DOMINUM

Despite releasing both of their albums to date in the commercially barren period of directionless limbo that occurs between Christmas and New Year, DOMINUM have made a significant impact on the world of high-concept power metal. It probably has something to do with their Olympic-standard goofiness and the absurdly catchy songs that founding frontman Felix "Dr. Dead" Heldt plucks from his feverish brain. An exuberant antidote to identikit power metal pedestrians, DOMINUM have been swiftly embraced by fans of the genre, and "Night is Calling" looks likely to be their most highly praised effort to date. Still dealing in lyrical themes of marauding zombies and nocturnal mischief, the Germans' third album is designed to be as wildly entertaining as its predecessors.

They are a deceptively subversive bunch, these undead Germans. "Night is Calling" is undeniably rooted in power metal, but these songs are too diverse and eccentric to be so easily labelled. "The Circus is in Town" kicks things off with the euphoric sounds of a traveling Big Top, and a stuttering rhythm that is guaranteed to incite a mass outbreak of drunken bouncing. Thanks to a bright and belligerent production approach, everything sounds enormous and satisfyingly heavy, but there is also a real pop sharpness driving these songs, taking them into unexpected territory. "Doctor Doctor" is another razor-sharp curveball that marries melodic metal to something quirkier and defiantly non-traditional; "Children Of The Night" adheres to a more usual power metal template, but still veers off track with impressive regularity, only to return to its instantly memorable chorus hooks at the vital moment; and recent single "Dark Melodies" is awash with melodic, prog rock elements and strident, alt-metal bravado, with Heldt's vocal warmth and chewable charisma elevating everything to new levels of incisiveness.

When new BATTLE BEAST singer Marina La Torraca graces the album with her presence on the thunderous title track, it feels like a major coup for Heldt's crew. The good news is that the Brazilian is an absolute powerhouse, and the song itself is utterly infectious. DOMINUM have such a high strike rate when it comes to catchy choruses that it soon becomes apparent that "Night is Calling" is wholly relentless. "Jack The Ripper" is as bright-eyed and uplifting as any song about a brutal murderer can be; "Devil's Son" is a carnival of theatrical uproar and horror-tinged playfulness, with enough dancefloor energy and gaudy color to keep FEUERSCHWANZ and BEAST IN BLACK fans happy; and "I Don't Drink Wine" is several times more demented than any song about zombie-centric teetotalism has a right to be. As an added delight, DOMINUM have included a fiery and knowingly preposterous cover of MICHAEL JACKSON's "Thriller" that, depending on your tolerance for pedo-pop, is an absolute riot.

An all-singing, all-dancing third album that is certain to cement DOMINUM's reputation as melodic metal's most momentous newcomers, "Night is Calling" narrowly surpasses the two records that came before it and, more importantly, is the most exuberant and fun collection of songs that Heldt has penned so far. More zombies, more metal, more fun. What else could you possibly need?