Every once in a while an album gets sent to me that stops me in my tracks. Recently I was contacted by a young man called Dominic Sanderson, a name already on my radar. After reading the press kit sent to me I was more than a little intrigued. Based in Liverpool, though originally from Wakefield in Yorkshire, Dominic is set for the stars methinks. He and hit talented band have both youth and musical expertise on their side. With his second album “Blazing Revelations” released 28:02:2025 and a host of live concerts queued up throughout the year, Dominic is a busy boy. With a host of fine musicians who in my opinion would put many superstars to shame, it is clear for all to see that as a unit they are a formidable force.
Dominic himself plays electric and acoustic guitars, Mellotron and sings. Jacob Hackett/drums and percussion, Tristan Apperley/bass and violin, Andy Frizell/alto, tenor and baritone saxophone,flute and last but certainly not least Turkish born Embiye Adali/Mellotron, Hammond organ, Clavinet,Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano. Blazing Revelations Was completed between January and November 2024 with the band fitting in recording sessions between family and career commitments. Dominic also enlisted help from his brother Matthew who provided the artwork for the album and co-wrote the lyrics on the last of the four pieces here. The album also features Joshua Joyner who mixed the album (in an abandoned radio station) playing percussion and Massimo Pieretti playing piano. “Blazing Revelations” was mastered by Jon Astley at Close To The Edge Studios and I can confirm did a fantastic job.
The brisk stabbing of clavinet heralds the arrival of the albums lengthy opening gambit “From The Weeping Cradle” this jazz infused prog juggernaut is high octane playing of the highest calibre. Mellotron heavy with drums courtesy of Jacob Hackett along with Tristan Apperley on bass make for one hell of a rhythm section. With such accomplished musicians as these guys are the drums and bass make for a very tight and secure sound overall. At six minutes into the piece Dominic lends his edgy vocal tones to the mix backed beautifully by his bluesy guitar playing. I had to do a double take at the voice emanating from the speakers as I was torn between Andy Tillison of The Tangent and Van Der Graaf Generator’s Peter Hammill? As a consequence I could well imagine any fan of the fore-mentioned bands would warm instantly to what Dominic and his band are doing here. “From The Weeping Cradle” concludes as it begins with eclectic, racy guitar and Mellotron with thundering drums aplomb.
With a dark and brooding start complete with disturbing whispers, it isn’t too long before “Faithless Folly” accelerates to the dizzying speed of the previous offering. Reminiscent of the “Discipline” era of King Crimson I found myself reaching for the volume control and turning up this complex and insightful interplay by all concerned. I was truly drawn into the music by its steadfast heritage with an added freshness to the mix. A song about the reliance of technology to create something rewarding yet at the same time crippling the human essence of its outcome. The frustration of this sentiment is conveyed very well indeed by the sense of vitriol in Dominic Sanderson’s voice. Once again here, disciples of Peter Hamill will find themselves right at home. After such a musical barrage I thought the tranquillity of a solo acoustic guitar to bring the song to a subtle halt was a master stroke.
The sound of a bonfire and forward in the mix Mellotron find Dominic and his trusty crew taking their feet off the gas pedal. The slower and almost pagan feel of “A Write Of Wrong” finds a lighter tone to Sanderson’s voice, and yet the song is about an exorcism. With such a medieval atmosphere given out by the crackling fire (which by the way can be easily mistaken for a bad piece of vinyl) I was surprised at just how smoothly the song slipped smoothly into a Canterbury sound. Being as I am a hufe fan of bands like Caravan I was instantly taken by this song and the way Andy Frizell’s flute and Tristan Apperley’s violin playing conjured up a whole part of prog music not fully exploited by many contemporary musicians with only a few exceptions until now.
With yet another haunting Mellotron fuelled introduction all stops are fully pulled out for the final song of the album “Lullaby For A Broken Dream”. Many bands have written songs about dreams going wrong but only very few manage to get the message across like Dominic Sanderson and his band. With all stops out a strong rhythmic bodhran drum pattern and horns lead into everything a Van Der Graff Generator and King Crimson fan could possibly want. I can even hear overtones of Soft Machine at times and I simply bathed in it. It was here that the keyboard skills and textures provided so expertly by Embiye Adali came to the fore. She really did nail the classic keyboard sounds and styles to provide the very last ounce of authenticity to a classic sound as she did throughout the whole album. Dominic’s rasping voice really hammered home the torture of broken sleep, nightmares and even night terrors no doubt aided and abetted by brother Matthew’s input.
“Blazing Revelations” is at the time of writing released on February 28th 2025 and is available via Bandcamp. As an album or even stand alone songs Dominic Sanderson’s refreshing take on a musical genre/style really is a breath of fresh air and dares not to be overlooked. If you ever wondered what Hatfield & The North Would sound like with a slack hand full of grit thrown into the mix look no further. Going, going, gone! Sold to the mani in the flares and platform boots. Platinum prog.
Available on Emerald green vinyl £20 / CD £10 and download……
Bandcamp: https://dominicsanderson.bandcamp.com
Website: https://www.dominicsanderson.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dominicsanderson1999/
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album5klhBt2gpllhlqK4wbN8fg
