ALBUM REVIEW: Onward To Glory – Domination Campaign

It’s somewhat fitting that Onward To Glory’s opening song starts with a guitar riff that sounds like a tank driving over a pile of skulls. DOMINATION CAMPAIGN are obsessed with war. Founded by multi-instrumentalist Jason Peppiatt, what was originally intended to be a solo project has grown to include his PSYCROPTIC bandmate Joe Haley on drums and this eight-tracker is their debut album. And it’s a bloodthirsty, but not unmissable affair.

Eschewing PSYCROPTIC’s technical wizardry and adopting a far more ‘old-school’ approach, DOMINATION CAMPAIGN are preposterously violent. This is no nonsense, neck-wrecking death metal with a grimly nihilistic atmosphere. Even with the flamboyant fretwork dialled down though, their musical abilities are obvious.

The drum work is top notch throughout, Haley dishes out blast beats so efficiently we’re not entirely convinced he hasn’t fused with his kit like some horrific tub-thumping Cenobite, while Peppiatt handles all the bass and guitar work admirably. The only let down is the vocals, DOMINATION CAMPAIGN could have benefited from a stronger singer as his abrasive bark isn’t always as deep-throated as it should be.

The individual songs meanwhile are all decent, if somewhat predictable. The likes of Death Before Dishonour and As Daylight Breaks are serviceable, meat and potatoes mosh numbers. They’re fast, heavy and succinct, with only two of them breaking the four-minute mark. There’s just enough variation to hold your attention too; The Sniper’s Gaze for instance has a methodical pace reminiscent of BOLT THROWER, contrasting nicely with the black metal vibes in Against The Odds’ taut riffage. There’s no glorification of war in the lyrical content either and you won’t find any noble heroism or honourable sacrifices here, just young men dying scared in their own filth.

The bad news is that anyone coming to this hoping it to be as mind-blowing as the last PSYCROPTIC album will be disappointed. As The Kingdom Drowns was a career best that rightfully won them heaps of praise, Onward To Glory is just a decent record. The laser-focus on battles is the most notable thing about it, long-time fans of this genre will have heard bigger and better albums already.

Consequently, DOMINATION CAMPAIGN come across like two established musicians indulging in their love of classic death metal and letting off steam during their main band’s downtime. It’s a long way from terrible but it also won’t be remembered as a game changer. They’ll probably get some good support slots out of it and so long as you don’t expect an all-conquering masterpiece, Onward To Glory is an entertaining way to spend half an hour.

Rating: 6/10

Onward To Glory is set for release on July 9th via Prosthetic Records. 

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