Artist: Dominanz
Title: As I Shine
Genre: Industrial Metal
Release Date: 19th August 2011
Label: Industrial Silence Production
Album Review
DOMINANZ was born of the ashes of CULT OF DECEPTION, which was formed by vocalist/ guitarist/ keyboardist Roy Nordaas. Expanding on its predecessor’s influences, DOMINANZ has a sounded rooted in industrial black metal which is similar to groups like KOVENANT and SHADE EMPIRE, but it isn’t as keyboard or computer led as some of the other bands. Their debut album - ‘As I Shine’ - features a wide variety of songs that can be as hard and heavy as black metal or eerie and dark as ambient metal. The opening track ‘Infinity’ features a lot of churning guitar groove that can tend to be a bit repetitive with the mix of droning spoken words vocals and black metal-esque snarl; very similar to the KOVENANT’s style. DOMINANZ also employ backing female vocals for extra atmosphere, and they go along well with the keyboards/ synth without being blown away by them or being too whispery. Other tracks like ‘Agony and Domination’ focus more on the black metal side by keeping the vocals all harsh; the only semi melodic and industrial part is the interlude which leans towards a more symphonic than sci-fi tone that DOMINANZ usually try to keep up throughout their album. In this sort, it makes the music sound more like DIMMU BORGIR, but that doesn’t detract from their sound. The guitars performed by Jørn Tunsberg are certainly black metal rooted and show influence from his former work in IMMORTAL.
‘Abusos’ changes things up a bit by aiming for a much slower pace and keeping the female vocals layered right on top of the main vocalist, making it a true dark industrial metal track that would appease fans of MARILYN MANSON. It is very dark, creepy, and perfectly atmospheric as an interlude moment to split up the album. The drums from Frode Gaustad are quiet, cymbal based taps that also heighten the industrial effects rather than their usual thundering blast which would create too many sound ripples and ruin the integrity of the atmosphere. ‘Last Day Of Your Life’ has a great amount of melody involved as the guitars go for a more of a single string collection moments rather than the usual chugging, cohesive chord assault. Mixed with the low, synthesized vocals, this darkly melodic industrial track combines the melody of ‘Abusos’ with the aggression of ‘Agony and Domination’ for the perfect industrial black metal track; not too heavy and not too cheesy either. Add in the female vocals near the end to add even more harmony to the music and it pretty much stands as the highlight of the album overall.
The closing track ‘The End Of All There Is’ tends to lean back towards the symphonic black metal side of things with a slow introduction from the synth, building up and keeping steady over the slow lumber of the guitars until everything really slows down and it is just the bass and drums which serve as a nice relaxing point before everything builds up again for the chorus with the droning clean vocals. This track is like a roller coaster, and would have been perfect if it didn’t include the samples of a woman having sex near the end; her gasps of pleasure don’t exactly go with the melodies of the music. Still, it serves as a good closing track overall to a highly respectable debut album. It may not be GOTHMINISTER (one of the leading industrial dark metal acts in the genre), but this darkly dark metal opus ha a clean sound that makes it easy to get into without feeling too alienated by a wall of sound and the versatility of the music from being industrial metal to black metal gives listeners of wide range of something to get into, so there is a lot to enjoy from the now-fully evolved DOMINANZ.
Tracklist
01. Infinity - 4:03
02. Agony and Domination - 5:56
03. As I Shine - 4:52
04. Eternal Sin - 3:22
05. Abusos - 1:08
06. The Philanthropic - 4:56
07. Last Day Of Your Life - 3:52
08. Man On Top - 4:19
09. From Skin to Heart - 3:47
10. The End Of All There Is - 3:37
Line-up
Roy Nordaas - Vocal, Bass, Guitar, Synth
Jørn Tunsberg - Guitar
Frode Gaustad - Drums
Website
http://www.dominanz.no/
Cover Picture
Rating
Music: 7
Sound: 8
Total: 7.5 / 10
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