Label: GEP Records
Release date: March 28, 2025
Production: Michael Holmes
Album length: 53.08 min
Genre: Progressive Rock
Rating: 10/10
IQ, the champions of the British neo-prog rock movement, are back with a new studio album called “Dominion”. The title, which seems to hint at a conceptual angle, ties into the eternal themes of time’s relentless passing, aging, death, and the burning question every world religion wrestles with: is physical death really the end, or does a chance for a new beginning come along ‘on the other side’? IQ have tackled deep themes like these on earlier albums such as “The Wake” (1985) and “Ever” (1993), both of which rank among their most cherished achievements.
True to their tradition, “Dominion” is a very ambitious album packed with a few (pleasant) surprises and bold experiments. Of all the IQ albums, it has the least Peter Gabriel/Steve Hackett-era Genesis in it, unless you count the two commercially minded records from the late eighties. Those influences have followed IQ practically since day one and through the lion’s share of their career, mostly thanks to Peter Nicholls’ vocal kinship with the aforementioned Gabriel and the grand, often epic symphonic keyboard arrangements, even though, thanks to Mike Holmes, the neo-prog heavyweights have usually delivered a punchier helping of guitar passages than their role models.
Even though Nicholls’ voice, as always, unmistakably recalls Gabriel, “Dominion” takes a surprising turn away from the Genesis influences and flirts more with Yes (the classic seventies Yes, of course), especially in the instrumental sections, which will surprise quite a few fans. As a result, “Dominion” is also a somewhat ‘brighter’ album in atmosphere compared to the traditionally dark records we got used to from IQ, especially in the first two decades of the new century. That doesn’t mean individual songs don’t have their dark and melancholic moments here and there, but as a whole, “Dominion” is one of the most optimistic albums of the English neo-prog masters’ career so far.
“Dominion” has ‘only’ five tracks, but it opens with the 22-minute-plus epic “The Unknown Door”, which can easily be counted among the best ‘super-epics’ in the band’s history. Besides musing on a possible ‘new beginning’ after physical death, this masterpiece carries an ever-relevant anti-war message. After a grand, symphonic opening, accompanied by archive radio recordings from the start of World War II, Nicholls’ unusually serene yet traditionally melancholic vocals come in, inviting us on a real musical adventure between the doors of life and death.
A brilliant transition into an eclectic section with more emphasis on mighty guitar passages and a colorful spread of keyboard ‘palettes’ will instantly delight all the longtime fans. IQ have always been masters of dramatic build-up, and they stay true to that tradition here too; the song gets more dramatic by the minute until it hits a climax and shifts into a calmer, acoustic-leaning instrumental section, which, at least atmospherically, might remind some of Porcupine Tree. That only lasts a short while, because Nicholls’ vocals and rustling organs coming back in create a distinctly dark mood. Of course, Holmes’ occasional guitar solo masterpieces are there too, pretty much a given on IQ epics by now. The closing, ‘exit’ part is one of the most magnificent and successful in the career of these neo-prog veterans so far, and a real balm for the soul.
The acoustic ballad “One Of Us” is a huge contrast to the preceding epic feast, lasting just over three minutes. Despite its short length, at least by usual IQ standards, it’s no ‘filler’ but one of the most pleasant moments on the album, with a slight folk aftertaste. This is where the Yes influences first show up openly on the album, as Holmes’ acoustic guitar passages this time follow the school of Steve Howe more than Steve Hackett. “No Dominion”, which touches on the theme of regret over the death of a loved one and carries the message that death doesn’t have a monopoly on the end of human life after all (the title and central message of this album), is one of the most beautiful and profound creations in the band’s story.
“Far From Home” is a 12-minute ‘mini’ epic and the hardest-hitting track on the album, one that will delight all fans of dark IQ, since its atmosphere occasionally recalls the score of some creepy horror film. Keyboardist Neil Durant deserves a special mention here, treating himself to more solo breakouts and impressing with an even more colorful spread of eclectic symphonic arrangements than usual. The album closes with the distinctly optimistic and positive “Never Land”, which is at once the most melancholic and the most beautiful song on “Dominion”. Listening to it feels like dark clouds clearing away and the sun suddenly breaking through the sky. The mood and message of this song are a bit reminiscent of the Pink Floyd classic “High Hopes”, though the arrangements and rhythmic structure are completely different. Just when the listener thinks the song has suddenly ended, an unexpected shift into an epic section follows, with magnificent symphonic arrangements and another outstanding vocal performance from Nicholls. It would be hard to imagine a better way to close the album.
Even after the release of “Dominion”, IQ remain a superpower of the neo-prog rock movement. The new album is a masterpiece from the first second to the last, and one of those that, thanks to its complexity and the depth of its individual messages, reveals a new, previously overlooked sonic detail with every listen. IQ have spoiled us rotten over the past three decades: ever since Nicholls’ return in the early nineties and the career-defining albums “Ever” and “Subterranea” (1997), we always expect a new masterpiece from them. That’s exactly why it’s no surprise that “Dominion” fully lives up to (and for many, exceeds) those high expectations. True, they need longer and longer to put out a new album (this time it took six years), but it pays off handsomely, because they’ve created one of the best prog rock albums of 2025.
Author: Peter “Dr. ProgRock” Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. The Unknown Door (22:33)
2. One of Us (3:10)
3. No Dominion (6:25)
4. Far from Here (12:44)
5. Never Land (8:16)
Lineup:
Peter Nicholls – vocals, backing vocals
Michael Holmes – guitar
Neil Durant – keyboards
Tim Esau – bass guitar, bass pedals
Paul Cook – drums, percussion
