Dominum might be a brand-new band but its four band members have already been or are still involved in quite a few interesting bands. Singer Dr. Dead has been playing guitar and singing for twelve years with Hyrax and has already been playing as a guest for power metal band Freedom Call and symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis. Drummer Victor is involved in Brazilian progressive metal band Stormental as well as symphonic rock band In Legend that should definitely come around with some new music after nine years of silence. Guitarist Tommy has also been playing with the aforementioned Hyrax and Winterstorm as well as with Neue Deutsche Härte group Maerzfeld. Bassist Patient Zero has also been playing with Maerzfeld but was also involved in numerous other groups such as symphonic metal bands Ad Infinitum and The Dark Side of the Moon. As you can read, these four men have much experience and have been knowing one another for quite some time.

These are the reasons why Dominum's debut full length effort Hey Living People sounds so coherent, experienced and tight and why the band has already been touring with experimental heavy metal band Die apokalyptischen Reiter and folkloristic metalcore outfit Equilibrium. The band's debut Hey Living People is only a few days old as I'm writing this review. Its regular version features eleven songs with a total running time of thirty-nine minutes. The limited version features thirteen tunes for a length of forty-six minutes. Three of the thirteen tunes are cover songs as the band has been using songs by electropop artist Billie Eilish, dance-pop band Dead or Alive and alternative rock band Midnight Oil.

Dominum's music is often described as hard rock, heavy metal or power metal. In my humble opinion all three categorizations miss the point. The band isn't traditional, rhythmic and gritty enough to qualify as hard rock, not even as a melodic take on the gente. The group doesn't have the complexity, energy and image to qualify even remotely as classic heavy metal band. The quartet lacks the epicness, speed and technical skills to fit into any power metal genre.

I would describe the band as melodic gothic rock band and not even consider it a metal group at all. The songwriting is short and simple with songs based around classic structures with verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge and chorus. The lyrics focus on horror topics such as zombies, infections and cannibalism. In the rhythm department, bass and drums are exclusively in the mid-tempo range. The guitar work is simple and melodic and rarely takes the spotlight. The vocals are melodic with a slightly gritty undertone and clearly dominate the band sound. Every song comes around with a catchy chorus that is meant to be sung by fans at concerts and festivals. The production is mellow and should appeal to a wider audience. This kind of approach has been working for many other bands in Germany and if the band has enough stamina, it's going to be just as successful.

Regarding the quality, this album is consistent, fluid and homogenic from start to finish. The songs invite to clap your hands, to dance along and to sing with your friends. It's the perfect record for Halloween parties or gothic festivals of which there are many in Germany. This record doesn't have much depth, if any at all, but it offers forty-six minutes of infectious fun. If this is what you're looking for, purchase this album and enjoy yourself to the fullest. If you want something more serious related to horror imagery, go give The Vision Bleak a spin instead.

Final Rating: 70%

Gotsu Totsu Kotsu is Japan's most commercially successful and critically acclaimed death metal band. Back from the Underworld is the trio's sixth full length effort after five years of silence. This album comes around with ten songs and a total running time of sixty minutes which logically means that the songs are on average six minutes long.

The most stunning element about this band is its excellent musicianship. The drum play is incredibly variable and offers everything from lower mid-tempo passages to thunderous speed. A few solos here and there add further energy at the right moments without dwelling on for too long.

The bass guitar play also deserves much praise. The instrument is played loudly, quickly and skillfully throughout the record. There are even some solo sections that shine brightly. They last long enough to be memorable but not too long to come off as exaggerated.

The guitar play is good but overall more serviceable. The riffs enter traditional death metal territory while the short solos are of a more technical approach. The guitar play is overall however a lot less experimental, outstanding and skillful than drums and bass.

The vocals are certainly the most boring element about this record. They offer standard growls that rush by without leaving any significant impression. From one song to the next, they sound completely exchangeable.

Regarding the songwriting, this output would have benefited from some more diversity. The bass guitar solos and stunning drum passages are certainly impressive but once you hear them for the third time, they start to sound a lot less spectacular. The guitar riffs and vocals start to sound tired after a few songs already. Only few songs break out of traditional songwriting stuctures with fast musicianship, long verses, short choruses and the technically appealing bridges. There simply aren't enough surprising songs like "Severed Head on the Prowl" that include some hypnotizing folk chants recalling the likes of Sepultura and Soulfly.

Traditional and technical death metal tend to be extremely overrated on many metal-related websites and Gotsu Totsu Kotsu already have a massive fan base. What Back from the Underworld offers is technically appealing death metal with excellent drum play, refreshing bass guitar sounds and intense production. The guitar riffs and solos as well as the vocals are only just above average. The songwriting is often by the numbers. Genre fans should be pleased once again but occasional listeners might only value this output as a good one as it's missing some distinctive courage to qualify as very good, excellent or even perfect.

Final Rating: 70%

After years of half-hearted efforts of meandering quality, Dutch septet Within Temptation has finally found its very own style on new full length effort Bleed Out. The band offers futuristic melodic alternative rock music with oomph. The eleven songs presented here are all between three and a half and five and a half minutes long and get to the point. There are no fillers to be found and the total running time of forty-seven minutes is excellent.

While metal purists and fans from the band's early symphonic folk metal years might not dig the record as much as they should, I would go as far as calling Bleed Out the greatest studio album the band has ever made.

The drums and percussion sound energetic, precise and tight from start to finish. The bass guitar offers decent rhythms to support the drum play. The guitar play finds a decent balance between energy and melody instead of losing itself in lengthy solos or attempting to steal the spot light from the other musicians. The keyboards are essential elements of each and every song, giving the whole record a mysterious futuristic touch of cinematic proportions. The lead vocals sound absolutely phenomenal as Sharon den Adel sounds confident, energetic, melodic, timeless and youthful. She has never sounded better in her impressive career than right now as this studio album proves what my latest live impressions have already been hinting at. The use of occasional guest vocalists to contrast, support and vary the music offered here is indeed very serviceable. The production is contemporary, organic and precise. Listeners might appreciate the final result on a high-end sound system at home as much as those using their cell phones on the train while getting from and to work.

The songwriting is consistent, fluid and homogenic as the individual songs sound focused and are rather catchy. The sum is greater than its parts as this release is best enjoyed in one sitting from start to finish.

The only reason why this output hasn't scored an even higher rating is because this homogenic release has no significant ups or downs. Everything sounds consistent and fluid from start to finish but the eleven songs don't have much replay value on their own as they fail to leave individual marks. It would have been great if the band had experimented a little bit more here and there but I can understand the group's approach to cement its very own style in the here and now.

At the end of the day, I would recommend Within Temptation's Bleed Out to fans of creative pop music, futuristic rock music and melodic metal alike. This record should please a lot of old and new fans alike in my opinion. If you get the chance to see this band in concert, you should definitely take it even if you must drive a few hours to get to the concert hall. Within Temptation's Bleed Out comes closest in bringing out the band's full potential. As a next step, the band should keep its line-up intact and build from here as even greater releases might be on the horizon. Please don't waste your time and surprise your fans with another full length release this year or next year as not to lose the great momentum. Please make also sure to release another excellent live release soon as this type of record has always been particularly convincing.

Final Rating: 90%

Some people might perceive Children of Bodom's A Chapter Called Children of Bodom - The Final Show in Helsinki Ice Hall 2019 as a lame attempt to grab some cash from faithful fans. Such a statement would however be everything but fair. The band had not released a proper live record in seventeen years and only counts three actual live releases in its vast discography. Even though this live show meant the end for the legendary band, its sound back then was absolutely phenomenal. Having attended two concerts by Children of Bodom myself in 2017 and 2019, I can tell you that the band delivered the goods until the very end and was one of the strongest live bands in the entire metal scene.

Everything about this output deserves much praise. The fact that it even saw the light of day four years after having been recorded is a positive surprise. The remaining band members deserve praise for this remarkable decision.

The cover artwork fits absolutely perfectly as it's typical for the Finnish melodic death metal pioneers and suits the context of a concert splendidly.

The set list including eighteen songs is absolutely brilliant since every single studio record gets at least one spot on this output. Classics from the band's early years meet forgotten deep cuts and material from the last very decent studio album. The running time of seventy-eight minutes is particularly generous. This release includes all killers and no fillers as there are no redundant speeches, drum solos or cover songs watering this release down.

The instrumental performances are absolutely outstanding. Drums and precussion are tight, precise and fast as they should be. The bass guitar sounds dominant, rhythmic and vibrant as should be the case for a metal concert. The melodic keyboard sound is absolutely essential for the identity of this band and adds atmosphere, elegance and melody all at once. The guitar play is absolutely outstanding as it's perfectly skilled, particularly melodic and incredibly fast without inducing any headaches. It shall never be forgotten that Alexi Laiho was one of the greatest guitarists in the world in any genre. The harsh vocals blend in very well, adding heartfelt grit to the stunning melodies.

The few oral interactions between the band and the crowd prove how great the atmosphere was during the show and that the band was still enjoying what it was doing until the very last day.

The production of this output also deserves much acclaim. It's detailed, gritty, organic, rich and rough. It makes listeners feel as if they were standing in front of the stage right there and then.

It's no exaggeration at all to claim that Children of Bodom went out on the highest possible note. This record should be spun time and again for years, decades and centuries to come. This is melodic death metal at its very best. This album should find its way into the collection of any metal fan and I would even recommend it to anyone who isn't listening to metal yet. Give yourself the opportunity to discover something amazing.

The only element one could criticize here is that there is no visual support to this outstanding show. Considering the circumstances, I can understand the decision but it would nonetheless have been a better option to let fans make this decision on their own.

As it is, this record is the best live release of the past year and one of the ten most important live records in the history of heavy metal music.

Final Rating: 95%

Mai Yajima is a singer from Kyoto and Metamorphose is her second full length effort. This record was released in a regular version as well as a limited version with a different cool cover artwork, a making of documentary and a music video. This release offers thirteen songs with a generous total running time of sixty-four minutes. Mai Yajima plays fast melodic power metal with symphonic elements that focus on her organic, powerful and soaring vocals. Artists and bands such as Mari Hamada, Schönberg and Unlucky Morpheus come to mind.

The great thing about this release is its incredible consistency. Metamorphose offers all killers and no fillers. The opening title track starts with epic orchestral arrangements before steady power metal elements come into play. The fast drum play, powerful bass guitar chords, fast and melodic guitar riffs and solos as well as the atmospheric classical keyboard sounds are the solid backbone for Mai Yajima's charismatic, energetic and skillful vocals. Her vocals never get annoying, boring or challenging which distinguishes her from many similar artists who value technical skills over emotional depth.

The charismatic lady also delivers the goods in catchy, dramatic and fast anthem "Black Swan Theory" that should tear your head off if you attempt to bang it while listening to this powerful tune. The orchestral elements might remind genre fans of X Japan's outputs from the nineties but Mai Yajima's vocals are much more energetic than Toshi's melodramatic performances that sometimes overstay their welcome.

Another track I immediately fell in love with was "Lunatic Isolation" that opens with gloomy, mysterious and sad orchestrations before fast-paced harpsichord sounds lead to an energizing transition into the dynamic power metal theme. This song is particularly cinematic due to its changes in pace and style as well as its dramatic symphonic orchestrations. Mai Yajima's vocals manage to follow all these transitions effortlessly which further underlines her remarkable skills.

To keep it short, Mai Yajima's Metamorphose is a very good symphonic power metal record that entertains from start to finish and convinces with perfectly skilled female vocals, fast power metal instrumentation and diversified orchestral arrangements. The organic production blends in perfectly and leaves nothing to be desired as other genre producers should take some notes. The only elements to criticize are that this release is similar to many other symphonic power metal records and fails to leave its individual mark in the long run. Genre fans should however most certainly purchase this record and might even rate it a notch higher than I have since this album grows with every single spin.

Final Rating: 90%