DOME RUNNER
apocalypse.pulse.worship LP
01. Retaliator
02. Subversion Shock
03. Stirred Impulsive Capacity
04. Frustrator
05. Weak Meat / Frail Star
Dome Runner is an utterly outstanding industrial metal unit from Tampere, Finland whose approach boasts one hell of an early-'90s influence bringing to mind Pitchshifter, Godflesh, Dead World, Nailbomb etc. Think crushing heaviness, mechanically thudding percussion, and just the right amount of dissonant atmospheric texture or subtle melody that at its best (which is often) exhibits similarities to the masterful aesthetic force of scarce Napalm Death tracks such as "Contemptuous," which is a huge compliment as far as I'm concerned! This might well be the most dead-on '90s industrial metal rerun that I've heard in the last 10 - 20 years. [Words by Aversionline.com for Dome Runner's debut CD but it applies here for sure].
Released September 1st, 2023
Limited to 250 copies on black vinyl.
CD version released by Annihilvs (USA).
Reviews
Following two years after the band made its auspicious debut, this apocalypse.pulse.worship. EP from Dome Runner shows the Finnish group pulling all the stops to grind the listener's psyche into dust. Fans of the earlier works of Pitch Shifter and Godflesh will certainly detect more than a few similarities in style, with Simo Perkiomaki's mixing managing to achieve an even lower fidelity than even those bands' first efforts; it certainly adds to the industrialized ambience, though it does by definition negate some of the finer nuances that might allow Dome Runner to stand above the obvious comparisons. For instance, tracks like "Subversion Shock" and "Frustrator" especially show Perkiomaki's capabilities as a vocalist, incorporating gritty and rasping melodies that nicely deviate from the overly distorted growls that permeated the opening "Retaliator," which along with the minimal and melancholy keyboards offer some tuneful respite from the otherwise relentless barrage of programmed percussion and shrill distortion. There is an almost PRONG-like quality to the riffs on "Stirred Impulsive Capacity" as the squealing harmonic pinches complement the fury and vitality of the vocals, and there is a certain compositional allure to the occasional shifts in tempo, mood, and rhythm, but the conspicuously major key progressions of "Weak Meat - Frail Star" almost feel anticlimactic amid the fervent onslaught of apocalyptic despair, as if to dangle a carrot of hope for the listener. That hope is immediately quelled by Theologian's remix of "Undemonizing Process," closing the EP out with dark ambience, martial rhythms, and droning guitars, the abrupt end making it all the more disconcerting. Of course, Dome Runner seems content to not reinvent the wheel of industrial/metal, and the dank production is clearly deliberate in its enhancement of the dismal lyrical themes. If nothing else, the band achieves what the EP's title suggests, though one wonders how much darker and dissonant Dome Runner plans to take things on the next outing.
- Regen Mag
A fresh release from Finland's DOME RUNNER is welcome news to me! Following on from their strong debut album, "Conflict State Design", "Apocalypse.Pulse.Worship." brings five tracks of grimy, rusted-out, wasteland industrial metal, with a remix topping it off.
Straight off the bat, this should appeal to anyone who can eat up GODFLESH, early SCORN, PITCHSHIFTER, SKIN CHAMBER, early FEAR FACTORY and the like anytime, much like "Conflict State Design". Grim, bleak guitar lines and noise textures are laid over repetitive, driving percussion, with heavily reverbed and delayed vocals. Of note is the fact that a real drummer is used by DOME RUNNER - this is usually a turn-off in that the hard, pounding, dehumanized sonic characteristic of drum machines are obviously a great choice for industrial metal, but DOME RUNNER makes it work pretty well ("O" doesn't play like a drummer, and instead emulates the unwavering, repetitive style of a drum machine), despite the drums sounding a little thin. I do like that a tambourine sample matched to the tempo of the drums is used through most of the songs, which should be familiar to anyone into GODFLESH, as it helps add some of the more mechanized feel that a drum machine would normally bring. Any small complaints about the drum mix, however, are compensated for by the strength of the songwriting - I really would have liked for this to be another full length as their command and knowledge of the early-mid 90s style is on full display, with a variety of elements such as desolate and morose atmospheres, slightly dancier parts, chuggy metallic headbanging riffs, and well-executed vocal styles both clean and rasped all present on this record.
The remix track is OK and brings to mind the noisier/harsher tracks off SCORN's "White Irises Blind", but with more noise and distortion on everything. It's the weakest track on here (not so bad since it's omitted from the 12" version), and like many remixes, made for a somewhat unnecessary addition, but it doesn't detract much from an otherwise great record that shows a continuation of what was established on "Conflict State Design". Recommended to any fan of the more serious late '80s to mid '90s industrial sound and has got a bunch of spins from me over the last couple of months.
- Live To Lose