Now this is not just a curiosity, but a curiosity for a re-release too. Created around and by the genius/eccentric duo of IT and ALL of Vondur and Abruptum fame and with various members of Dissection and Swordmaster rounding out the band, most of you will realise that there is likely top be a somewhat unique outlook onto black metal herein. I mean these are the guys that put Darth Vader on a Vondur album cover...
Anyway, this was the bands third or fourth full length from 1998 depending on who you believe and once more songs are all based on the fantasy land of Ophthalamia created by IT. And nothing to do with an eye inflammation as I mistakenly thought....
So far, so weird.
We are led into this world of Elishia and her demons by a song that would not be out of place leading off a power metal album, all deep melody of guitar wrapped in flowing keyboards as hushed vocals set the scene (sadly without the lyrics on the promo copy). It ends abruptly and a traditional heavy metal riff strikes up before being killed by punked up black metal and croaked, harsh vocals for 'Time For War'. Combining some sublime melody lines with the harsher riffs and vocals and a variety in pace and approach, this really does have a charm and a spell to it.
The traditional metal influences return stronger with the almost boogie roll of the riff in ' Final Hour Of Joy'. Imagine Orange Goblin jamming with Immortal and you're almost there. Oddly shocking but it really works and the vocal delivery makes sure it keeps the sense of drama going rather than collapsing.
And this is how the album goes on: Never afraid of blending some seriously catchy hooklines with the black metal and poking bits of Dissection melodic death through any holes this is actually a remarkable slice of metal. You may spend half the album playing ' guess the riff' until you realise that most of the ones you come up with were released after this. I keep thinking of the word 'fun' too; not in a weak, mocking our parody way but in a sense of enjoyment in the unbridled music they play.
As a minor downside to some I think it’s fair to say that this does have a certain sound that places it in the mid to late nineties. So from that point of view it is dated, but not in a detrimental sense as it really stands out from the morass of cookie cutter, post At The Gates melodic death that continues to plague us. Dominion has a soul and a quality that those only dream of. It has energy and actual excitement as well as its own sense of dark fun.
Songs like A Black Rainbow Rising have drama and melancholy mixed in with the undeniable sense of mischief and the title track is a fun and excellent mix of Iron Maiden gallop latched on to Black Metal growl.
This will probably be a marmite sandwich too far for some of the most serious Trve Kvlt of black metal fans. But honestly if you have a sense of adventure, a love of more traditional heavy metal and just want to recapture a sense of fun and delight you could do a lot worse than this album.
And if you already have it? Well it is fully remixed and the full release promises liner notes by IT and a limited digipak. There are also four bonus tracks in the form of rehearsals but they do nothing for me but may to you. The album sells itself to me.
Something to just lie back and drown in. Fine stuff.
http://www.myspace.com/ophthalamia
Gizmo
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