Yet more solid 2010 death metal that I’m just now getting around to. This time, in the way and form of dynamic North Carolina duo, Domination Through Impurity, and their second release Masochist.

Domination Through Impurity is the brainchild of guitarist/bassist/vocalist Joe Payne, who has served in Divine Heresy, Lecherous Nocturne, Lust of Decay and Nile. He’s aided by drummer Jordan Varela (Lust of Decay , Lividity). The duo’s material reminds me a little of the saturated late ’90s and early ’00s US death metal that was being kicked out on labels like Forever Underground, United Guttural, JL America and Pavement en masse, such as Internecine, Divine Empire, Divine Rapture, Unholy Ghost, Diabolic, Pessimist and such: Clinically and impeccably performed but lacking in character and soul — despite some solid moments here and there.

Undoubtedly Payne and Varela can handle their instruments as the album, for the most part, borders on technical death metal with a voracious pace and delivery. Majority of the material, however, is the standard precise US death metal kicked out by the above labels and bands. However, throughout Masochist there are a few moments that made my ears perk up and pay attention, and it’s a shame they didn’t parley these moments into more of a complete album.

Once you get over the mechanical, robotic production and the album’s initial blasting facelessness, the album starts to pick up around the third track “Path to Righteousness” where the opening chant gets your attention as does the melodic lead solo a couple of minutes in. The heaving groove, showing how the duo can deliver something more memorable than sheer tech mayhem, helps too. The Morbid Angel-ish “The Dead Within” and the rest of the album then go on to deliver a very competent, loud and at times rather above average modern death metal record that reveals much more than it initially presents with each layer and listen. Including instrumental number “”The Cruel Hand of Fate”, “Becoming One”, “Less Than Human” and “Bleeding the Damned” (and its very surprising melodic solo), the album ends up being a pretty solid, compactly delivered and tight death metal listen by the time it’s over.

It’s a shame Von Young (Lividity) is ceasing Epitomite Productions as he’s released some solid , under the radar stuff over the years such as Cardiac Arrest, Angerpath, Dead for Days, The Monolith Deathcult re-issue, Abacinate’s latest, as well as this decent slab of US death metal.

[Visit the band's website]

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