FROZEN SOUL were formed in 2018 and they are from Fort Worth, Texas. They play traditional Death Metal. So far, FROZEN SOUL have released a demo, two split, and their debut album "Crypt Of Ice" in 2021. The sophomore album "Glacial Domination" was released via legendary German label Century Media Records. It was produced, engineered, and mixed by Daniel Schmuck (CREEPING DEATH; POWER TRIP), co-produced by Matthew Heafy (TRIVIUM), and mastered by Jack Control (AWFUL NOISE; DARKTHRONE) at Enormous Door Mastering, Texas. The album has a length of almost 43 minutes. I am writing this review outside in the sun at about 36 degrees Celsius, and at this moment I am not quite sure whether it is a good idea to review an album of a band that conceptualize the cold as much as FROZEN SOUL. However, right now I wish at least 10% of "Glacial Domination" to the place where I am. Two years ago, I reviewed the critically acclaimed debut album "Crypt Of Ice", which was a very promising album in my view, and I was very curious to see the development of FROZEN SOUL since then.

The album starts with "Invisible Tormentor" and this is, after a frantic start, a fine piece of traditional Death Metal mostly at mid-tempo, but with a few parts at fast pace. The riffing is simple, direct, and thunderous, the drumming contains a lot of double-bass and a few blast-beats. The growling vocals are between the low and medium end of the guttural range with little variation. The melodies are grim but have a certain catchiness. "Arsenal Of War" starts as "Invisible Tormentor" with a short pre-lude - here it is a battle scene - before the track starts at crazy speed. There is a frequent shift in tempo between the fast verse parts and the slower chorus parts at a measured pace. The track has a complex structure as there are a lot of shifts in rhythm and tempo throughout. The lead guitar solo is short, but very contributing to the track. This, alongside the various head-banging parts, potentially make "Arsenal Of War" a fan favorite, surely it is a favorite of mine. "Death Or Glory" starts very aggressive with the guitar riffing at mid-tempo. The melodies are driven by the riffing and the lead guitar contributions. The song has a lot of Deathcore vibes as there is a down-tempo part during the second half of the track. "Morbid Effigy" starts with an extended cinematic pre-lude building up tension. The guitar riffing is powerful and crushing and supported by plenty of double-bass drumming. The tempo is switching throughout from down-tempo parts at head-banging rhythm towards short faster parts build in between. "Morbid Effigy" is completely in Deathcore mode, especially with the thunderous down-tempo parts.

While "Annihilation" is a dark electronic inter-lude, the Death Metal onslaught continues with the title song. It is an AMON AMARTH inspired track in terms of tempo, riffing, and catchiness in the riffing. Overall, I should say, FROZEN SOUL sounds more like European Death Metal rather than US Death Metal. "Glacial Domination" is an excellent track regarding the riffing including the lead guitars, and the vocals, where Matthew Heafy (TRIVIUM) features as guest vocalist. It is no surprise, that the track is the official video release, and the YouTube link is provided below. "Frozen Soul" starts with another electronic pre-lude, before transitioning into a mid-tempo track with spine-chilling riffs and a few oriental vibes. While the verse and chorus parts are driven by the monotonicity of the riffing and rhythm, there is a short down-tempo break during the final part of the track. It is this merciless monotone riffing, which only adds a few leads and bit of double-bass now and then, that gives "Frozen Soul" an extra dimension and makes it to one of the best tracks on the album.

"Assimilator" continues with the same patterns, the same banging rhythm as "Frozen Soul", the same dark atmosphere, and the same direct riffing. The track includes a lot of double-bass drumming, and the lead guitar solos are the highlight of the track. The conceptual connection between "Frozen Soul" and "Assimilator" becomes evident as "Assimilator" fades out with a short version of the electronic pre-lude of "Frozen Soul". "Best Served Cold" continues with the same tempo, rhythm, and sound as the preceding tracks. Again, the tight and grim riffing is supported by plenty of double-bass drumming and that drives the track forward. The final part is another powerful down-tempo part. "Abominable" is introduced by a short cinematic pre-lude. The track starts at down-tempo with doom-laden melodies and grim riffing for the verse and chorus parts. There is a short break at blistering pace for the lead guitar solo. "Abominable" offers a few twists in tempo and rhythm and that keeps the track fresh and dynamic. The album closes with "Atomic Winter" and it starts with a war battle, transitioning into a final down-tempo attack with blood-freezing melodies and riffs as well as double-bass thunderstorms. It is a fitting end in terms of the sound and the atmosphere of the album.

FROZEN SOUL deliver an excellent Death Metal album. Compared to their debut album, they progressed and matured a lot. They found their very own sound and their conceptual niche. "Glacial Domination" is spine-chilling and devastating from the beginning until the end. Highlight of the album is not so much the individual performance, it is the collective effort and the overall sound. Having said this, vocalist Chad Green arguably stands out a bit as he keeps the album sound excellently together. The album is very well produced. "Glacial Domination" is among the best Death Metal albums in recent times, and it shows that FROZEN SOUL is on the verge of becoming a serious force of the Death Metal scene.