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The brainchild of the very-much-in-demand producer and mixer Felix Heldt (Feuerschwanz, dArtagnan, Visions of Atlantis, Warkings), German zombie-themed band Dominum have quickly gained a reputation as one of the bands to look out for on the live circuit, and for good reason, as they are an insanely good live act.
Sophomore album ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ gatecrashed the Top 10 of the Official German Album Charts, and live UK dates with Gloryhammer in early 2025 saw most fans running to the merch desk to snap up any albums available after scratching their heads, wondering where the hell the band came from. Not too shabby for a band that only released their debut album in 2023.
The “power metal” tag often attached to the band is bemusing, though, as most mentions of that particular genre conjure up dungeons and dragons, sword-and-sorcery imagery, and neo-classical guitar solos. Not so with Dominum. Fantasy-based and with tongue firmly in cheek (just like Feuerschwanz), Dominum are a great drinking band.
Dig a bit deeper on track four, ‘Nosferatu’, for instance, and there is a fantastic Russian folk music bounce to it, and with the gang-backing vocals, it is not a million miles away from what Gogol Bordello might sound like if they decided to ramp it up. Perfect for a night in a tavern, smashing steins together. Wonderfully cinematic, with loads going on in the background, and Heldt hamming it up as Dominum frontman/vocalist Dr. Dead, it’s a riot.
So much on ‘Night is Calling’ for the listener to sink their teeth into. The creepy, whispered vocals on the opening track ‘The Circus is in Town’ mixed with Dr. Dead’s harsher, rasping vocals, and the sinister circus music, lend a Tim Burton feel to proceedings. And if it was a Batman movie, then it would be 1992’s ‘Batman Returns’. Great drum sound throughout, courtesy of Victor Hilltop (another tip of the hat to The Walking Dead?), loads of creepy samples in the background, some insane breakdowns, but above all, hooks galore.
‘Doctor Doctor’ follows on, and highlights the more commercial side to Dominum. Very 80s-tinged in its delivery (Def Leppard-like backing vocals), it is impossible to resist, with earworms at every turn, it’s a perfect indication of how Heldt and Dominum can go from one extreme to the other in a split second. In essence, there are two categories that Dominum tracks can fall into: faster moments and arena-ready sing-alongs. ‘Children Of The Night’ falls into the latter category, as does ‘Dark Melodies’, which, without the horror aesthetics, would be a massive hit Stateside for acts like Shinedown or even Papa Roach. ‘I Don’t Drink Wine’ has a fantastic bounce to it, and it’s hard not to imagine audiences losing their shit to this one.
In the faster category, you could turn to bangers like ‘Night is Calling’, which features a knockout guest vocalist performance from new Battle Beast vocalist Marina La Torraca that highlights why she is one of the best vocalists on the scene today, ‘Jack The Ripper’, ‘Devil’s Son’, and the utterly bonkers ‘Endzeit’ which has some big moments packed into the few minutes that it runs for.
Heldt’s modus operandi – as producer, or performer – has always been about the hooks and melodies. And ‘Night is Calling’ continues this. Dominum are here for a good time, and the result is (like most things horror-related) wonderful escapism. Too obvious and cheesy to say that the album is bloody good?
Available now via Napalm Records. More information HERE.
Review – Dave
DOMINUM Live:
Night is Calling Tour 2026:
w/ The Night Flight Orchestra
24.11.26 FR – Paris / La Machine du Moulin Rouge
25.11.26 DE – Frankfurt / Batschkapp
27.11.26 DE – Hamburg / Grosse Freiheit 36
28.11.26 DE – Leipzig / Hellraiser
01.12.26 HU – Budapest / Barba Negra
02.12.26 AT – Vienna / Szene
04.12.26 CH – Pratteln / Z7
05.12.26 DE – Saarbrücken / Garage
06.12.26 BE – Sint Niklaas / De Casino
08.12.26 UK – Manchester / O2 Ritz
09.12.26 UK – Bristol / Bristol Electric
10.12.26 UK – London / Electric Brixton
12.12.26 DE – Oberhausen / Turbinenhalle
13.12.26 DE – Utrecht / Tivoli Vredenburg
15.12.26 DE – Berlin / SO36
16.12.26 DE – Hanover / Capitol
18.12.26 DE – Stuttgart / LKA Longhorn
19.12.26 DE – Munich / Backstage
20.12.26 DE – Nuremberg / Hirsch
Festivals:
03.-06.07.26 SE – Knislinge / Time To Rock
24.-25.07.26 DE – Bissingen / Wisdom Tooth Festival
13.-15.07.26 DE – Sulingen / Reload Festival
23.08.26 DE – Sankt Goarshausen / Loreley Freilichtbühne (w/ Judas Priest, Thundermother)
… more to be announced
DOMINUM online:
WEBSITE
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TIKTOK
NAPALM RECORDS
Portrait photo credit: Holger Fichtner 360 GradDesign
