DOMINION

This is very likely my album of the year for 2023. I need a couple of weeks to finalize that list but in the meantime after two spins of "Dominion" I'm thinking top ten for sure but it won't crack my top five. Well after 5 spins I'm adoring this record and hailing it as the best record I've heard from this past year. Ryan Stevenson plays just about every instrument known to man then we get LEVIATHAN's drummer making ZOPP a duo plus six guests including two females doing their Northettes impression. Three of the guests are playing sax with two of those adding flute.

Beautiful cover art and thanks for the post card version of it that came with the cd only this is a closer-up version of it with different colours. Funny picture of Ryan looking lost in the sea of tall grass too in the liner notes. I can't get over all the distorted keys and organ on here plus mellotron. Not fair! Too good to be true. I really like the drumming and the bass is upfront plus we get electric piano. The guest sax and flute really adds a lot to the sound here.

And while this is a straight-up Canterbury album a song like "Bushnell Keeler" is more Jazz Rock and brings so many bands to mind. A feel good track if there ever was one for yours truly. I like the RPI-like pulsating organ on "Reality Tunnels". This song hits the ground running and different instruments will lead. Lots of energy and Canterbury at 2 1/2 minutes.

The two tracks though that steal the show here are "You" at 11 minutes and the closer "Toxicity" at over 14 minutes. Dreams do come true. Man the emotion after 6 1/2 minutes on that closer is just a small piece of the joy this record brings me. Love the distortion, keys, vocals, sax and guitar late on "You" but the closer might be better, flip a coin but that's 25 minutes of some of the best music I've heard this year.

We are very fortunate to have a talent like Ryan Stevenson making our music and for me he just out-did his debut and then some.