I COME ALIVE
If Covenant marked the zenith of Morbid Angel’s Satanism, Domination brought it to its pagan conclusion. The first indication came with the new green logo, a colour associated with life and its renewal, emphasised by the enigmatic album cover, fusing ancient Greek imagery with futuristic digital graphics.
From the first second of the opener beseechingly titled Dominate, we are confronted with a much more focused Morbid Angel, uniformed in a militant industrial strength production, courtesy of Bill Kennedy. The Laibach influence is now in full bloom, as the band bridges the gap between its Death Metal roots and the electronic elements that first reared their head on their second album, Blessed Are The Sick. Also reflective of this new direction are the lyrics, which finds David Vincent elevating his role from accuser to tyrant, driven by a Dionysian lust for power and its spoils, best summarised in the hoarsely delivered last line of the second verse - “Be a victor or be a victim”.
If Covenant marked the zenith of Morbid Angel’s Satanism, Domination brought it to its pagan conclusion. The first indication came with the new green logo, a colour associated with life and its renewal, emphasised by the enigmatic album cover, fusing ancient Greek imagery with futuristic digital graphics.
From the first second of the opener beseechingly titled Dominate, we are confronted with a much more focused Morbid Angel, uniformed in a militant industrial strength production, courtesy of Bill Kennedy. The Laibach influence is now in full bloom, as the band bridges the gap between its Death Metal roots and the electronic elements that first reared their head on their second album, Blessed Are The Sick. Also reflective of this new direction are the lyrics, which finds David Vincent elevating his role from accuser to tyrant, driven by a Dionysian lust for power and its spoils, best summarised in the hoarsely delivered last line of the second verse - “Be a victor or be a victim”.
“A Dionysian life task needs the hardness of the hammer and one of its first essentials is without a doubt the joy to be found even in destruction.”
Friedrich Nietzsche, Also sprach Zarathustra: Ein Buch für Alle und Keinen.
Following the attack of Dominate comes the hammering pace of Where the Slime Live, a track composed by a chain of monolithic 7-string riffs, and what might be Trey Azagthoth’s most mind-altering solo. The lyrics of this second track relate directly to the cover motif depicting the Morbid Angel pentagram surrounded by pillar-like structures of green mucus shrouded in a fierce wind emanating from the mouth of a pagan god. The term “slime” is here to be understood as those who seek to tear down without offering anything in its place, whom Nietzsche referred to as the “Tschandala”. It is a call to war against a sycophantic Judeo-Christian morality that attempts to tame man, as opposed to a traditionalist morality of privilege rewarding those who build up. The lyrics were inspired by a homonymously titled online forum and the absolute disgust Vincent felt for the values that it represented.
“Christianity, sprung from Jewish roots and comprehensible only as a growth on this soil, represents the counter-movement to any morality of breeding, of race, privilege: -it is the anti-Aryan religion par excellence. Christianity, the revaluation of all Aryan values, the victory of chandala values, the gospel preached to the poor and base, the general revolt of all the downtrodden, the wretched, the failures, the less favoured, against “race”: the undying chandala hatred as the religion of love…”
“Christianity, sprung from Jewish roots and comprehensible only as a growth on this soil, represents the counter-movement to any morality of breeding, of race, privilege: -it is the anti-Aryan religion par excellence. Christianity, the revaluation of all Aryan values, the victory of chandala values, the gospel preached to the poor and base, the general revolt of all the downtrodden, the wretched, the failures, the less favoured, against “race”: the undying chandala hatred as the religion of love…”
— Friedrich Nietzsche, Götzen-Dämmerung, oder, Wie man mit dem Hammer philosophirt.
Eyes to see, Ears to hear, partly composed by then newly hired Ripping Corpse guitarist Erik Rutan, further explores the theme of anti-christianity with a scorching mockery of Matthew 13:16, and the thralldom that Jesus preached as enlightenment — “The “I’s” and “they’s” cannot compare”. The intricate riffing found here is impressive, altering through a series of odd chords, coupled with Rutan’s signature pentatonic leads complimenting the dissonance of Azagthoth’s parts.
This brings us to the first instrumental on the album fittingly titled Melting, as it is almost as if its lush synthetic strings were purposefully designed to melt away the fabric of our modern world, replacing it with mystical visions of our pagan past. It was single-handedly composed by Rutan and shows just how ideal a fit he was for Morbid Angel. It is also worth noting how it sets the mood for the latter part of the album.
Nothing But Fear is yet another interesting Rutan composition. It shows him employing a wide range of rhythm techniques, of which some would become trademark of his own band Hate Eternal. Borne by the storm of the music, Vincent rages against his fallen compatriots — “You’ve dabbled in magic your fingers are burned”, and calls on them to take responsibility — “You can’t betray what your works have bargained for you”. The message here seems to be that wisdom demands sacrifice, and it is through sacrifice that one achieves victory. It is also one of the rare instances where Satan is mentioned by name, another example being Vengeance Is Mine of off Covenant.
With his “cold finger on the trigger”, Vincent takes us straight to the ideological frontlines with the aptly titled Dawn of the Angry. The aggression of the song accentuates Vincent’s call for civilian uprise — “Call of duty… all the minutemen rise and shine”, and the necessity of action asserted by his closing line — “Call of duty… only sovereigns stand the test of time”. Dawn of the Angry serves as Morbid Angel’s statement of independence, and would remain part of the band’s setlist, as they marched across the globe for years to come.
“Minutemen were civilian colonists who independently organised to form well-prepared militia companies self-trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They were also known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name.”
Eyes to see, Ears to hear, partly composed by then newly hired Ripping Corpse guitarist Erik Rutan, further explores the theme of anti-christianity with a scorching mockery of Matthew 13:16, and the thralldom that Jesus preached as enlightenment — “The “I’s” and “they’s” cannot compare”. The intricate riffing found here is impressive, altering through a series of odd chords, coupled with Rutan’s signature pentatonic leads complimenting the dissonance of Azagthoth’s parts.
This brings us to the first instrumental on the album fittingly titled Melting, as it is almost as if its lush synthetic strings were purposefully designed to melt away the fabric of our modern world, replacing it with mystical visions of our pagan past. It was single-handedly composed by Rutan and shows just how ideal a fit he was for Morbid Angel. It is also worth noting how it sets the mood for the latter part of the album.
Nothing But Fear is yet another interesting Rutan composition. It shows him employing a wide range of rhythm techniques, of which some would become trademark of his own band Hate Eternal. Borne by the storm of the music, Vincent rages against his fallen compatriots — “You’ve dabbled in magic your fingers are burned”, and calls on them to take responsibility — “You can’t betray what your works have bargained for you”. The message here seems to be that wisdom demands sacrifice, and it is through sacrifice that one achieves victory. It is also one of the rare instances where Satan is mentioned by name, another example being Vengeance Is Mine of off Covenant.
With his “cold finger on the trigger”, Vincent takes us straight to the ideological frontlines with the aptly titled Dawn of the Angry. The aggression of the song accentuates Vincent’s call for civilian uprise — “Call of duty… all the minutemen rise and shine”, and the necessity of action asserted by his closing line — “Call of duty… only sovereigns stand the test of time”. Dawn of the Angry serves as Morbid Angel’s statement of independence, and would remain part of the band’s setlist, as they marched across the globe for years to come.
“Minutemen were civilian colonists who independently organised to form well-prepared militia companies self-trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies from the American colonial partisan militia during the American Revolutionary War. They were also known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name.”
Hugh Chisholm, Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Rutan’s This Means War intensifies the already furious tempo set by Dawn of the Angry, and not only does it carry a declaration of all out war, but also a glimpse into the composer’s future victories with his own band Hate Eternal. The song became a blueprint for the grinding Death Metal of the new millenium, with bands such as Krisiun and Nile replicating its unrelenting tempo. Especially noteworthy here is Pete "Commando" Sandoval’s drumming, which really was second to none in ’95.
Caesar’s Palace begins with it’s main riff played backwards accompanied by haunting sound effects, while Vincent encourages the listener to look within himself — “Just close your eyes… can you remember / The generations not so long ago”. It exemplifies the traditionalist notion that our current problems are to be overcome by restoring the natural order of the ancient world through a collective process of individuation — “Make our past become the future once more”, Vincent emphasises. Azagthoth’s guitarwork is truly enchanting with it’s juxtaposition of complex rhythms and triumphant atmosphere, making for one of the standout songs on the album.
“Monarchies conform best to human nature and therefore constitute the most durable form of state.”
Rutan’s This Means War intensifies the already furious tempo set by Dawn of the Angry, and not only does it carry a declaration of all out war, but also a glimpse into the composer’s future victories with his own band Hate Eternal. The song became a blueprint for the grinding Death Metal of the new millenium, with bands such as Krisiun and Nile replicating its unrelenting tempo. Especially noteworthy here is Pete "Commando" Sandoval’s drumming, which really was second to none in ’95.
Caesar’s Palace begins with it’s main riff played backwards accompanied by haunting sound effects, while Vincent encourages the listener to look within himself — “Just close your eyes… can you remember / The generations not so long ago”. It exemplifies the traditionalist notion that our current problems are to be overcome by restoring the natural order of the ancient world through a collective process of individuation — “Make our past become the future once more”, Vincent emphasises. Azagthoth’s guitarwork is truly enchanting with it’s juxtaposition of complex rhythms and triumphant atmosphere, making for one of the standout songs on the album.
“Monarchies conform best to human nature and therefore constitute the most durable form of state.”
- Giambattista Vico, Scienza Nuova.
The second instrumental, Dreaming, sustains the theme of Caesar’s Palace with it’s simple, but somehow ancient sounding melody sequenced on a modern synthesizer. It has a great determined feel leading us into the last Death Metal track on the album, Inquisition (Burn With Me). Here we see Vincent tackling the reality of being rejected and ostracised for his politically incorrect ideas — “Could you imagine the pain / Why would my countrymen let me down”. He ends the song by stating his wish for revenge — “But the night is still young… I’m also feeling very bold / I think I’ll do some burning of my own”. Rhythmically, the song has a gallop to it intentionally evoking images of the Christian witch hunts of 16th and 17th century Europe.
Hatework, the album’s grand finale solely composed by Rutan, presents us with an Ernst Jüngeresque depiction of the darkness of the war that, according to Vincent, is coming. A war between the great ideologies of our time, between the past and the present. The militant snare rolls, blaring horns, ringing bells, and majestic riffs all aid the apocalyptic atmosphere of the song, signifying not only the end of the album, but the end of the world as we know it — “Hatework… and the earth’s left burning”.
While a classic, Domination remains a controversial album within Morbid Angel’s discography despite its strong artistic vision and elite execution. The critique is most often directed at Vincent’s “mundane” lyrics, which makes one wonder whether these self-anointed critics have actually read the lyrics? Probably not, but I attribute much of this ignorance to Azagthoth’s bitter dismissal of Vincent’s artistic contributions after his departure from the band. These emotionally charged statements have led to a revisionism clouding the minds of many Morbid Angel fans. I hope this short analysis can contribute to a deeper and more enlightened discussion of the album’s controversial lyrical content.
For further listening, I highly recommend Angelcorpse, who explored similar themes on their albums.
--- Written by FROZEN - taken from Revelation of Doom Forum ---
The second instrumental, Dreaming, sustains the theme of Caesar’s Palace with it’s simple, but somehow ancient sounding melody sequenced on a modern synthesizer. It has a great determined feel leading us into the last Death Metal track on the album, Inquisition (Burn With Me). Here we see Vincent tackling the reality of being rejected and ostracised for his politically incorrect ideas — “Could you imagine the pain / Why would my countrymen let me down”. He ends the song by stating his wish for revenge — “But the night is still young… I’m also feeling very bold / I think I’ll do some burning of my own”. Rhythmically, the song has a gallop to it intentionally evoking images of the Christian witch hunts of 16th and 17th century Europe.
Hatework, the album’s grand finale solely composed by Rutan, presents us with an Ernst Jüngeresque depiction of the darkness of the war that, according to Vincent, is coming. A war between the great ideologies of our time, between the past and the present. The militant snare rolls, blaring horns, ringing bells, and majestic riffs all aid the apocalyptic atmosphere of the song, signifying not only the end of the album, but the end of the world as we know it — “Hatework… and the earth’s left burning”.
While a classic, Domination remains a controversial album within Morbid Angel’s discography despite its strong artistic vision and elite execution. The critique is most often directed at Vincent’s “mundane” lyrics, which makes one wonder whether these self-anointed critics have actually read the lyrics? Probably not, but I attribute much of this ignorance to Azagthoth’s bitter dismissal of Vincent’s artistic contributions after his departure from the band. These emotionally charged statements have led to a revisionism clouding the minds of many Morbid Angel fans. I hope this short analysis can contribute to a deeper and more enlightened discussion of the album’s controversial lyrical content.
For further listening, I highly recommend Angelcorpse, who explored similar themes on their albums.
--- Written by FROZEN - taken from Revelation of Doom Forum ---
Interesting review. For me ''Domination'' is worse than previous classic albums of Morbid Angel, but maybe it deserves to pay more attention to it. Surely Morbid Angel is a great band and they have released very good albums after ''Domination'' as well. Only ''Illud Divinum Insanus'' was a total failure, but even the last one ''Kingdoms Disdained'' is good. It's great that author has mentioned the other awesome Death Metal bands like Ripping Corpse, Krisiun, Nile and Black/Death Metal Angelcorpse.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Domination was a turning point to the worser. After that, only "Gateways..." I found listenable.
Delete''Gateways...'' is the best album since ''Covenant'' and ''Kingdoms...'' is the best since ''Gateways...'', but not as great. Morbid Angel is one of the most important Death Metal bands for me. That's why this sentiment.
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