Domine - Italian Epic

Morby has the most powerful voice I have ever heard

(Mike Portnoy)

The Italian metal scene has very often been underrated, managing only in a few cases to break beyond national borders. Within this general picture, the power-metal scene is a partial exception, having given rise in our country to several bands recognized and admired at various international festivals (Rhapsody On Fire, Labyrinth, Domine, etc.). Among these, the Tuscan band Domine have undoubtedly stood as a shining example of Italian and international power-epic-metal.

Literary references and musical influences 

Formed in 1983 by brothers Enrico and Riccardo Paoli in Piombino, the band is defined by its fantasy inspirations, particularly the heroic subgenre known as "Sword and Sorcery", linked above all to the writings of Michael Moorcock and his Elric of Melniboné saga, and to a lesser extent to Robert Ervin Howard's books starring Conan the Barbarian. The heroic-epic element in Domine's music is taken to the extreme: every album conveys a sense of battle, of swords being forged and vast armies clashing.

But while these common traits are shared by much of the power-metal scene, what really sets Domine apart is the style of virtuoso guitarist Enrico Paoli, a musician able to put his technique in the service of long, elaborate compositions that always deliver that epic feeling recognisable throughout the Tuscan band's catalogue, reaching moments of almost moving tragic grandeur.

All the albums follow a similar structure, moving from a roughly one-minute anthemic intro to the most violent, speed-driven track — especially suited to live shows — before arriving at the most significant compositions: power-metal suites as elaborate as progressive metal, always confined within the borders of whatever fantasy saga is being told. This format would repeat and constantly evolve over the years from Champion Eternal onwards, reaching its zenith on the fourth LP, Emperor Of The Black Runes, the band's absolute compositional peak, after which it would become necessary to rethink the format and attempt, not without difficulty, a change of direction.

The rest of the band is made up of Morby, the stage name of Adolfo Morviducci, one of the most powerful voices on the Italian metal scene, Mimmo Palmiotta on drums, and the aforementioned founder Riccardo Paoli on bass, the latter two capable of creating a fast, hammering, highly recognisable metal foundation.

The early demos of the 80s and the 1997 debut album

Domine's recording history officially begins in 1997 with Champion Eternal, but in fact the band had already existed since 1983. Various demos had been circulating since 1986, the golden age of semi-clandestine metal, of thrash, and the starting point for all the genres and subgenres to come. As with all extreme scenes, and as is always the case when a niche movement starts to break through, the fans are few but decidedly fierce. The 1997 debut, named after Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion saga, is therefore a compendium of those early years of experimentation and arduous attempts to find an identity of their own. The record suffers from an unprofessional production, with frankly rough recording quality that could be called typical of 80s underground metal, but it already contains the qualities that would — step by step — reach their peak later on.

Swords immediately start clashing, horses fall struck down, warriors scream. This is the intro of "Hymn", just a framing device to usher us into Moorcock's world. Then comes the first speed track, "The Mass Of Chaos", which hints at the velocity and aggression the quartet is capable of.

But the band's greatness is found above all in the longer, more elaborate tracks, set against the shorter, more direct ones. The eight minutes of "The Chronicles Of The Black Sword" are already a little gem of Italian metal. It starts out like a ballad, then recalls the riff sound of Metallica's "Orion" and Anthrax-style chants, but the peak is reached at the 4:30 mark with a long bass solo that sets up Enrico Paoli's first truly epic strike, launching into two minutes of textbook guitar playing, where the chivalrous, epic feeling becomes almost physically palpable.

Domine are at their best in the suites, and indeed the album contains two of them: the warlike "Army Of The Dead (A Suite In Five Parts)" and the closing "The Eternal Champion (A Suite In Seven Parts)", a first experiment with a track running over twelve minutes that would be refined in later works.

Overall, a promising debut, but excessively hampered by the production, as if it had been recorded ten years before its actual release date.

The two classic albums that perfected the style

Two years later Domine returned with Dragonlord – Tales Of The Noble Steel (1999), bringing Riccardo Iacono into the lineup on keyboards. The production is finally of professional standard, helped also by the excellent sales results of the first LP. After the overture of "Anthem", the usual opening hymn with classical influences (in this case Schubert's Symphony No. 8, the Unfinished), we reach one of their live classics, the breakneck "Thunderstorm", where the decidedly speed-driven metal foundation and keyboards merge to open up new possibilities for the Tuscans' epic sound.

"Last Of The Dragonlord (Lord Elric's Imperial March)" is one of their most melodic anthem tracks, featuring one of Paoli's most memorable riffs. Between hyper-fast anthems ("Defenders"), triumphant live-favourite chants ("Dragonlord – The Grandmaster Of The Mightiest Beasts") and a symphonic ballad ("The Ship Of The Lost Souls"), we arrive at the customary closing suite. "The Battle For The Great Silver Sword (A Suite In Seven Parts)" (thirteen minutes) is a solemn power-metal symphony of great technical skill that further refines the band's style. From the martial rhythms of the opening through the alternating surges and slowdowns, the whole composition maintains a constant epic solemnity right up to the long, intricate instrumental section.

The album's success expanded Domine's reputation and the frequency of their live shows increased. In the meantime, Mimmo Palmiotta left and was replaced on drums by Stefano Bonini.

Right on schedule, two years later came the new LP Stormbringer Ruler – The Legend Of The Power Supreme (2001), which expanded the fantasy themes with two tracks dedicated to the "Dune" saga ("The Legend Of The Power Supreme" and "True Leader Of Men") and an explicit reference to Richard Wagner ("The Ride Of The Valkyries"). We also find their classic "The Hurricane Master", a live-show staple, and new battle anthems such as "The Fall Of The Spiral Tower" and "Horn Of Fate".

But as always, the best comes in the closing suite, "Dawn Of A New Day – A Celtic Requiem" (eleven minutes), a piece that at times recalls the most complex compositions of the finest Iron Maiden.

In many respects, up to that point it was their most professional work, but overall also their most conventional and least surprising. The quintet's popularity on the metal scene was growing, and they were now playing support slots for bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Dream Theater.

The masterpiece

Up to this point Domine had never strayed from their style or their classic album format (opening intro track, second speed track, a ballad, and one or more closing suites). This formula, refined album after album, reaches its peak in 2004 with Emperor Of The Black Runes.

You can clearly feel the effort that went into composing songs so rich in tempo changes, so tortuous and elaborate in their progressive-metal structure, this time with flawless production, yet still focused on epic melody pushed to its utmost, even drawing on Celtic music influences.

From the intro inspired by Mozart's Don Giovanni ("Overture Mortale") to the speed track pushed to extremes of velocity and tightness ("Battle Gods"), which also borrows a melody from Don Giovanni ("Battle Gods, Battle Gods, Battle Gods Of The Universe" is sung just like "Ah padron, ah padron, ah padron siam tutti morti"), everything seems the product of an obsessive attention to detail. The keyboards have never been so epic, Morby's voice never so powerful, and Paoli's guitar never so aggressive and precise ("Arioch, The Chaos Star").

Unlike other records, there are no weak spots here: every track would deserve its own commentary. Starting with their definitive suite, the peak of Paoli's compositional skills. "The Aquilonia Suite Part I", divided into six movements and inspired by the Conan saga, arranges some themes from Basil Poledouris's soundtrack for the famous 1982 film. The intro is entrusted to solemn keyboards with martial rhythms, then a vocal line with arpeggio kicks in, followed again by the return of the epic keyboards and the entrance of a distinctly speed distorted guitar, which pushes beyond its own sonic limits to create an almost tangible sense of a battlefield. Between imperious choirs and metal charges, it arrives at the long final instrumental solo that alone is worth Domine's entire career.

With "The Sun Of The New Season", buoyed by a thrilling vocal duet between Morby and singer Leanan Sidhe of Beholder, the band attempts a new path, a kind of metal ballad that opens with a long, almost Floyd-like solo, a new epic and controlled riff, and a new, dizzying and moving instrumental finale. Other gems include "Icarus Ascending", dedicated to the myth of Icarus (as with Iron Maiden's "Flight Of Icarus"), "The Prince In The Scarlet Robe", which opens with a piano solo, and the epic battle of "The Song Of Swords".

Closing the album is an anomaly for Domine, the three-minute, typically fantasy-themed prog-folk of "The Forest Of Light", which seems to foreshadow their next work.

The seventies turn, between metal, folk and prog

Having pushed their original idea as far as it could go, Domine had no choice but to change direction. Ancient Spirit Rising (2007) is indeed a completely different work, closer to melodic hard rock/heavy metal bordering on AOR, with distinctly seventies influences. The most interesting compositions are those where medieval-sounding textures emerge, accompanying lyrics about the legend of King Arthur ("Another Time, Another Place, Another Space", "The Lady Of Shalott"). The title track is a fine example of this new direction, very progressive, with free-flowing sounds and bright atmospheres, very different from their early work.

The album achieved modest success, even reaching number 73 on the Italian mainstream chart.

Unfortunately, what from 2007 might have looked like a new chapter came to a halt and was never followed up.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google