After NWOBHM brought Metal back after some years in the underground due Disco Music and Punk Rock commercial success in the 70s, a concept seemed to be dead: music is about fun. Yes, because the idea of Metal as a way of life became a hardened concept that torn apart the idea of simply hearing music and enjoying a good time. But thanks God some bands tried hard to keep the idea of having fun with Metal alive, and one of these bands today is the German quartet DOMINUM. Such feature is easily found on the band’s second full-length, “The Dead Don’t Die”.

Felix Heldt (production, recordings) and Jacob Hansen (recordings, mixing, mastering) helped the quartet to shape the album with a sonority that’s clean and defined (so the melodies and instrumental arrangements can be heard clearly), but bearing the aggressiveness and distortion. It what their music needed to have a quality boost. The artwork of the album done by Michael Dorschner (cover) and Blake Armstrong (artwork, layout) embodies the fun side of their music perfectly. And as guest, here is Ben Metzner (of DARTAGNAN and FEUERSCHWANZ) appears as guest vocalist on “The Dead Don’t Die”.

It’s not so simple to describe in words what the band plays, because it’s a modern and ass-kicking mix of influences between Heavy Metal, Power Metal and Hard Rock in the traditional vein of German Metal School, but with modern traces as well. But these living dead are really up to create an energetic and powerful form of music that’s plenty of energy and great melodic appeal (sometimes it’s truly accessible, as heard on “Don’t Get Bitten by the Wrong Ones”), but with clear touches inherited from Modern Metal tendencies. And it’s truly amazing, a great form of music that’s here for you to forget the hardships of day-to-day worries, and to have fun. What more can one music fan ask for?

These living dead raised from the grave to make you feel alive and great, and one bit on their songs will bring you into their legion of followers! Hear to what they offer on “We Are Forlorn” (very good melodies weaved under a heavy outfit, with a great chorus with charming choirs, and what very good work on bass guitar and drums), “One of Us” (that follows the same tendency from the previous, but with very good effects and guitar riffs and melodic leads), “The Dead Don’t Die” (an accessible song with weight, great vocals and touches inherited from German Neue Deutsche Härte, as the hooking and hypnotic rhythms), “Killed by Life” (some touches of Folk Power Metal are heard here), “Die for the Devil”, “Don’t Get Bitten by the Wrong Ones” (the accessible appeal of this one is huge, and what lovely melodies and chorus), “Happy Deadly Ending”, “Can’t Kill a Dead Man” (a fine and heavy song filled with a catchy melodic energy), “This is Not a Game” (again the traces of Neue Deutsche Härte are clear) and “The Guardians of the Night”, have fun and become one more dead man in their legions. And there’s a great version for “Rock You Like a Hurricane”, and old success of SCORPIONS, here with influences of Industrial Rock being mixed with Hard Rock and Power Metal elements.

Listen to “The Dead Don’t Die”, enjoy and be sure: DOMINUM is about to become another great name from the German scene!