Album review: Blood Command – World Domination

Blood Command have been a productive bunch. The paint had hardly dried on last year’s Praise Armaggedonism, which was released just 14 months ago, before they got going on the follow-up. Then again, that record – the first with vocalist Nikki Brumen in the fold – didn’t just revitalise the Norwegian quintet, but catapulted them to new heights in the process. So if they’re still fizzing from the adrenaline, it’s no surprise. After all, would you open your album with a bombastic brass flourish if you weren’t feeling like a badass?

Broadly speaking, World Domination feels more streamlined and considerably grittier than its predecessor, but somehow, it goes even harder. Heaven’s Hate thunders out of the traps in a blaze of energy and sass, while Stay Awake flirts with frenetic hardcore sensibilities and Forever Soldiers Of Ether speeds along breathlessly before artfully slowing into a big, fuzzy chorus. With only a handful of songs crossing the three-minute mark, some not even lasting two minutes, it has a relentless pace, where if you so much as blink, there’ll be something you’ve missed.

The overwhelming feeling is one of carefully controlled chaos. They throw their curveballs with glee, such as Welcome To The Next Level Above Human – a techno-rock sugar rush of a track that would make Electric Callboy seem tame – and almost crunkcore interlude Burn Again, which falls just about on the right side of batshit. Yet there’s also a sense of gentleness with the silvery, synthy pop ballads Decades and World Domination, which is intriguing but maybe not quite as memorable as when they’re on their home turf. However, where they do nail balladry is the warm, intimate acoustic number Losing Faith, which moves from denial to heartbreak with gut-punching effect.

It's impressive that an album with this many songs crammed into its tracklist can be this thrilling, and remain quite so consistent. There is a sense listening to it, however, that Blood Command knew they were always capable of it.

Verdict: 4/5

For fans of: Brutus, Scowl, Marmozets

World Domination is released on September 29 via Hassle

Read this: Blood Command: “It’s like this army of outcasts finding their place in the world”