Dool announces new studio album The Shape of Fluidity

On April 19th Dutch Dark Rock band DOOL will release their new studio album The Shape of Fluidity via Prophecy Productions. That weekend DOOL will present their new album at Roadburn festival. The Shape of Fluidity was recorded at DAFT studio in Malmedy, Belgium together with Magnus Lindberg (Cult Of Luna, Russian Circles, Tribulation), who also mixed the album. The master was done by Ted Jensen (AC/DC, Talking Heads, Muse, Ghost). The new single Hermagorgon is out now.

Everything flows, nothing ever stays the same. This notion of the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus applies to all of us as life itself is in a constant state of change. Aptly entitled The Shape of Fluidity there is not just musical innovation but the full-length revolves around themes of personal change, physical change, psychological change, and the ever-changing world around us. DOOL and particularly singer and guitarist Raven van Dorst ask questions: How does change affect us? How do we keep being ourselves in a world that is so incredibly demanding and aggressive towards the individual? We must be as fluid as water to navigate ourselves through this ocean of possibilities and uncertainties – and make peace with chaos and impermanence.

It is hardly surprising that the theme of the album that pitches the concept of identity against the backdrop of a world in constant flux connects the album's lyrics to the biography of lead vocalist Raven. Born intersex, doctors at the time assumed that they could surgically determine which kind of life the infant should lead and decided that the child should be a girl. This has led to a life full of soul searching, fighting taboos and breaking boundaries, until recently Raven decided to reclaim that which others have tried so hard to take away from them, and finally embrace their hermaphroditic nature. Musically, DOOL continue on the path laid out on the two previous studio recordings of heartfelt rock music with added metal elements, while displaying a maturity and focus in songwriting that has grown out of experience. The Shape of Fluidity exhibits an eclectic yet seamless amalgamation of progressive and post-rock as well as doom and heavy metal in combination with an inherent catchiness and a dynamic backdrop.

What sets this album apart from its predecessors Here Now, There Then (2017) and Summerland (2020), is the collective endeavour that went into it with the combined forces of songwriting trio Raven, and guitarists Nick Polak and Omar Iskandr. In the rhythm section, bass player JB van der Wal has been joined by the abundant creativity of new drummer Vincent Kreyder.

The new single is Hermagorgon: "As one of the first songs that we had woven together for The Shape of Fluidity, Hermagorgon gave us a very clear direction on where we wanted to go musically. The track is about reclaiming space, breaking out of binary constraints, and facing the world head on. This is something that everyone can relate to one way or another. However, this is one of the most personal songs on the album. It describes the internal journey that I've gone through over the past few years. The song also displays the birth of the collective songwriting spirit on which this whole album is based." - says Raven van Dorst

On April 19th the band will present their new album at Roadburn festival.