A bit of grand black-death metal laced with mania & madness, tension & atmosphere, frenzy & melody sounds ok, and that’s what Germany’s Horns of Domination are offering as their first full album release following a demo in 2015.
Winds blow. A sinister opening section signals “No Beyond (For No One)” I like the fact that Horns of Domination take their time to build up the tension rather than rushing in and losing the moment. The stormy winds return, and the fury begins. The vocals are strange, sounding in their effect like the daleks have dropped in, but the raw energy from the drum and creeping darkness emanating from the guitar create a turbulent and frightening atmosphere. It all leads up to a black thrashing crescendo – impressive. After a short and melancholic acoustic filler, the darkness-laden blackened death “Untamed” follows. It seemed to me that Horns of Domination tried to do too much here. Four switches in a barely four minute track is too much. I will give them credit for creating such a dark atmosphere. “Oscillating” has the distinct beginning of a funeral. Deathly growls and plunging riffage ensue. The song meanders on a bit, and is followed by a cosmic interlude. I was liking what I heard but it wasn’t hanging together. The title song follows. “Where Voices Leave No Echo” lives up to its spooky name. It’s a hard-hitting and weighty piece of atmospheric death metal. “Die Here, In Solitude” then takes us into the territory of deathly rock n roll, cutting back to deep pungency and finding itself in an impressive dark space between. To finish, “Throne of Ecstasy” gives us raw frenzy and another face of this interesting band.
There are a lot of tempo and mood switches over the course of this album, and I don’t think they always did it any favours. Yet the dark and dingy atmospheres that Horns of Domination create are second to none. Somewhere out there I foresee a killer work by this band. “Where Voices Leave No Echo” isn’t it in my view but it’s a strangely addictive album nevertheless.
(7.5/10 Andrew Doherty)
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