EP Review: Dominant Chain - Debut EP "Wasteland Requiem" // All Time Metal \\

Dominant Chain released their debut EP "Wasteland Requiem"

Band: Dominant Chain

Country: Finland

Formed in: 2006

Genre: Progressive Metal

EP: Wasteland Requiem

Label: Inverse Records

Format: Digital

Release Date: September 3, 2025

- Vocal recordings & engineering: Esa Uusimaa

- Vocal production & Backing Growls in ”Kissed by This Life”: Mika Kankainen
- Mixing: Toni Balk
- Mastering: Janne Tolsa
- Cover art: Antti Raatikainen
- Logo: Juha Tretjakov
- Kissed by This Life & The Moment vocals recorded in White Leaf Studio, Oulu.

Track list:

01. Wasteland Requiem

02. The Moment

03. Tears of the Tyrant

04. Dirt

05. Kissed by This Life

EP Review:

Wasteland Requiem is the debut EP of the Finnish band Dominant Chain.

The EP consists of five songs full of symphonic progressive metal with the keyboards literally starring in all its versions and defining the melody. The drums are intense and complex and the bass keeps the basic rhythm tight. The guitars do not have the leading role, but they are there, performing wonderfully heavy riffs giving some guitar outbursts and performing contrasting virtuoso solos with the keyboards, which steal the impressions.

The female vocals are clear and melodic and fit the style of the symphonic composition. These five wonderful and diverse compositions, keep the listener's interest undiminished, from the beginning with the wonderful epic introduction to the end and unfold within the album smoothly, maintaining a coherence between them.

All compositions are technically sound and sophisticated in terms of genre. The EP "Wasteland Requiem" is addressed to demanding listeners of progressive and symphonic metal!

Excellent!

Complete! 10/10

Listen on YouTube "Wasteland Requiem" (Full EP)

BIOGRAPHY:

Dominant Chain, hailing from Northern Finland, plays progressive symphonic metal. Their music is not only about complex time signatures and technical skills, but massive, catchy choruses too, along with influences from various other music styles.

The band was originally formed in 2006 in Sonkajärvi, Northern Savo. The musicians have seasoned backgrounds in the professional musicianship. Their first official release, the EP "Wasteland Requiem", consisting of five tracks and released in September of 2025. The first single, "Kissed By This Life", released digitally on May 20, 2025.