DOMINANT CHAIN

track-list:
Wasteland Requiem
The Moment
Tears of the Tyrant
Dirt
Kissed by This Life

vocal recordings & engineering by Esa Uusimaa
vocal production & backing growls in ‘Kissed by This Life‘ by Mika Kankainen
mixing by Toni Balk
mastering by Janne Tolsa
‘Kissed by This Life‘ & ‘The Moment’ vocals recorded in White Leaf Studio, Oulu
‘Tears Of The Tyrant‘ & ‘Dirt‘ lead vocals and all backing vocals recorded in Lemmenhotelli, Helsinki

Dominant Chain are:
Tuomas Korkatti – bass
Toni Balk – drums
Jarno Keränen – guitars
Juho Keränen – keyboards, orchestrations
Marja Kettunen – vocals

Finnish female fronted symphonic progressive metal band Dominant Chain, formed in 2006, is set to release their debut EP ‘Wasteland Requiem‘ on September 3rd 2025 via Inverse Records.
The singles ‘The Moment‘ and ‘Kissed by This Life‘ have already been released.
Juho Keränen comments on ‘The Moment‘:
“‘The Moment’ represents a bit more straightforward style of the Dominant Chain. This sturdy song has fresh soundscapes, flowing story telling, punchy riffs, sudden tempo changes and majestic chorus, which lingers with the listener for a long time. The story tells us about ‘moments’ that will shape drastically the future, either happened by accident, guided by fate or simply have been chosen by one’s own actions. These moments and their consequences are those that we all have to live with to the bitter end. The core thought lies in relationships, losing time and opportunities and the difficulty of letting go. ‘The Moment’ is a part of the dystopian world of Dominant Chain’s first album, the ‘Wasteland Requiem’.”
The lyric video for the song ‘Kissed by This Life‘ features the stunning and expressive actress Johanna Loimalahti, who dives deep into the song’s themes of cruelty, mental issues and human fragility.
The video’s script, direction and editing were handled by the band’s lead singer, Marja Kettunen, who says the following about working with Johanna:
“I had a clear vision of what this video should look and feel like. Johanna was scary, haunting and heartbreakingly gorgeous. Johanna embodied everything I hear in this song. The disintegration of the mind, the immense anxiety and the terrifying tyranny. The mind that forces you to shut bad things out in the background, from which they nevertheless emerge like flaming demons, raging. Demanding attention.”
The whole song is based on Juho’s (Keränen) core ideas of a prisoner who is locked up in an institution and, having lost her memory, asks the darkness
‘Why are these scars in me, kissed by this life‘.
The song, in all its darkness, is also a reminder of what extreme experiences do to the human mind.
The band comments this song:
“‘Kissed By This Life’ is the first single release from Dominant Chain’s ‘Wasteland Requiem’ EP. The track represents thematically and musically the core message of the EP, showcasing the band’s musical style at its best: Crushing riffs, progressive changes, and fast solos that culminate in catchy melodies and massive, symphonic choruses. The song’s lyrics explore the main character’s experiences with harsh interrogations in a dystopian dictatorship, where she wakes up tortured, unable to remember past events or who she is.”
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.