Hey Living People

Dominum might be a brand-new band but its four band members have already been or are still involved in quite a few interesting bands. Singer Dr. Dead has been playing guitar and singing for twelve years with Hyrax and has already been playing as a guest for power metal band Freedom Call and symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis. Drummer Victor is involved in Brazilian progressive metal band Stormental as well as symphonic rock band In Legend that should definitely come around with some new music after nine years of silence. Guitarist Tommy has also been playing with the aforementioned Hyrax and Winterstorm as well as with Neue Deutsche Härte group Maerzfeld. Bassist Patient Zero has also been playing with Maerzfeld but was also involved in numerous other groups such as symphonic metal bands Ad Infinitum and The Dark Side of the Moon. As you can read, these four men have much experience and have been knowing one another for quite some time.

These are the reasons why Dominum's debut full length effort Hey Living People sounds so coherent, experienced and tight and why the band has already been touring with experimental heavy metal band Die apokalyptischen Reiter and folkloristic metalcore outfit Equilibrium. The band's debut Hey Living People is only a few days old as I'm writing this review. Its regular version features eleven songs with a total running time of thirty-nine minutes. The limited version features thirteen tunes for a length of forty-six minutes. Three of the thirteen tunes are cover songs as the band has been using songs by electropop artist Billie Eilish, dance-pop band Dead or Alive and alternative rock band Midnight Oil.

Dominum's music is often described as hard rock, heavy metal or power metal. In my humble opinion all three categorizations miss the point. The band isn't traditional, rhythmic and gritty enough to qualify as hard rock, not even as a melodic take on the genre. The group doesn't have the complexity, energy and image to qualify even remotely as classic heavy metal band. The quartet lacks the epicness, speed and technical skills to fit into any power metal genre.

I would describe the band as melodic gothic rock band and not even consider it a metal group at all. The songwriting is short and simple with songs based around classic structures with verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge and chorus. The lyrics focus on horror topics such as zombies, infections and cannibalism. In the rhythm department, bass and drums are exclusively in the mid-tempo range. The guitar work is simple and melodic and rarely takes the spotlight. The vocals are melodic with a slightly gritty undertone and clearly dominate the band sound. Every song comes around with a catchy chorus that is meant to be sung by fans at concerts and festivals. The production is mellow and should appeal to a wider audience. This kind of approach has been working for many other bands in Germany and if the band has enough stamina, it's going to be just as successful.

Regarding the quality, this album is consistent, fluid and homogenic from start to finish. The songs invite to clap your hands, to dance along and to sing with your friends. It's the perfect record for Halloween parties or gothic festivals of which there are many in Germany. This record doesn't have much depth, if any at all, but it offers forty-six minutes of infectious fun. If this is what you're looking for, purchase this album and enjoy yourself to the fullest. If you want something more serious related to horror imagery, go give The Vision Bleak a spin instead.