By Monk
The very term “power metal” immediately and inevitably evokes and invokes a sense of grandiose pomposity. Append the word “theatrical” as a preface to the generic terminology and you as immediately and equally inevitably gain as sense of the progenitors’ ambition to take things to yet another level of grandiose pomposity. And that is exactly what the suitably pompously named German debutantes Dominum seek to achieve with this first, equally pompous and grandiose full-length offering.
Drawing immediate sonic comparisons with Teutonic counterparts Feuerschwanz – an unsurprising comparison given that this particular project is led by songwriter, producer and long-time Feuerschwanz collaborator Felix Heldt – via the opening duopoly of the ambitiously titular ‘Immortalis Dominum’ and ‘Danger Danger’ (the latter unfortunately not a tribute to the hair metal band but a superb slice of tongue-in-cheek PM in the style only the Germans can produce).
With band leader Heldt masquerading as the character ‘Dr Death’ for the purposes of this project, it is just not as surprising that the 13-track debut takes its lyrical influence from the horror movie genre, and particularly its B-movie offerings, with songs about zombies, such as the title track, lead single ‘Patient Zero’ and the obviously titled ‘Cannibal Corpses’ and ‘Better Shoot Yourself’ – although you definitely will be wanting to do the latter when you’re subjected to the absolutely dire version of ‘You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)’!
One thing that has to be said is that ‘Hey Living People’, while grandiose, over-blown and pompous to the extreme, it is also rammed to the gills with memorable melodies and huge, hummable hooks with a poppy edge to most of them, very much in the vein of another group of countrymen (and labelmates), the Eurovision-bothering Lord Of The Last (who coincidentally have also released their new, covers, album this very day).
Overall, ‘Hey Living People’ is an album that could be perceived as disappearing up its own backside in terms of conceptual perception, but in delivery manages to retain an all-important sense of enjoyment and fun, both of which transfer to the listener and have you grinning inanely at some of its, well, more in(s)ane moments. Just as Feuerschwanz did two years ago, Dominum have managed to release an album right at the tail end of the year which manages to make us forget all our woes for its duration… well, if you discount that fucking awful cover 🙁 Otherwise, great fun \m/
- ‘Hey Living People‘ is released today (Friday 29 December).
- Dominum tour with Feuerschwanz and Orden Ogan in May and June.
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