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DEHUMAN REIGN
Dawn Of A Malefic Dominion

F.D.A. (2025)
Rating: 8/10

Half a decade has passed since the last album by Berlin, Germany-based death mongers Dehuman Reign. Dawn Of A Malefic Dominion will be very much welcomed by the community, descending upon us like a rabid swarm of whichever insect you fear the most. Thankfully, the line-up is still the same as 2012 with Alex leading the line. He’s flanked by guitarists Ulf and Tesk, with the rearguard formation being propped up by bassist Rouven and drummer Totte.

The first track I heard off the latest album was ‘Let Chaos Reign’ and I’d honestly forgotten just how grisly Alex’s vocals were, and most importantly, still are. His guttural presence cannot be ignored here as the frontman literally gurgles over the tirade of malicious riffs. The band has always been one of the tightest around, providing an aural blitzkrieg of brutality.

Throughout the opus there’s a strong peppering of thrashiness alongside a Floridian death metal inspiration with bands such as Massacre and Death springing to mind, especially with some of the guitar harmonies. ‘Post-Traumatic Suicide Syndrome’ very much captures the Death Spiritual Healing era.

Far more aggressive than previous outing Descending Upon the Oblivious (2020), Dawn Of A Malefic Dominion brims with renewed vigour as the clan rage tirelessly through the hyper opener ‘Cursed To Feed On Flesh’ where Rouven earns his crust by putting in a whirlwind performance. There’s no sloppiness or even hints of ghoulishness. Instead, the guys construct humourless barrages where the focus is more on methodical and maniacal structures.

After an initial old style Kreator type of thrash, ‘Opium’ resorts to a marching arrogance and a melody that hooks immediately. Even with the aggression, Dehuman Reign remains extremely controlled within its framework. You can feel the Teutonic professionalism in every chord which results in an almost caustic environment. The Floridian influence remains though, especially on the aforementioned ‘Opium’ which heaves like classic Morbid Angel.

Another influence I hear throughout this album is Poland’s Vader, especially in some of the more belligerent exercises such as ‘Heretic’ and more so ‘The Ancient Enemy’. ‘Preparing Armageddon’ shifts with similar velocity, but Dehuman Reign can shift gears effortlessly while remaining potent, snaking from hectic blast beats to taut, snarling mid-tempo grooves.

It’s certainly been a while since the last album, but with Dawn Of A Malefic Dominion it feels like the German mob hasn’t been away.

Neil Arnold

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