Rating: 6.2

Country: Australia

Release Date: 2005

Record Label: Grindhead Records

Track list:
1. Holocaust
2. God Has Failed [mp3]
3. Aeturnus Dominion
4. They Wait
5. Unsanitized
6. Global Cremation Suicide
7. Meathook [mp3]
8. Unholy
9. Cyanide  

Total Playing Time: 30:00

Band Website: Aeturnus Dominion

Aeturnus Dominion - Semper Tyranis

Jester - Vocals
Demented - Guitars
Spud - Guitars
Rat - Bass Ozi - Drums

Aussie "Bastard" metallers Aeturnus Dominion are going strong with their second album Psychotic due out very soon and the songs for the third offering Annihilation Process written. Grindhead Records have a lot of faith in these guys but for the time being the retro-loving contingent only have this re-release of the self-produced debut from 2004 to consume. On this basis we have a high-fat buffet of old school treats ranging diversely from Judas Priest to Morta Skuld with an infectious level of enthusiasm and simple groove.  

There are many amusing moments in the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, but Matt Damon and Ben Affleck going through their "Lion Face, Lemon Face" acting warm-up is the most appropriate analogy for the band's approach and the listener's response. The cliched bluesy groove of "Holocaust" with its adjoined "I don't know what haaaaaappened" clean vocal line gave me the worst case of "Lemon Face" since daring to eat a raw bulb of garlic. "Lion Face" mode is initiated with growls and aggressive trilling urgency and the cycle is repeated aside from an enjoyable lead employing well-placed emotive bends. "God Has Failed" has better balance due to its overriding Possessed/early Death vibe. Death rears its head again during "Meathook" (Scream Bloody Gore meets Eaten Back to Life) and during the Anthrax meets Death verses of "Cyanide".  

It is the title track that gels the strengths of the band together with cohesion, greater adornment, more subtle tempo alterations and rhythmic syncopation. By showing a willingness to break away from stale repetitive mono-paced structures employed too frequently elsewhere, the label support would seem justified if they continue in this vein (and tighten up their playing). It is not worth detailing the faults of a self-produced debut in terms of production as it is acceptable - nice to hear the bass EQ being varied according to the mood, though (e.g. the arabic fill during the intro to "They Wait").

November 19th, 2006