DOOM GONG - DOOM GONG (2023) Hi-Res

There’s not much more you can ask from a band that combines psychedelic rock, jazz fusion, bedroom pop, lo-fi, and contemporary classical music, but Louisville’s DOOM GONG continues to deliver stellar collections, as displayed with their self-titled album, DOOM GONG.

Released on March 23rd, 2023, the genre-crossing work is set to see new life, as it’s set to reach its vinyl form with Romanus Records October 19th, 2024.

Starting on the lo-fi side of the spectrum, the album’s second track, “Still Hoverin’,” feels like a boat ride at the turning point of spring. Painting a relaxing image, soothing synths bubble over gentle percussion, as the rasped vocals give the song its mediating tone. Verse and chorus transitions are met with key and time experimentation, giving the song its unique edge as the soundscape shifts.

Driving things right along, “The Gong Rings On” takes things right to the mosh pit with its time signature-defying intro and interludes. The guitar drives the song as the synth supports its movement, creating a push and pull with a punk vibe. A swift drum break resets the intensity before going right into a spinning sax jive and coming right back to the motif.

Staying true to their theme, “GONG” grants a grand self ode as the track starts with unlimited clash, slowly transforming into an electronic daydream. Perhaps an interlude to the album itself, the song holds its place by exemplifying the exploratory facets of each melody. Sparkling video game-esque synth floats over pending guitar and telling percussion.

The thirteen-minute title track, “DOOM GONG,” serves to encapsulate the bands nature in entirety, dancing with each genre in their self-proclaimed “Denim Psych” mashup as the song builds. Almost like a desert playground, the song’s synths wind like snakes while the guitar and bass lead them through tastefully timed measures. Tempo, genre, rhythm, and texture are questioned in their simplest form to create a vast melodic image.

Formed in 2022, DOOM GONG has already taken stages by storm at music festivals like Big Stomp, Expansion Psychedelic Festival, Moonshiners Ball, and Moonshadow Music Festival. The band has released other works including 2023’s Dream Behemoth, for which the band collaborated with a full jazz big band.

Reminiscent of acts like King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, DOOM GONG is admirably spot on with their Denim Psych description, making each genre shine through and simultaneously weave a unique sonic environment. The group is teasing a new album and currently on tour, keeping the gong ringing far and wide.