Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Fear of Domination - Create.Control.Exterminate. (2011)

Throughout the past decade or so of me listening to melodeath, I've realized that the bands I enjoyed or still enjoy are the ones that use keyboards without coming out as overused or pompous. Those bands include Dark Tranquillity, Starkill, and many others. As I continue my search for more bands with that sound, Fear of Domination has come up, adding more electronic synths than some of those other bands. The idea of blending extreme with electronic has already existed in bands like Shade Empire and The Kovenant that started off as melodic/symphonic black metal. Keyboard-fueled industrial melodeath is such a majestic mix!

The drop-C riffing that has modernized European melodeath was first taken on by Children of Bodom in the second half of the 2000s. Imagine that but with keyboard usage boosted up. After this album, keyboardist Niina Telen left the band. That's too bad because besides her mystical keys, her serene background cleans fit well together with the growls of vocalist Saku Solin (who would later join Turmion Katilot). His vocals sound so natural and not strained, unlike In Flames at that time.

"New World" greatly exemplifies this vocal contrast, while the music itself combines melodeath with Argyle Park-esque trance-y synths. More of Solin and Telen's vocals come together in "Pandemonium", perhaps my favorite track here. The song has some Norther vibes in both the music and vocals. Solin adds more depth and accent to his growls, and the end result is another unique blend of extreme and melodic. "Modify" has more experimental synths, almost like the synths Crown the Empire would later use. "Destroy & Dominate" brings on some thrash in the instrumentation sounding close to Annihilator.

While there's nothing bad at all in this offering, "Coma" is a bit draggy while staying energetic. The clean singing by Telen can be heard the most in the ballad-ish highlight "We Will Fall Apart". Then "So Far So Good (All for Nothing)" has a more metalcore-ish vibe from Norma Jean and Of Mice & Men at that time while standing by their usual sound.

The greatness increases towards the end of the album with the bleak standout "Tool of God". The next track "Control Within" is another epic composition. Your brain will never forget this steaming hot plate of industrial melodeath that would taste good for generations. The bonus Proteus remix of "Pandemonium" is better than the remix that ends the debut Call of Schizophrenia, but it's still a f***ing remix.

Create Control Exterminate is one of the best offerings of industrial melodeath. Don't get confused about the "industrial" part though, there's a lot more here to do with Fear Factory than Godflesh. The album is a h*ll of a ripper, for anyone wanting something heavy and at the same time electronic and cinematic!

Favorites: "New World", "Pandemonium", "We Will Fall Apart", "Tool of God", "Control Within"