Does anyone know the feeling you get when you feel like you’ve stumbled upon something truly great. That’s basically how I feel about coming across Dopamine and their EP ‘A Lesson In Dying’. I found out about this band because I heard they were going to be playing a small local venue in High Wycombe supporting another band Aconite Thrill. So I decided to have a look for them on Myspace and I found them so I had a listen to their stuff and I was just blown away. If you’ve never heard Dopamine before then I would describe them as sounding like Funeral For A Friend but without the screaming. "A Lesson In Dying" is the bands first release since joining Golf Records and is just full of energetic and infectious rock songs.
The EP starts off with ‘One Last Breath’ which is such a great song and instantly so catchy. If this song doesn’t get you dancing and singing along right from the start then I don’t know what will. Neil Starr’s vocals are really powerful and as he sings lyrics such as “This is my trust, you’ve broken”, it just sounds amazing. The next song ‘Destroy Something Beautiful’ is also stunning and will floor the listener with the super sized guitar riff. Then there’s ‘Dead Wood Floats’ which is probably my favourite song if I had to choose one. This song has a melody that you won’t be able to get out of your head for days and together with another enormous riff, its just awesome. Then the EP ends on ‘Beauty Queens and Blood Baths’ which is a bit heavier than the previous tracks but is still another great track. The swirling guitars and melodic vocals are again a strong point as Neil Starr sings, "Give me the answers, to all of your questions".
It seems so strange that I could have so easily not have ever heard of these guys but I am so glad that I did stumble across Dopamine because after hearing this EP I have come across one of my new favourite bands. ‘A Lesson In Dying’ has become the best EP I own and I really can’t wait to hear what Dopamine can do on their debut full length album. If there was one band that I could tip for the top in 2005 then it would definitely be Dopamine.
Dopamine’s debut album ‘Auditioning My Escape Plan’ is due out on March 7th through Golf Records.
You can check out there website at www.dopaminemusic.com.