MORBID ANGEL — Domination (review)

Album · 1995 · Death Metal

4/5 · 2010-08-17
J-Man

This Means War!!

My introduction to Morbid Angel was with their fantastic debut, Altars of Madness; a release surely among my favorite old school death metal albums. After playing the living crap out of that album, it was definitely time for me to purchase more from this U.S. death metal outfit. When I saw this album (along with Gateways to Annihilation) available for a ridiculously low price at my record store, I snatched them both up, came home, cranked the volume up to 11, and let the music immerse me. I was not disappointed. After such an incredibly positive first listen, one can only assume that each progressing spin gets even better. While Domination hasn't grown on me as much as I was hoping it would, this is a fantastic album nonetheless.

The music on Domination should be no surprise if you're familiar with Morbid Angel. Expect fast-paced death metal with somewhat melodic riffing, killer guitar solos, and some hints of technicality. One of the best things about Morbid Angel is their ability to create extremely memorable death metal songs that are all easily distinguishable from each other. Far too many death metal releases suffer from the fact that all the songs sound the same, but that is not the case with Domination. Every song here could stay embedded in your head for weeks on end, and when you finally put the album on you simply can't help but completely "rock out". Yes, this album is somewhat accessible, but the never-ending riffs never become tired, no matter how many listens.

Domination is a 44:42, 11-track album. A pretty good length for a death metal album, if you ask me. It also certainly doesn't hurt that every song here is pure and unbridled awesomeness either. My favorite tracks are Where The Slime Live; Eyes to See, Ears to Hear; Nothing But Fear; and Caesar's Palace. All of the songs are fantastic death metal compositions, though. I especially like the two interludes, Melting and Dreaming, both of which are haunting, keyboard-driven opuses. They serve as a nice break between all of the death metal intensity, and inject even more diversity into Morbid Angel's sound.

The musicianship on Domination is some of the best in the business. All 4 members of Morbid Angel during this era are extremely gifted musicians, and throughout the album this is proven multiple times. Pete Sandovals drumming often steals the cake for me (wow, that guy is a freakin' maniac!!!), but the two guitarists (Trey Azagthoth and Erik Rutan), and David Vincent's aggressive vocals and bass playing are fantastic as well. These musicians play together as a tight, never sloppy, unit - something that is essential for any death metal release.

The production is very good on Domination. I initially wasn't a big fan of the somewhat over-produced sound, and preferred the unpolished sound of the debut, but after multiple listens I've been proven wrong. The production is very powerful, and fits the music perfectly.

Conclusion:

Domination is yet another great album by Morbid Angel. Now that I have heard all of their albums, I can confidently say that this is among the band's best. Every song is memorable and unique, and that alone makes Domination worth 4 stars. Highly recommended to all death metal fans.