Band
Domine

DOMINE is one of the most successful bands of the Italian METAL scene. The EPIC POWER METAL band from Florence, Italy, gets officially on the map with their first cd "Champion Eternal", Dragonheart Records, the in-house Metal label of Audioglobe, leading independent distributor in Italy. The band is not a new name when the debut album is released, being around since 1983 and having previously recorded four demo tapes (from 1986-1994) in the Epic ... Power Metal style, long before the genre became a band-wagon to jump on. The band has been influenced, since day one, by the classic METAL sound, Heroic Fantasy and Sword’n’Sorcery novels, especially the books by English writer Michael Moorcock. Even if the debut album came out after a long time, waiting for the Italian scene to grow, the demo tapes are regarded as cult-underground releases. However, the line-up of the band drastically changed just before the cd and this recording was really a new start. The debut cd line-up of the group is Enrico Paoli on guitars, Riccardo Paoli on bass (the only ones left of the original line-up), Mimmo Palmiotta on drums (previously with Masterstroke and Death SS) and vocalist extraordinaire Morby (ex-Sabotage, one of the very first metal band in Italy). After the release of the album, Domine plays a lot of gigs, the best being the one at the "Italian Gods Of Metal Festival" and the one as support for Rage and Grave Digger. Riccardo Iacono enters the band ..boards in September 1998 and with the new line-up Domine record "Dragonlord (Tales Of The Noble Steel)". The album is recorded at New Sin Audio Design studio in 1999. The sound of the group is now a powerful mix of Epic and Power Heavy Metal, played with grandeur feeling and dramatic solemnity, a metal storm of dueling guitars, thundering tempo changes, soulful guitar solos and soaring vocals. Domine signs a deal with Metal Blade for the release of "Dragonlord" in USA and the cd is licensed in Brazil, in Japan, Taiwan and Russia. Enters new drummer Stefano Bonini, previously with extreme act Necromass, with whom he recorded 2 cds and toured Europe with Dark Funeral. After the release of the album, the band begins live activity, playing a sold out gig in Athens, Greece, and undertaking their first European tour with Riot, Anvil and Agent Steel. The tour is called "Metallic Movement 2000" and traveled across Holland, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, France and Spain. The next big step for the band is being part of the bill of the Gods Of Metal Festival 2000, in Monza, THE metal event of year 2000 in Italy with Iron Maiden. Domine plays at the Powermad 2000 Festival with Running Wild and Grave Digger and the Metal Gladiators 2000 Festival in Bologna with Gamma Ray and Freedom Call. Domine enters New Sin Audio Design studios again in April 2001 to record their long awaited 3rd album. The result is "Stormbringer Ruler – The Legend of the Power Supreme". After the recording process the band plays as support for Rage and gets on prestigious stages like the ones of the Gods Of Metal Festival 2002 (with Manowar and Blind Guardian) and Wacken Open Air 2002 (on the True Metal stage). Domine plays in many national festivals like Italian Attack, a mini tour of 3 gigs with some Italian bands like Labyrinth and White Skull, and other summer festivals. Domine enters the New Sin Audio Design studio for the fourth album "Emperor Of The Black Runes" in May 2003, after some months of writing and pre-production. "Emperor Of The Black Runes" is another step forward for Domine, once again pushing the limits of the band’s style with a good balance of fast, classic heavy metal songs and long EPIC tracks. "The Aquilonia Suite", a track with excerpts from "Conan The Barbarian" soundtrack, gets an enthusiastic response from the amazing composer Basil Poledouris. After 2 weeks from the end of the production sessions, Domine opens the third day of the huge Heineken Jammin’ Festival, with Iron Maiden as headliners. The festival is held inside the big formula 1 circuit in Imola with 100.000 people in 3 days. Domine performs in front of 40.000 enthusiastic fans and receives great reviews in all the metal magazines, which praise the band as one of the best Italian Metal bands. The new album gets fantastic reviews and 3 covers on Italian mags. The band plays at Gods Of Metal 2004 with the reformed Judas Priest and as support for Dream Theater. See more [+]