Dolium’s The Products of Our Own Demands and Commands is a blistering, four-disc voyage through the gritty, raw, and unrefined corners of post-punk, scuzz rock, and noise rock. This 4xCD box set is more than a collection of songs, it’s an archive of the turbulent, electrifying sound that defined Dolium’s impact on the late nineties and early noughties UK underground scene. Assembled to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sister 9 Recordings, this release is like a trip back in time to the era of dirty basements and DIY shows, while offering newly remastered clarity that lets the music hit harder than ever. This box set encapsulates Dolium’s uncompromising ethos: the guitars are heavily distorted and filthy, every riff gnawing away like machinery on overdrive. The scuzzy guitar work has that abrasive, feedback-laden edge that sounds like it’s meant to tear apart the listener’s eardrums. But there’s also controlled chaos here, with each riff carefully positioned to keep the energy dialed up to eleven without collapsing into noise for noise’s sake. It’s a style that recalls the reckless abandon of early Sonic Youth or The Jesus and Mary Chain, but with a fiercer punk backbone. Even after the remaster, the recordings keep that lo-fi authenticity, a sort of sonic patina that keeps Dolium’s sound earthy and immediate. The guitars seem to revel in their own filth, with tones that are muddy but somehow cut through, a paradox of sonic textures that feels raw yet genuinely alive.
The vocal performance is equally powerful, delivering a mix of snarling lead lines and resonant back vocals that hit like battle cries. Rhys Bloodjoy’s vocals carry an authentic, punk-tinted urgency, tinged with defiance and discontent that feels perfectly aligned with the abrasive instrumentation. The backing vocals and singalongs provide a sense of camaraderie, amplifying the rebellion that Dolium embodies. Together, these vocal layers create an atmosphere that feels like a rallying call, resonating with the same communal spirit that drove so many DIY punk scenes. These vocal layers don’t just echo, they charge the music with an added sense of unrest, a sort of defiant solidarity that elevates every chorus into something that feels larger than life. There’s an undeniable presence in these vocals, capturing the essence of an unfiltered and unapologetic punk rock ethos. Meanwhile, the basslines are a marvel of their own. Warm, throbbing, and unmistakably present, the bass is no mere background element, it’s a fully engaged player in Dolium’s sonic landscape, anchoring the chaos with a constant pulse that grounds the music’s ferocity. The bass doesn’t merely support the guitars, it actively interacts with them, adding heavy and danceable complexity and rhythm. Each note resonates with a fullness that fills out the band’s sound, and in tracks where the guitars stray into almost unbridled noise, those basslines keep everything in line. There’s an intricacy to the basslines that’s unusual for the genre, a warm tone that contrasts beautifully with the rawness of the guitars, making the listening experience feel cohesive and richly layered.
The drumming propels the music with a relentless energy that refuses to let up. The drums are a constant, unyielding force, tight, punchy, and punctuated by rhythmic shifts that keep the listener on their toes. In true punk fashion, the beats are aggressive and propulsive, yet they’re precise enough to add complexity to the chaos. It’s as if each beat is calculated to land like a punch, and the fills bring a welcome chaos that electrifies each song’s intensity. There are moments when the drumming shifts to a half-time groove, allowing the music to breathe before charging back with twice the power, showcasing a sense of timing that keeps the songs dynamic without ever losing the frenetic pulse that drives Dolium’s sound. The drumming here is the heartbeat of the box set, creating an engine-like energy that pulls the listener through each disc with relentless momentum. One of the most impressive things about this box set is how it preserves the DIY spirit and rawness of Dolium’s earliest days while presenting their music in a way that feels accessible to new listeners. Rhys Bloodjoy’s remastering has given each recording a new dimension, allowing the intensity and grime of the original tracks to shine with renewed clarity. There’s an added depth to the production that highlights the nuances in each track, from the haunting echoes of feedback to the layered vocal harmonies. For longtime fans, this comprehensive collection offers a fresh take on Dolium’s discography, pulling out hidden details that might have been lost in the original mixes, while for newcomers, it provides an entry point that showcases the full range of the band’s capabilities.
The packaging and extras included in this box set make it even more of a treasure for fans. A 32-page booklet filled with art, photos, and personal notes adds a visual and narrative layer that perfectly complements the music. It’s like flipping through a scrapbook of their journey, a visual narrative that brings the story of Dolium to life. The inclusion of unreleased recordings, especially the long-lost third album Brother Transistor, is a thrill for fans who’ve followed the band since their early days, giving a sense of discovery that makes the box set feel historic. These recordings aren’t mere afterthoughts, they’re powerful statements that add even more depth to the band’s legacy, capturing their raw experimentation and relentless spirit. The Products of Our Own Demands and Commands is a masterpiece, a four-disc celebration of Dolium’s gritty, abrasive sound that reminds us why they were such an essential part of the UK’s post-punk and scuzz rock scenes. It’s a must-have for anyone who appreciates the intensity of punk rock, noise rock, and scuzz rock music. It’s a chaotic, beautiful, and powerful reminder of a band that has always been unapologetically themselves, capturing the essence of DIY music and rebellion in every facet fo their discography. Head to Sister 9 Recordings for more information about ordering this gem.
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