Cemetery Filth – Dominion (Review)

This is the debut album from Cemetery Filth, a death metal band from the US.

Inspired by old-school USDM of the Floridian kind, augmented with some European influences, this is 39 minutes of highly engaging death metal.

Thinking of a mix between Deicide and Morbid Angel acts as an appropriate reference point, but thankfully Cemetery Filth offer far more than just plagiarism and hero-worship. Throw in elements of bands such as Malevolent Creation, Asphyx, Autopsy, and Obituary, (to name just a few examples), and you have the recipe for a very well-rounded and enjoyable slab of death metal.

These are well-constructed songs that explore a few different avenues across the running time of the album. The band clearly love their death metal, and are not short on ideas for how to best express it. The inherently brutal nature of death metal is portrayed authentically on Dominion, but there’s more than just brutality here. The band know how to write a good gruesome tune, and are well aware of how to use death metal dynamics to good effect. Melody is used effectively to help add colour and flavour, and the band aren’t afraid to invoke macabre atmospheres when they need to.

Each song has its own place on the album and reason for existing. All of them are strong in their own right, but taken together Dominion is a strikingly strong package. Well-paced and skilfully delivered, this is classic death metal done very right.

I haven’t even mentioned the vocalist yet, but his voice has impressed significantly. With growls that are satisfyingly monstrous, his performance is quite nuanced for the style. He won me over very early on. Great voice.

Dominion should be high up there on any classic death metal fan’s want list. Very highly recommended.