IQ
Iq- "Dominion"

Over 40 years of career and you wouldn’t know it. IQ return after 6 years with their twelfth album and they still manage to make a splash. It’s said that time can erode creativity, but instead this historic English band has given the best of their inspiration precisely in their more recent works (even if their output isn’t exactly prolific, with waits of up to 5 years between albums). They were coming off two truly incredible (double) albums, overflowing with ideas and inspiration, so whatever form this new work would take, it was bound to be compared to its two predecessors.

“Dominion” is indeed a bit inferior to the previous two albums—this was almost inevitable, you can’t be incredible forever—but it really holds its own: the level of composition and inspiration remains absolutely high. The dark, nocturnal, and at times restless mood of the previous releases is still present, even if it’s a little less pronounced, a bit more polished. This time, IQ need just a single disc—and in fact, just 5 compositions—to display all their facets. Each track has its own distinct character while still being consistent with the album’s overall direction.

“The Unknown Door” is the suite of the album: a perfect 22-minute journey between darkness and flashes of light. It doesn’t have particularly remarkable rhythmic dynamism; actually, perhaps its very steady, flowing pace is what makes it the perfect nocturnal journey. Even so, it unfolds flawlessly without tiring the listener; and that’s also because it doesn’t lack variety—there’s everything you need for a great IQ composition: slow and reflective moments, acoustic passages, evocative organs, brilliant synths, slightly angular guitars, and cinematic-sounding openings. The breath of fresh air comes from the long electronic loops that dominate the first part of the track; these fit seamlessly into the fabric, make the journey intriguing, and never feel repetitive. And I’d also give a special mention to the subtle percussive touches that emerge in the long, slow introduction.

“One of Us” is the ballad of the album: short and acoustic. Placing it there, with its brevity, straight after the suite is risky; it could easily get crushed, overshadowed, diminished—but that doesn’t happen, because IQ apply just the right touch to make it great in its smallness. To be honest, it’s rather unconventional for IQ—those unplugged guitar phrases, as if the musician were perched on a stool, aren’t typical for them. IQ have always avoided this kind of piece, but here they want to make an exception, and they succeed brilliantly. They do it without betraying their essence, still sounding completely like IQ, maintaining the atmospheric and anguished mood without slipping into cliché folk or some sickly-sweet campfire tune.

And just as much finesse is used for what is, on paper, the simplest and most relaxed track, “No Dominion.” There’s no denying it’s the lightest song of the bunch (and not surprisingly, it was chosen as the lead single), but in all its simplicity, it doesn’t bow to market demands and fully meets the needs of the album, thanks to its dizzying keyboards that once again create a nocturnal atmosphere—but this time, a luminous and lively blue one.

“Far from Here,” on the other hand, makes its grand crescendo its main strength. The opening is the darkest moment of the entire album, with horror-movie-like bells; then the scene is taken by spiky guitar riffs, the pace grows, solos come in, and once again those sharp electronic loops make their appearance, all leading up to an extremely relaxed atmospheric finale. Perhaps this track could have been developed better, maybe the potential was greater than the final result—as it is, I don’t think it’s necessary to be too picky.

“Never Land” is practically an incursion into ambient, atmospheric music, and it’s almost shameless—a large part of it could easily have been written by an ambient composer and wouldn’t look out of place in a genre compilation. The poised and subtly brilliant melody, the strange sounds and reverbs that seem to emerge from immense (but not too distant) abysses, the soft, caressing bass lines—everything’s there. Then the track grows more lively and melodic, in a sense less cryptic and more accessible, much like what already happened in songs like “Closer” and “Ocean” (its closest relatives), but still keeps its relaxed mood intact.

To conclude, I’ll say that “Dominion” might not be “The Road of Bones” or “Resistance”—that comparison is awkward and really risks diminishing this work, so better to avoid it altogether—but once again it secures IQ’s place in history and reaffirms them as the disputed but still firmly reigning kings of neo-prog. Yes, more than Marillion!