Metal Underground.com

Like the symphonic aspects of black metal, but can’t stand all the screeching? Can’t quite get fully into industrial or electronic stuff because it’s just not heavy enough? Prepare to meet the best of both worlds, as Nachtblut creates an immersive experience on “Domga” that’s dark but melodic, headbang-ready, and even occasionally glowstick-friendly.

The eleven tracks on “Dogma” almost universally balance the scales between black metal and symphonic metal, creating an extreme atmosphere that doesn’t just use the keyboards for backing effects. Every song has some unique melody, usually different from the track before or after it, which effectively balances these two opposing forces. “Iche Trinke Blut” for instance has a massively gothic feel that would be a perfect fit for a Castlevania soundtrack, but still throws in growls to keep up the brutal end. The frantic pace and electronic sounds on “Mordlust” would also make a fantastic addition to an Unreal Tournament-style shooter.

Tracks like “Mein Herz in ihren Händen” fully assume the symphonic black metal persona, and will be a hit for anyone who likes the idea of Cradle of Filth but finds Dani’s grating vocals to be massively irritating. Other songs slip away from the black metal aspects and erupt with unexpected industrial sounds. “Eiskonongen,” with its harshly whispered clean vocals, almost brings to mind a heavier version of Rammstein, and comparisons to that German act pop up more frequently as the album progresses. “Rache” and “Macht” in particular have stylistic flairs that are more intriguing than just straight up extreme metal can usually be, mixing a minimalistic electronic approach with metal and industrial.

There are only a few instances where the meshing of symphonic and brutal don’t work out well, like the ending of “Der Weg Ist Das Ziel,” with its little drummer boy marching beat and overly upbeat flute sounds. The last two minutes of “Mein Herz in ihren Händen” also go into a full on electronic beat with ghostly female backing vocals, which is fine, but it isn’t clear why this segment wasn’t broken off into its own track, as the style is completely different from the previous four minutes of music.

If you ever thought Rammstein should do some black metal, or ever wanted to hear Cradle of Filth with less high pitched screeching, then “Dogma” is a must-have album for you. It’s got a little bit of everything and balances massively different sounds together in a way that bridges the gap between the metal and industrial crowds.