Review: DogMe 96 ‘Moments From The Void’
History has always been telling the story of victories. It’s only through folk tales that newer generations could learn the truth. Alternative rock meets folk music in DogMe 96‘s sonic semi documentary that attempts to capture the forgotten tale of one of first expeditions to Antarctica — based on journal entries found in his great grandfather’s notebook that recount his uncles time abroad the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition in 1902.
Moments From The Void is a breathtaking masterpiece that reimagines this dangerous and failed expedition. For three years, DogMe 96 devoted his time into creating this album. He dived into the archives to trace down the documentations. He eventually found a failed expedition that took place in 1856, when a dozen men boarded a small vessel, poorly equipped and unprepared, set out to claim the South Pole as English territory.
With a rich blend of Scottish root, experimental rock, heartfelt vocals, and imaginative electronics, Moments From The Void instantly draws listeners into a vast world with a kiss of coldness and inside a small vessel, sailing out to the unknown. Between the bleakness and hope on this seemingly endless trip with a twist of tragedy, DogMe 96 captures the deadliness and brutality of nature and its breathtaking beauty.
The men on the vessels have a lot of spirits and hopes. Under these cruel circumstances, their spirits keep the vessel warm and easily touch your heart. There is so much life in the songs. Even when in devastation, their strength and bravery still comes out as a thread that holds everything together — Moments From The Void is essentially about them.
In clanging guitars and explosive drums, “Doomed” is a catastrophic, heavy piece. Noise-coiled vocals adds to the dissonant tone, putting an impressive spin on disorientation inside this deadly situation. Drastic and unpredictable. The sailors are fighting for their lives, but it’s a fight they can’t win — those silent moments of prayers are tearjerkers.
DogMe 96 pulls together an incredibly powerful project with massive creative attention. Moments From The Void has invaluable historical value, but it’s also a truly unique and original project that touches your heart.
The use of acoustic and electric, electronic instruments in this project is particular fascinating. “Blood Moon” is a great example of how DogMe 96 stretches out form and style to create something that’s indescribably heavy and looming. The men are at their last breaths, and their fate is sealed.
“Exodus” plays with secular and sacred textures of music, adding more layers to the duality of this product. After the event in “Doom,” “Exodus” puts you at the edge of your seat as the fate of the sailors are hanging on a thread. Their future is uncertain. Hope seems like a small dot on the endless sea. The only thing they can rely on is themselves. It’s a spine-chilling tale of despair and holding on until “Elliot’s Eye” opens in another dooming atmosphere.
