Morbid Angel - Domination (1995)

[Riff Raff]

Track list.
1. Dominate
2. Where the Slime Live
3. Eyes to See, Ears to Hear
4. Melting
5. Nothing But Fear
6. Dawn of the Angry
7. This Means War
8. Caesar's Palace
9. Dreaming
10. Inquisition (Burn with Me)
11. Hatework

The follow-up album to a highly successful Covenant in fact Covenant is still the highest selling death metal album. I will say right here I think this is a mixed bag of an album. It has some very high points such as Caesar's Palace, Dominate, Where The Slime Live and Hatework but as good as those songs are there was something a bit off putting for me regarding how this album was mixed. The solos to me sound very sterile and way overproduced, absolutely no raw character that the first 3 albums before it had. Some of the drum sounds on this album sound sterile too, definitely not the best I have heard from Pete Sandoval but I think that was due to again a pretty poor mixing. I think there are also elements of industrial in there too which seems ironic given Trey said in an interview his band would never dabble in it. And we all know how much further they took the industrial sound. The vocals in some parts also sounded poor in the mix especially on Where The Slime Live.

I won't say the mix puts me off completely to where I dislike the album, as I said its a mixed bag because some of the songs were rather bland too and sounded uninspired. I would give this album about a 6-7 out of 10. Above average but not great.

My favourite songs Ill post below. Some things may be different on that but that is more that I learn more each time I hear an album.
Dominate.


Caesar's Palace.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

It's an underground album, mixed ,produced and recorded w/ an old time underground budget. Alot of underground stuff from the era is lacking in high tech recording devices ,equipment and even know how at times. That said I like this album a lot as I tend to listen to the songs themselves rather then techniques used to record them.

 

[Riff Raff]

I think it would have been better if it was more on the Altars or Covenant raw type of production. I dunno something about it just put me off. I think if it was more like Covenant I would love this album more. I respect your view too though. I do like songs on this album like the ones I mentioned.

 

[DaKillerWolf]

I grew up in the era so I,m just used to things not always sounding as good as you might hope from a tech stand point. Things are much different now, and pretty much anyone with a bit of know how can afford to get a much better recording, then alot of the underground material of that day. I can see how one would get used to much better productions then what was common back in the day in certain genres,having grown up in a later era ( other then those on major labels and some the better indies ).

I'm used to it and not as easily put off byt such matters if I like the album over all.

 

[Riff Raff]

I am pretty picky about that. I think production adds a lot to how an album is in quality. Depends on the band, album of course but sometimes an album can be defined for me by how good or bad it was mixed/produced.

 

[Riff Raff]

Cool interview with Trey. I am glad he shares my opinion that the album does sound way too sterile and yes the drums do sound sampled. It is easily one of the most over rated death metal albums on the planet.

 

[2LITTLETIME]

I have recently listened to the magnificent covenant.Ive skimmed through later morbid angel cds and remember being unimpressed.Ill give them another go in due course

 

[Phantasmagoria]

I think it's a great album. Not as great as Covenant & the first two...but still a very cool album.

 

[Riff Raff]

Has some cool songs on it but for me has some very weak tracks too and was basically the predecessor for what Illud Divinum Insanus would become with the ridiculous industrial shit Domination had specks of.
Formulas Ill review next and that will be a more positive one because Domination was not that impressive to me, very poor effort in the production.