This may be a new band to enter your death metal lexicon but the duo comprising this band will certainly not be as it is made up of Psycroptic frontman (can I say that now, or am I supposed to say front person these days) Jason Peppiatt who also performs guitar and bass duties on the album plus the talented guy has also done the front cover to the album. The release was originally slated to be a solo project but he has been ably assisted by his bandmate Joe Haley on drums who also controlled the recording, mixing and mastering duties with results you’ll find absolutely staggering here.

In total contrast to the technical and complex style of their day job in Pyscroptic, Domination Campaign is old school death metal through and through and takes its cue from a European centric styling particularly from the UK scene where acts like Bolt Thrower, Benediction and their ilk were grinding fans into dust in the early 90s with their bass driven warring riffing style. This is no cloning exploitation however, these Tasmanian devils are their own beasts, their ability to craft artillery laden riffs with a rawness and bleakness that matches their lyrical stance that leaves the listener with that sense of being bombarded on a battlefield.

There is no trickery, opener ‘Death Before Dishonour’’ sends an immediate message, its groove infested riffs indeed will have Bolt Thrower fans salivating immediately as its pummelling drum work rains down remorselessly and leads superbly into the title track which continues in the same vein. It is that bulldozing style that fans of the old school death metal approach will appreciate, the no nonsense gritty styling courtesy of sound and production, where Joe Haley’s mixing has been done to perfection, balancing every instrument so that it feels like a veritable onslaught.

‘As Daylight Breaks’ continues with half blasted momentum as here the song takes on a God Dethroned feel due to the speed right before the tune tangentially plunges into some doom-death Asphyx like sludge, it’s incredibly paced here. I particularly enjoyed how the album has some sleazy riffing aspects as on ‘A Modern Age Of War’ where the blast beat insertions are met with double bass carpet bombing, it really is like sonic warfare at times that endures into the excellent ‘Against The Odds’ where some cool density deviations are linked to the machine gunning riffs.

The album closes with the band’s namesake track, ‘The Domination Campaign’, a track steeped in dramatic flair before it blasts in. Again, we get some excellent super charged speeded up sections similar to God Dethroned again as the band continues their lyrical war stance and ensure that Domination Campaign will be firmly on your radar for many years to come and I sincerely hope they cross borders for a touring operation.

(9/10 Martin Harris)

https://www.facebook.com/dominationcampaign

https://dominationcampaign.bandcamp.com/album/onward-to-glory