Fourth Dominion release new single, "Hill of Swords"

The newest single from Rochester, NY-based Deathwave band FOURTH DOMINION is now available on streaming platforms. “Hill of Swords” comes off the band’s forthcoming new album, Diana’s Day.

Bassist/vocalist Meadow Wyand comments on the song. “‘Hill of Swords’ was written in response to Kentaro Miura’s passing. It references the location in his dark fantasy masterwork Berserk, where the graves of the sacrificed are marked by swords instead of tombstones. As the song developed, it became an anthem for those we lost during the pandemic, as well as the invisible millions who suffer from chronic disabilities. Musically, I think it’s a poignant distillation of the styles synthesized on the record. The main harmony owes a debt to Iron Maiden, which is followed by Bad Religion riffing in the verses, and a layered John McGeoch-esque chorus. Dave’s solo and psychedelic tone during the bridge contain some of the best guitar work on the album.”

“Hill of Swords” is now available on streaming platforms. Listen at linktr.ee/fourthdominion.

Fiadh Productions will release Diana’s Day on CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital formats on August 1. The album confronts themes of queerness, feminine magick, and existentialism, and is already drawing critical acclaim months ahead of the album’s release.

Stream previously released FOURTH DOMINION music on Spotify and Apple Music.

Diana’s Day Tracklist:

1) Bloodstains

2) Lilim

3) Burn the Prisons!

4) From Below

5) Goetia

6) Hill of Swords

7) Death in Fall

8) Tormenta Purgatoria

9) Her Wings

10) Casca Dreaming

“In filth, evil stands.” A line from FOURTH DOMINION’s upcoming sophomore album that proclaims songwriter Meadow Wyand’s singular and novel point-of-view. An out trans frontwoman, her songs reflect queer trauma and defiance, as well as speaking to existential despair and spiritual divination. The group’s emotionally dense and literate songs draw just as much from the contemplative gothic metal of Anathema and Sentenced, as they do the unapologetic alternative punk of Hole and PJ Harvey. With compositions that are simultaneously somber, catchy and intricate, FOURTH DOMINION radiate a hunger and commercial appeal beyond the confines of heavy metal to which they are rooted.

Their debut album, 2017’s Wings of a Dying Crow, marked an important stride in developing the type of post-In Solitude heavy metal deathrock that has taken off in the years since. Its follow-up shows a love for Angel Witch, as well as the guitar playing of The Smiths and Siouxsie and the Banshees. The album reflects themes not often confronted in heavy metal: disability, gender, the divine feminine, anti-futurist queer politics, and sexual assault. Its exploration of trauma seeks to be a response and companion piece to Hole’s “Live Through This.”

With their forthcoming mission statement, FOURTH DOMINION showcases their ability to rise to the top of the new wave of gothic metal, or “Deathwave” as Wyand refers to it. Featuring new drummer Brady Mentz and the production talents of Casey Ahrens-Cavallo and Tom Gerwitz, the band have Frankensteined an album of profound emotional depth and commercial readiness. “When we fight, we bash back!” is a promise to both the queer empowerment the album represents, as well as the band’s uncompromising attitude for growth.