BLAZING REVELATIONS

Dominic Sanderson's second album follows two years on from his first incredible debut 'Impermanence' In my opinion,this surpasses the first and is sonically wonderful -engineered and mixed by Joshua Joyner who also adds percussion. Dominic fronts on vocals,guitar and mellotron but this is very much a band album with all members providing a rich,full sound that followers on King Crimson and Van der Graaf Generator will love.

Track 1 From the Weeping Cradle 12.00 begins with a KC,Anglagard mellotron and is instrumental until nearly 6 minutes when Dominic's vocal joins with an organ backing.The track explodes again at 9.25 when Andy Frizell's amazing sax joins the fray.At 11.15 the mellotron comes back in and the first part is repeated. Incredible music,where all the band show off their chops.

Track 2 Faithless Folly 10.27 remains my favourite as it goes through so many changes. A peaceful acoustic intro leads to more foreboding guitar chords.Whispering voices lead to an explosion of VDGG sax and the band join in the piece. 3.46 is very VDGG influence and Dom's vocals and refrain join at 4.00 with great guitar chords. At 5.39,a change of pace almost bossa nova style and sax which reminds me of classic Chicago ( well before Dom's time!) At 6.41 Embiye Adlai produces an excellent organ solo.Her keyboards throughout are superb and add drama and richness to the sound especially at 8.26 after another sax outburst. Mellotron lovers must buy this album ! her mellotron at 9.25 is very KC and the track ends as it began. A masterpiece !

Track 3 A Rite of Wrongs 6.19. After 2 blazing band tracks,a quieter interlude in KC's mellower moments. Mellotron intros for a minute then flutes and acoustic guitar before Dom's KC like vocals enter. A section reminds me of a part of his classic opus "Like Shards of Glass..' from Ipermanence.Lyrics are spoken in part before the pace picks up slightly with keys and flute.

Track 4 Lullaby For a Broken Dream 16.17. Lyrics are written by Dominic and Matthew Sanderson -who also did the artwork for the album. Credit must also go to band members Jacob Hackett ( no relation !) on drums and Tristan Apperley and bass and violin who contribute enormously to the wall of sound on this album. This is the album epic and it is quite wonderful. After a peaceful beginning the sax and mellotron explode and Dom delivers some very Peter Hammill like vocals -you know his influences ! The track weaves in and out from introspective to full throttle.I love the passage at 6.35 when the mellotron explodes,then a Gracious like interlude with heavenly vocals.At 8.32 another maelstrom which leads to a 10.22 Nexus-like passage ( Argentina band). At 11.00 the sax and mellotron are very KC until the 12.36, when guest Massimo Pieretti lends a beautiful piano interlude to the closing passage and fade out - Dom's guitar and the whole band finishing majestically.

This is a quite wonderful album and must be in contention for Album of the Year already. I have listened repeatedly and discover more with each listen. The future of Progressive Rock is right here.

Dominic Sanderson's 2023 debut LP, Impermanence, was one of my favorite albums of 2023. It was dark and moody, with sharp contrasts between delicate and bombastic passages. He drew a lot both from classic acts like King Crimson and more modern bands like Porcupine Tree. The song titles are a bit on the melodramatic side, but the music is strong.

Two years later, he's back with his sophomore release, Blazing Revelations. Sanderson, covering guitar and vocals, is backed by four additional musicians, including a dedicated wind instrumentalist. The music maintains its dark edge, but he is much more clearly drawing directly from Van der Graaf Generator than on his previous release.

Bouncing, chunky clavinet lines kick off "From the Weeping Cradle", the first half of which is an enthralling instrumental. Wonky guitar and sax lines call to mind more avant-leaning prog acts, but it soon descends into a melodic passage full of swooping Mellotron, fluttering flute, and acidic guitar passages. This opening passage morphs several more times. It slows down and features some intricate percussion; it picks things up with a funky groove; and some passages teeter on dissolving into pure chaos. There are a lot of ideas crammed into the first six minutes of this song, and I don't want to call it disjointed. I love it, it's really fun, and that diversity is a major strength. But at the same time, it can feel like it's pulling in almost too many directions. Thankfully, a handful of motifs are revisited throughout its runtime, lending it a bit more coherence than it might otherwise have.

Sanderson's vocals are less delicate than on Impermanence. This song sees him doing his best Peter Hammill impersonation, and he pulls it off pretty well. As the song moves into its second half, some psychedelic blues emerge, and the wiry guitar solo is an especially tasty jam. Avant-prog influences show up again in the song's final two minutes, with violin and saxophone squealing and itchy as uncomfortable guitar chords push things along.

"Faithless Folly" opens on wide-open, spaced-out guitar chords. They're unusual, but there is an odd sense of warmth to them. The first verse is frantically whispered as the rest of the band gradually grows. Sax, bass, guitar, and wordless vocals start off quiet but swell bit by bit. There's yet another sudden shift to a new, odd-meter passage. The feeling is disorienting but addicting, with sax and guitar belting out an oddball pattern in between blasts of Mellotron and strange jazz riffage.

Moving into the middle of the song, things go in a much more Floydian direction. It's melodic, underpinned with glimmering organ, and there are long, languorous guitar notes. This is, of course, interspersed with more intense and madder musical themes. Van der Graaf influences come back in force near the song's conclusion. Much like the opening track, I'm left with a feeling that this borders on being jumbled. There are enough recurring themes to hold it together, and I like it a lot overall, but there are simply a lot of ideas here, even for a 10-minute song.

The shortest song on Blazing Revelations is the six-minute "A Rite of Wrongs". It also is the song that feels the most like one fully realized idea. It's a slow acoustic piece, and it's the most similar to what was on Impermanence. Violin and simple hand percussion call to mind acts like Comus or Harmonium.

The album ends on its longest song, the 16-minute "Lullaby for a Broken Dream". Its opening is slow, with rich Mellotron and some folky acoustic guitar. These voices are contrasted with some harsh electric guitar and sax lines, cultivating a menacing mood. The verses in this opening movement are hard-rocking, with crunchy riffs, propulsive drumming, and squalling sax arrangements. Sanderson's vocals are also strong and inventively arranged. 

Moving into a quieter passage, the bassist gets their turn in the spotlight. Acoustic guitar plays support to some warm noodling, and this passage is an effective foil to this song's opening.

Around this song's midpoint, the preceding gentleness morphs into a stormy, hard-charging passage. Fat, percussive clavinet contrasts against the cutting lead guitar line, and the eventual inclusion of Mellotron adds a sense of richness and majesty. As much as I enjoy the instrumental excursions of the second half of this song, it does suffer from the same minor ills as the first two cuts on this record. This is by far the most cohesive of the three long pieces, but it does still walk a tightrope between "adventurous exploration" and "just tossing musical ideas in for the hell of it." The closing passage is quite nice, and it acts as a lovely capstone.

Blazing Revelations is a more ambitious record than Impermanence, and I really like it overall. However, in deciding to put forward fewer but longer songs, Dominic Sanderson also took a structural risk, musically. The music on this record is all great, but the first two songs especially can feel somewhat scattershot at moments. Despite that, this is an early contender for the top of my nascent best-of-2025 list.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2025/02/24/album-review-dominic-sanderson-blazing-revelations/

The Revealing Science of Dominic

This one is really good. I started listening to this guy last year, and his music left a strong impression on me. Dominic Sanderson, a multi-instrumentalist from the UK, draws influence from Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and Genesis, as well as more modern artists like Steven Wilson and Radiohead. He was joined by several talented musicians on this record, some of whom he met while studying at the University of Liverpool.

His latest release, Blazing Revelations, is set for February 2025. Dominic made quite a stir in the progressive rock world with his debut album, Impermanence, released in 2023. The album received great critical acclaim, and he was voted #8 Best New Artist in the 2023 Prog Magazine readers' poll.

Dominic's second album, Blazing Revelations, was recorded and mixed in an abandoned radio station over a period of 10 months in 2024. A labor of love for Dominic and his band, the album showcases an eclectic mix of styles, from symphonic prog to Canterbury excursions and acid folk.

Now, Blazing Revelations is more complex than its predecessor, taking strong steps in the vein of Steven Wilson's first three records while also paying tribute to Genesis's Peter Gabriel-era classics from 1972-1974. The album brings to mind the Refugee record with Patrick Moraz, as well as elements of National Health. It has a vintage, opaque sound that creates an intriguing atmosphere. The four songs on the record flow seamlessly from acoustic interludes and intros to powerful electric passages that add that classic prog touch we all love.

With just four songs spanning 45 minutes, the record kicks off with From the Weeping Cradle, a 12-minute suite, followed by Faithless Folly, a folk-prog track with great rhythmic changes. A Rite of Wrong is the shortest song at six minutes, and the album closes with the grand finale, Lullaby for a Broken Dream?a 16-minute epic filled with solos and dynamic shifts.

Blazing Revelations is a fantastic record?better than everything I've heard in 2024.

The sophomore release from the young newcomer who burst onto the prog scene with his amazing Impermanence back in 2023 (my #21 Favorite album from that year).

1. "From the Weeping Cradle" (12:00) opening with a clavinet motif! If that doesn't impress, I don't know what does! Tristan Apperley bass lines, Embiye Adali's infrequent mellotron "rests" coupled with Dominic's complex guitar and Jacob Hackett's syncopated drumming then take us through the second motif--about 90 seconds--to the two-minute mark where the band smooths into a forward-moving WOBBLER/YES-like motif. The third minute sees the takeover of Dominic's soloing guitar before yielding to Hammond organ, flute, and over the next minute before everybody kind of comes together in a truly YES-WOBBLER fashion: gushing out a full-band weave of complex instrumental lines. Flute, Mellotron strings, and chunky bass take the fore as the band speeds along until 5:45 when the musicians break for a dramatic vocal delivery from Dominic that sounds very much like a Peter Hammill/Matthew Parmenter/(John Wetton)- like Shakespearean actor singing his lines--and he pulls it off respectably! Hammond organ, bass and drums take us out of the seventh minute with a little help from some acoustic guitar. Dominic's doubled-up Hammill/Parmenter voice returns in the eighth minute with some RPI-like harmony b vox but really this is a two-and-a-half minute Peter Hammill School of Dramatic Singing master's degree defense by the remarkable Mr. Sanderson! Full marks! With Honors! (And I'm not even much of a fan of either PH or VDGG!) As good a s (maybe better than?!) the founder himself! The VDGG music that fills the rest of the tenth minute and then continues into the fully instrumental eleventh (to the song's end) is remarkable for both its mature prog sophistication as well as its spot-on replication of all the skill and compositional intricacies of the music of the great prog gods at the peak of their powers: YES, VDGG, Crimson-- they're all here! Well met, Mr. Sanderson! (24.5/25)

2. "Faithless Folly" (10:27) reverb/chorused electric guitar notes and slow strums, allowed to decay slowly, open this song, occupying the first 90-seconds of the song. Then manic-whispering voice enters with minimal syncopated muted guitar notes and, later, a growing host of supporting instruments (including saxophones) and voices working their way into the weave, until a pause at 2:38 opens the door for a DAAL-like Crimsonian-VDGG motif in the fourth minute. With this style of saxophone worked into the weave, this could almost be SEVEN IMPALE. Then--big surprise--we get a motif at 4:00 that is uniquely jazz-rock-infused prog that sounds unlike much I've ever heard--maybe Ambrosia, Orion 2.0, Kevin Ayers, or Blood, Sweat & Tears with hints of Patrick Moraz, Motorpsycho, and Be-Bop Deluxe? Brilliantly original! Coming out of the "Gyre of Delirium" we finish the song while sitting in the middle of a circle of a rather amorphous "gathering" of disjointed and disconnected instrumental sounds--sounding as if each musician is sitting on a rock around a campfire, facing away from the central fire, each tuning or working through some fresh ditty or mathematical problem on their own instruments, in their own minds (and universes), totally oblivious to one another much less their surroundings. Interesting! Though not my favorite song on the album it is worthy of high praise for its inventive creativity. (18.5/20)

3. "A Rite of Wrongs" (6:19) opening with crackling fire sounds and dated "original" Mellotron single note sounds (seven seconds or less, of course), Dominic seems to be offering a tutorial/étude in 'tron mastery. But then two gently picked acoustic guitars (R & L) enter to bookend Dom's full-frontal vocal. The style and content of his vocal is so anachronistic: it makes me feel as if I'm watching a theatric stage performance at some summer Renaissance Faire, listening to a bard singing his heroic story around a campfire. The whole soundscape is fully anachronistic prog--as if without electrification! There are even theatric "monster/troll" noises in the fifth minute. The folk vamp with flute, guitars, violins, mandolin, and hand percussives taking us out is extraordinary! Again, amazing work, Mr. S! (10/10)

4. "Lullaby for a Broken Dream" (16:17) opens with some acoustic folk guitars and like-styled singing before Mellotron strings chords take over for the voice alongside the strumming acoustic guitar. At the one minute mark drummed toms and electric bass join in, supplanting the 'tron for a bit before guitar chord play and 'tron strings chords join. By the time the second minute is underway there has been a huge shift both sonically and stylistically as full-on VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR with Peter Hammill-stylized vocal burst forth. The complex, ever-shifting musical landscapes feel like one is flying over rugged mountain warscapes. At the four-minute mark the copter lands above a piano-peaceful lake for a bit before a VDGG bridge transfers us into a bucolic patch for a pensive walk around the Ant Phillips lake. Dominic's voice here is now more like that of At 6:35 there is a guitar strum that calls forth the Mellotron strings over which Dominic sings in a spoken-almost whisper about his broken dreams. This empties out into another bucolic early-GENESIS Swiss mountain pasture where the protagonist perambulates rather sudden-and-unexpectedly into a scene fraught with fearful noise and images. From there we're back into the tension-filled VDGG world as the tenth minute opens and unfolds. I hear RPI as well as a little JTull in the ensuing motifs--none of which last much longer than 30 to 45 seconds before we've switched channels to view a different aspect of what feels like a battle--though the main "battle scene" in the 12th and 13th minutes sustains itself for quite a VDGG little. Vocal and strings bridge at the end of the 13th minute leads into a bluesy-rock piano-supported electric guitar solo (left ear only). Quite a nice patch--the battle seems to have resolved and left the camera crew with a powerfully sad scene of death, gore, and peace. This is how Dominic chooses to let us out of his dream: with a long fadeout of this ambivalently triumphant and mournful and despondent motif. Nice work, Mr. Sanderson! Prog at its finest! (29.5/30)

Total Time 45:03

Since Dominic's last (and first) album he has obviously been to the Peter Hammill-Van Der Graaf Generator School of Progressive Rock Music as so much of this album--both musically and vocally--has come out replicating the styles, palettes, and tones of the 1970s' masters of dark prog. (And he's almost totally skipped over the VDGG 2.0 sounds and stylings of the other great master imitator of PH/VDGG, Matthew Parmenter/Discipline!) Though I do not include myself in that club of Peter Hammill, Van Der Graaf Generator, or Discipline devotées, I really love and applaud the music on this album. It's like a perfectly -engineered and -produced amalgamation of all that was best of the early 1970s done with an enthusiasm and mastery that the Early Masters didn't have the equipment and/or technology for. If I or anyone else was harboring any doubts about the seriousness of young Dominic's commitment to adding to the lexicon of Prog's Valhalla, cast them aside! The man is a fully-devoted, passionately-committed disciple! With Blazing Revelations it appears that he's even ready to teach us a few things!

A/five stars; a totally-impressive masterpiece of progressive rock music of a level that rivals anything that the Masters of the "Classic Era" ever achieved! (This is one of the top ten highest rated albums I've had the privilege of hearing from this, the 21st Century!) Between this release and those of Chilean band Chercán and the latest of Riccardo Prencipe's Corde Oblique, 2025 is off to a really nice start!

45 minutes that last forever.

Listening to Dominic Sanderson's latest album, ' Blazing Revelations' is like stepping into a prog time machine. This album proudly displays its influences, drawing deeply from the wellspring of titans like King Crimson, Genesis, Van Der Graaf Generator, and Gentle Giant. Yet, it never feels like a mere homage; instead, Sanderson creates a listening experience that is both nostalgic and surprisingly fresh.

From the very start, the dark, opaque mix sets the tone - a deliberate choice, in my opinion, that gives it that authentic "vintage" feel. The production is a masterpiece of balance: with enough classic analog warmth, but also just enough clarity to let each instrument breathe. The dynamic range here is breathtaking, allowing subtle nuances and explosive moments to shine equally. This attention to detail makes each listen rewarding, revealing new layers and complexities with every spin.

The instrumental choices are simply a godsend for any prog fan. The extensive use of the Hammond organ, mellotron, saxophone, and flute transports you straight back to the golden age. One of the most intriguing aspects of the album is the vocal performance. There are moments when Sanderson's phrasing and delivery channel a raw emotion and anguish very much like Peter Hammill, evoking the theatricality and intensity of the 'Pawn Hearts' era. The way his voice tenses and trembles in certain passages adds extra weight to the album's already immersive atmosphere.

While this is my first approach to Sanderson's work -having not yet heard his debut- it's clear he knows the terrain he's treading on. 'Blazing Revelations' is an emotional and sonic journey, the kind of album that begs to be revisited again and again. Each listen brings up new details, whether in the labyrinthine song structures, the play of light and shadow in the instrumentation, or the sheer expressive power of the compositions.

For those who yearn for the spirit of '70s progressive rock but are looking for something with its own personality, 'Blazing Revelations' is a must. Sanderson not only embraces the past, but embodies it, transforming it into something deeply personal and undeniably captivating.

Music: 5 stars

Lyrics: 3 stars

Execution: 5 stars

Emotion: 5 stars

Production: 4 stars

Artwork: 3 stars

Average: 4.16

Not every day I come across an album that really blew me away upon first listen and it was from an artist I never heard of before. That guy is Dominic Sanderson. Blazing Revelation is his second full release (he also released a couple of EPs as well) and can very well be the finest release of 2025. This is rather energetic prog that tends to the Peter Hammill-end of melodrama, especially his vocal delivery. He also has four musicians helping him, including Jacob Hackett who has no relation to Steve. He even has female keyboardist Embiye Adalı and handles things like Mellotron and clavinet (although Dominic also handles Mellotron as well). To me, this sounds more like a full band rather than artist with backing musicians. I can't get over the incredible playing, musicianship, and production. I've heard too much modern-day prog with stiff production, or it's too close to neo-prog or alternative rock for my liking. My favorite prog in the last 15 or so years have been from Norway, many on Karisma (Wobbler, Tusmørke, Lars Fredrik Frøislie's solo works, Jordsjø, etc.), Blazing Revelations could rival the best of those Norwegian artists I mentioned, probably the best thing to come out of the UK in recent years. The music goes from King Crimson to Peter Hammill/Van der Graaf Generator territory, with a bit of Genesis, with the most mellow parts a bit in the Anthony Phillips vein (or pastoral Steve Hackett). When they go in this vein, they might quickly jump out of that into a much more aggressive electric guitar/Mellotron part. I also think of Änglagård or the spinoff All Traps on Earth, not that what Dominic does sound like them, but the musical approach of constantly changing never knowing where he and his band will go. If he keeps up with this quality, Dominic Sanderson will be a force to reckon with in the prog community. This album might end up being one of my all-time favorites not from the 1970s, every time I hear it, I can't get enough of it, it's really amazing stuff with the production quality I've been wishing more of in current recordings. This isn't Echolyn, Spock's Beard, or the Flower Kings, that's for sure. Probably the biggest obstacle for some listeners is his vocals, clearly in the Hammill vein, but there are plenty of great instrumental passages. Personally, I have no problems with his voice, in fact I'm blown away a 25-year-old from the present day pulled that off. The more conventional symphonic prog crowd may have troubles with this album but for me this is simply some of the finest new prog I've heard in a long time, and it needs to be heard.