Dominion — Mortification of Thy Flesh

Hailing from the Granite State, Dominion show on their debut album that searing, old-school death never died; it just lay hidden, presenting itself to a select few ready to let it rage forth. Mortification of Thy Flesh sounds like it came straight out of the early nineties, flourish-free and straightforward, classic, old-school death that will make us hardened old-timers do a double take. Many acts revel in old-school death, with some having better success than others, but Dominion have the feel and sound down pat. That's not to say that others aren't of merit, but this one manages to tick all the boxes.

Bookended by an intro and outro, Mortification of Thy Flesh houses seven slabs of death debauchery, BDSM, and other classic extreme metal tropes delivered with vile precision and fervent frenzy. Sounding like something from the humid haven of 90s Tampa, Dominion's debut album is steeped in tradition, both acknowledging its inspiration as well as paying tribute with sickening riffs, guttural vocals, and mid-tempo brutality. Recent "old school death metal" throwbacks are pretty hit or miss, with most feeling a bit clunky and not put together; Mortification of Thy Flesh is built differently, with each note, shout, and tone sounding like the real dead. If one were going into this blind, they would honestly have a hard time identifying this as a modern album. Personally, I often struggle with new albums hoping to capture this classic sound and wonder, why not push the current envelope? However, as someone who got hooked in the early 90s and hasn't strayed far from my favourites in day-to-day listening, I definitely appreciate it. Maybe it just needed to sound like Mortification for me to wrap my head around it, so I may have a few years of older releases to revisit. As above, this album feels like it's a part of the 90s Tampa scene, so fans of Deicide, Morbid Angel, Obituary, and Cannibal Corpse should give this a spin.

At first glance, Dominion's bondage masks and torture photos would give "gimmick," but playing their album quickly removes doubt. Having thirty-plus years of material to pour over, the band have picked their old-school aesthetic, honed their sound, and released a really ripping debut album with Mortification of Thy Flesh. Short and sweet, just like its inspiration, the album will scratch that itch with its vile chugging, rancid riffs, and gruff guttural vocals.