Review by Fernando on September 2, 2024.

Splits are a release format that is still a large part of extreme metal as a whole, they basically pull the double duty of two or more bands collaborating, or as one band’s way to help peers. Regardless, even in this digital age where physical media is becoming a collectors’ preference, splits have their place, and arguably are more effective since once it's online, the audience just has to find it.

Today we have an interesting collaboration by 2 very interesting bands I wasn’t familiar with. Dominion Of Suffering are a black/death metal band from Slovakia and Switzerland that plays a very dissonant, cavernous, and oppressive style, where the band seems to dwell between the avant-garde darkness of Deathspell Omega and the frenzied brutality of Portal. On the other hand, we have Phobonoid, an Italian project that mixes black metal with doom metal and industrial music. Suffice it to say, these are bands that have created a very peculiar niche for themselves and are as different from each other while displaying a similar devotion to intensity. One of the cons of splits, and this is something I still believe can happen, is that some bands simply don’t mesh, with very different styles, or are so similar that it becomes redundant. As a whole, this split completely overcame those pitfalls. Both bands are distinct enough from each other that you can differentiate between the two and appreciate how unique each one is, but they perfectly complement each other’s style.

Dominion Of Suffering really grabbed my attention from the get-go with their punishing style. Any fan of the more unorthodox and relentless side of extreme metal should definitely check them out, as they definitely make their presence known, with blindingly fast riffage, coarse and dry vocals, and punishing drumming. In three songs, the band leaves nothing in their wake, and they also take their time, while 6 and 7 minutes is a standard within extreme metal, given how aggressive and blistering Dominion Of Suffering is. That does bring me to my one issue with their side of the split. First and foremost, they’re great at what they do, they masterfully have the brutality of death metal with the sense of dread of black metal mixed together, and their individual skills are awe-inducing, but even at just 3 songs, they feel a bit one-dimensional, consistent for sure and insanely skilled, but I would’ve liked a little bit more variety. That being said, they make one hell of an impression, and I’m interested to see what they do on a full-length.

Phobonoid on the other hand was a major surprise. As a foil to the utter relentlessness of Dominion Of Suffering, Phobonoid leans more atmospheric and hypnotic, but they’re still able to match the intensity, just differently. This project’s blend of blackened doom with industrial music creates a very overwhelming and psychedelic sound, and the songs are even longer, with 2 beefy 10 and 8-minute songs, and an under 3-minute outro. The instrumentation and overall production really caught my attention. The main man Lord Phobos perfectly implements a clean, yet reverb-heavy production, that makes each instrument pop. The double guitar riffs and melodies are complemented by a very intense bass, and the synths provide a suitably off-kilter texture while working in complete unison. But the most striking parts are the industrial elements, particularly in the introduction of ‘Cosmonauta Eterno II’ and the entirety of ‘Crionia’, Lord Phobos seamlessly incorporates industrial music into the context of black and doom metal and the end result is and feels so dark.

Overall, while both bands did surprise me, I’d say Phobonoid is the band I enjoyed the most, and again Dominion Of Suffering are absolutely no slouches whatsoever, but in the end, the deciding factor was how invested I was with each band’s offering, and Phobonoid were the clear winners. Regardless, this is an excellent split and a true example of how the split format can really highlight 2 bands.

Rating: 8 out of 10