Domination Black – Dimension: Death (2012)

It’s been 6 long years since Finnish ‘Horror Metallers’ Domination Black’s second album titled Dark Legacy, was released. Then in the end of 2009 the band lost their original singer Kapa Killgast and started a desperate search for a new vocalist. Eventually a guy called Matias Palm (known also for his other bands Heavy Metal Perse and Merging Flare) was found to replace Mr. Killgast and Domination Black were ready to kill again – at least with the new stuff they had so intensely managed to rehearse for their upcoming third record, which was baptized by the somewhat mind-tickling title Dimension: Death.

Domination Black’s ex-vocalist Kapa Killgast was a great singer, often being compared to Tim “Ripper” Owens, but so is the band’s new vocalist Matias Palm. Two great vocalists with two whole different vocal approaches, so suffice it to say there’s no point to start comparing them to each other. What comes to Domination Black’s third album, well it truly is different music-wise compared to the guys’ two previous full-lengths but that doesn’t mean they would have sold their souls at the altar of commercialism to gain more listeners to their side or anything like that. What Dimension: Death actually is, it’s undoubtedly a more mature, refined and thought-out package from the Domination Black camp, there’s not even a question about that. Musically the band has slipped a bit away from their heavy, Thrash-oriented Heavy Metal sound and added a remarkable amount of prog-ish elements into their current sound on Dimension: Death. The album sort of reminds me of what Dream Theater did on their Black Clouds & Silver Linings album, even if Domination Black use all those progressive elements more like a welcomed spice within their songs more than feeling an urgent need for getting credit as some full-blooded progressive Metal band, which they obviously are not – and should not ever be.

I would also say it’s a really brave attempt from the guys to open up the whole record with the album’s most epic and lengthy song called “Legacy of Fears”, lasting over 10 minutes, but then again, the guys have succeeded in capturing all the right and essential components into this song in order to keep it interesting and variable enough. In “Porter at the Gates of Hell”, which is one of my personal favorites off the album, Matias uses his whole capacity in a great way, at times managing to sound a lot like Rob Halford at his sixties. Guitar melodies in this particular song give a reason or two to believe the Murray/Smith span ain’t anything new to the guitar span of Domination Black, Wiren/Heiskanen (start listening from the 2:32 and 3:28 minute marks – and again from the 4:10 minute mark). “The Final Sigh” is a straightforward and thrashy tune, accompanied with Matias’ very Halford-like vocal approach, which gives its favorable and necessary kicks for me at least. “Angel Dark” slightly reminds me of some epic and pompous Tarot song, while a very catchy “Evilizer” twists my finger from finding this well-worn repeat button from my stereo system. The ending of the song is very Priest-like again mainly due to Matias’ raspy, high-pitched screams.

I must confess I had my own fears as to how Domination Black’s third would turn out to be like without their ex-vocalist’s presence as an integral part of the band’s sound. Thankfully all those fears have been wiped off now by the performance of the new vocalist and his band mates. Will this record become Domination Black’s own breakthrough album? Time will tell…

01. Legacy of Fears
02. Passage of the Dead
03. Porter at the Gates of Hell
04. The Final Sigh
05. Dimension: Death
06. Cold Touch
07. Angel Dark
08. Evilizer
09. The Hellbound

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