{"id":303649,"date":"2026-01-26T00:25:09","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T00:25:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/303649\/"},"modified":"2026-01-26T00:25:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T00:25:09","slug":"review-fear-of-domination-katharsis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/303649\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Fear of Domination – Katharsis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Published by Vince<\/strong><\/a> on January 25, 2026January 25, 2026<\/p>\n

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Artwork by: Tapio Wilska<\/a><\/p>\n

Style: Industrial Metal, Melodic Metalcore, Trance Metal (Mixed Vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Lordi, Hanzel und Gretyl, Turmion K\u00e4til\u00f6t
Country: Finland
Release date: 9 January 2026<\/p>\n

I\u2019m the dark pop metal guy, apparently. While that may be a negative to some, or perhaps a guilty pleasure to be kept hidden away lest your cool friends think less of you, I have no such qualms when it comes to ousting myself via enjoyment of bands like Bad Omens<\/strong>, Sleep Token<\/strong>, Spiritbox<\/strong>, and Voyager<\/strong>. After all, I do love myself a big anthemic chorus and infectious melodies\u2014and the more synths you can squeeze in alongside the chugs and double bass, the better. Being such, I\u2019m generally the first turned to when something poppy (not that Poppy<\/a><\/strong>) lands in our collective laps. So when the clarion call sounded to review Fear of Domination<\/strong>\u2019s latest album, Katharsis, naturally, I answered.<\/p>\n

Katharsis marks Fear of Domination<\/strong>\u2019s seventh throwdown, continuing a largely consistent release schedule across their seventeen years that hints at a confidence in their creative output. But veteran status only counts for so much, and being my first time with the band, Katharsis may as well be a debut. And while I do enjoy testing the limits of my lactose intolerance, there comes a point where even I\u2019ve had too much cheese\u2014and no other genre besides power metal may be subject to my picky eating than metal\u2019s pop offshoots. So, the question, then: can Fear of Domination<\/strong> whisk me off my feet with their dance-y rhythms, starlit 80s synths and big sing-along choruses? Or will I be standing arms crossed on the sidelines, eyeing the exit?<\/p>\n

Almost immediately, Katharsis establishes its aim for catchy, metal-infused pop bangers with tracks like \u201cAlone\u201d and \u201cDead Anyway\u201d, which mingle pace-setting, hard-hitting drumwork and aggro riffs with big soaring choruses courtesy of vocalists Saku Solin and Jessica Salmi, all backlit by attention-grabbing synths that spiral and sparkle with a colorful vivacity across much of Katharsis\u2019 runtime. Solin\u2019s harshes are perfectly suited to the material, straddling the line between ferocious and friendly in the delivery\u2014designed to motivate rather than massacre, as it were. On the opposite side, Salmi\u2019s cleans operate with a calm power not unlike Within Temptation<\/strong>\u2019s Sharon den Adel (\u201cDead Anyway\u201d); even when she\u2019s pushing into higher territories \u00e0 la \u201cMonsters\u201d, it never feels like she\u2019s losing control, and the way she wends melody through both choruses and verses taps into a vein of infectiousness that\u2019s hard to deny.<\/p>\n

The album stumbles early with \u201cImposter,\u201d however, the track losing its footing mostly due to a cheesy opening line1<\/a> and kitschy staccato groove that felt like the first tendrils of a gimmick threading through the otherwise entertaining preceding three tracks. The band\u2019s penchant for theatricality doesn\u2019t dissuade this slithering thought, either\u2014this is where I get into my cut-off for cheesiness, a goalpost that admittedly moves without much rhyme or reason depending on the band. As we swing into the big sing-along choruses of \u201cLast Words\u201d and \u201cAll as One\u201d, I\u2019m reminded suddenly of another Finnish act, the monster-larping Lordi<\/strong> and songs like \u201cHard Rock Hallelujah\u201d\u2014a particular breed of cringe-inducing winking at the audience that makes me wonder if maybe I\u2019m taking metal too seriously, or they aren\u2019t. Fortunately, Katharsis never feels like it\u2019s hinging on a gag to cover up for otherwise so-so music. And while the album\u2019s middle half tends to float away from memory, \u201cAll as One\u201d hits like an alarm clock of unparalleled fun that had me forgetting all my self-serious pondering and just singing along. Sadly, \u201cEndgame\u201d pinholes the momentum and memorability that Katharsis regained by being something of a mid-paced ballad, complete with the album\u2019s weakest chorus. \u201cEndgame\u201d does have a big, chuggy breakdown, though, so there\u2019s that, at least. And closer \u201cFeel\u201d caps things off rather effectively, acting like a slow dance to wind things down after an all-night rager.<\/p>\n

At thirty-eight minutes, Katharsis is a lean, mean, latex-clad machine that knows when to twirl, when to grind, and\u2014most importantly\u2014how to have a good time. The album may lose some steam by the middle and stumble a bit during the twilight hour, but Fear of Domination<\/strong> understand the value of a strong rebound. \u201cAll as One\u201d is a low-key banger, a high-note representative of the band\u2019s sound that, had they ended the album there, might\u2019ve made for a truly perfect conclusion. All said, Katharsis\u2019 biggest letdown is simply the staying power of the music itself. I\u2019ve had a lot of fun spinning the album and can absolutely see myself pulling individual tracks for a playlist, but as a front-to-back album, it\u2019s a bit too uneven to qualify for anything more long-term. That said, if they decide to tour in my neck of the woods sometime, I would definitely go see them\u2014this is exactly the kind of music made for a crowd just looking to lose themselves in a good time. And I think we could all use more of that.<\/p>\n

Recommended tracks: Dead Anyway, Monsters, Last Words, All as One
You may also like: 3 Times Terror, Black Light Discipline, MyGrain, Breach the Void
Final verdict: 6\/10<\/strong><\/p>\n

Related links: Bandcamp<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> | Instagram<\/a><\/p>\n

Label: Inverse Records<\/a><\/p>\n

Fear of Domination<\/strong> is:
\u2013 Lauri Ojanen (bass)
\u2013 Jan-Erik Kari (guitars, backing vocals)
\u2013 Saku Solin (vocals)
\u2013 Johannes Niemi (guitars)
\u2013 Lasse Raelahti (keyboards)
\u2013 Jessica Salmi (vocals)
\u2013 Anton Nisonen (drums)<\/p>\n

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