree paths one is wont to slide down within post- and black metal\u2014that is, introspective meandering or nihilistic ferocity. Simply put, In Perfect Stillness is a fluid, enchanting piece of work, and a path well worth walking.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Footsteps II, In Perfect Stillness, My Tomb Beneath the Tide
You may also like: Church of the Sea<\/a>, Saor, Nailed to Obscurity, Darkest Era
Final verdict: 8\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: These Hands Melt Records<\/a><\/p>\n

Domhain<\/strong> is:
\u2013 Andy Ennis (bass, vocals)
\u2013 Ana\u00efs Chareyre-M\u00e9jan (cello, drums, vocals)
\u2013 Nathan Irvine (lead guitar)
\u2013 Bryn Mills (guitars, backing vocals)
With guests<\/strong>:
\u2013 Raul Andueza (cello on \u201cFootsteps II\u201d)
\u2013 Sarah Wieghell (vocals on \u201cMy Tomb Beneath the Tide\u201d)<\/p>\n

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