DOMINANZ - As I Shine CD Review

ARTIST: Dominanz
TITLE: As I Shine
LABEL: Rock N Growl Distro
YEAR: 2011
REVIEWED BY: Trystan MacDonald

Industrial Metal is, in my eyes, one of the hardest genres of heavy metal for a band to be in. Major commercial success is scarce in the genre and many bands that attempt to gain a foot hold in the genre end up failing. If a band is able to gain a fan base it is often a minor one with bands finding it difficult to differentiate from other projects. So the fact that Dominaz combines industrial metal with Norwegian and atmospheric black metal is an ambitious move, but a risky one at that.

The album isn’t a disaster as one would come to expect after hearing the words Industrial, Norwegian, atmospheric metal, in the same sentence. Considering how BAD the album could have been, based on experience with each one of the genres, the album is actually pretty good. “As I Shine” offering a moderate balance of the different metal genres that it uses without over doing either one. There isn’t anything overly complex about the album, which I think does more good for this particular sound.

The only real disappointment to this album is that it’s not very fast. The majority of the songs creep along, referencing to the atmospheric metal influence. The band proves they can play fast, powerful pieces in a couple of their songs. ‘Eternal Sin’ is my favourite track solely for the incredibly fast guitars supported by the simple yet heavy drum beats.

The album is a unique one. I personally enjoyed “As I Shine” but it’s not a top favourite. Check it out if you want something dark and atmospheric but with a heavier tone.

TRACKLISTING:

01. Infinity
02. Agony and Domination
03. As I Shine
04. Eternal Sin
05. Abusos
06. The Philanthropic
07. Last Day of Your Life
08. Man on Top
09. From Skin to Heart
10. The End of All There Is