Album Review: Demise and Domination – The Black Sunrise (Machine Man Records)

Created in early 2014, Demise and Domination is a solo project from Nate Exx Gradowski of AutomatoN, Quo and Isolated Antagonist. With influences ranging from Fear Factory to Godflesh to Strapping Young Lad, each album is a concept that deals with an evil government in a fictitious world.

Their self-titled debut album was released on March 28th, 2014 with both follow up albums, ‘The Order Within’ and ‘Organism’, released later that same year.

After a long 4 year hiatus, Demise and Domination have returned with their latest release, ‘The Black Sunrise’, which was released on the 6th May 2018.

Fans of early Fear Factory and Godflesh will feel very much at home with Demise and Domination’s latest offering. Ten tracks of futuristic/sci-if sounding industrial metal that provides crushing heaviness laced with darkness.

It’s very hard to move away from just how much the album sounds like other industrial bands at first as Authority Rising’s blast-beats and scratchy vocals sound so familiar. In fact, you could argue that if you didn’t know better then you could be easily swayed into believing this was the industrial metal pioneers.

Even the likes of Containment with its clean, soaring vocals and apocalyptic atmosphere is way too familiar and distracting.

When things do take a more unique shape it at least is done with plenty of heart and conviction. Vapour is a pulverising effort, Disaster is filled with all manner of deep chunky groove and the title track sees things out in comfortable but impactful fashion.

An impressive production job goes far to making The Black Sunrise a good listen even if you can’t escape its similarities to certain other bands.

Demise and Domination – The Black Sunrise Full Track Listing:

1. What You Should Know
2. Authority Rising
3. Incinerate
4. Killzone
5. Containment
6. Vapour
7. The Wind Calls
8. Mind Control
9. Disaster
10. The Black Sunrise

The Black Sunrise is out now via all major streaming platforms including Bandcamp below. Find out more by checking out Demise and Domination’s Facebook Page.