Goth rock cookery 101: Take a cup full of dark poetry, add in a dash of cock rock swagger and stir in haunting orchestration, sprinkle in a front man that’s equal parts Glenn Danzig and Elvis, pre heat in the studio, glaze with a slick production and serve. It’s a tried and tested recipe given a new lease of life in the form of Los Angeles quartet Dommin.

Fronted by Kristofer Dommin, Dommin are one of the newest additions to the Roadrunner Records stable in 2010 and this is the band's debut album “Love Is Gone”. The first thing that greets you when you put the CD in the player is the sound of twinkling, as if someone has just opened a music box, although it seems more like its Pandora’s. Tolling bells and Kristofer Dommin’s Danzig meets Peter Steele light vocals come into play and we’re launched into the first single ‘My Heart, Your Hands’ with its refrain of "How can I trust you, with my heart in your hands". So far, so Goth.


Over the next 14 tracks we are met with a variety of different styles and sounds, each song a macabre snapshot in its own right. From the AFI meets H.I.M sound tracking Tim Burton swing of ‘Dark Holiday’ or the cathartic melancholy of the title track ‘Love Is Gone’ and ‘Closure’ even down to the violin and piano led finale of ‘Remember.’ There is something for everyone. These are big songs with huge choruses designed for arenas and festivals that somehow feel intimate, like they were written just for you.

Lyrically the album deals with the spectrum of relationships. Everything from one night stands, trust, betrayal, break ups and obsession is covered in dark fashion and in a way that would have Ville Valo reaching for a notepad. RoadRunner have definitely stumbled onto a winner by signing Dommin as Goth rock hasn’t sounded this fresh in years. With bands like H.I.M and Type O Negative content on just writing the same album for the rest of their careers there is now a gap in the market for a new Goth poster boy to adorn teenage girl’s walls, and Kristofer Dommin is certainly that man.

“Love Is Gone” is an album that is both fresh and addictive and could easily see the band break out in a big way. Dommin have already supported Lacuna Coil on their recent UK tour and have now been added as main support to H.I.M’s March UK tour and as such you can bet that you’ll be seeing a lot of Dommin this year.

The bottom line is love might be gone, but don’t count on Dommin going anywhere any time soon.