Originally named KINGDOM, this Weiterstadt, Hesse Melodic Rock mob were forced to change monikers a few months after the release of their debut album, 1987's 'Lost In The City' and subsequently chose DOMAIN, re-issuing the aforementioned record under the new name through Teldec Records the following year and using the new title of 'Our Kingdom'.

Vocalist/bassist Bernie Kolbe and English born guitarist Cliff Jackson had previously been integral members of the German outfit EPITAPH. The pair had formed KINGDOM around 1985 and the group was originally just a trio, with drummer Freddy Diedrichs rounding things out, but keyboardist Volker Sassenberg and rhythm guitarist Axel Ritt were both added along the way. Once described by Cliff Jackson as the band "EPITAPH should've sounded like", on the 'Lost In The City' album, the group gained strong reviews for the album under both titles.

DOMAIN, now with Thorsten Preker manning the drums, returned in 1989 with 'Before The Storm', followed up by 1991's Kalle Trapp produced 'Crack In The Wall', with Markus Schmitz on the drums, after which the group folded. Flametrader assembled the compilation set 'Collection 86 - 92' to capitalise on their following. Ex-DOMAIN drummer Markus Schmitz formed SAINTS AND PREACHERS with ex-SCARLATYNA members vocalist Chris Marino and guitarist Jay Dee Ansini. Axel Ritt produced the debut 1995 album from GASVILLE.

DOMAIN made an unexpected return during February 2001 releasing the album 'One Million Light-years From Home' on Point Music, touring Germany as openers to BONFIRE.The new look DOMAIN would see Axel Ritt being joined by singer Carsten "Lizard" Schultz, bass player Dirk Beckers, keyboard player Erdmann Lange and drummer Edgar Schmidt.

A fresh album, 'The Artefact' recorded at Meadow Studio, Weiterstadt and arriving in July 2002, featured a cover version of THE BEATLES 'Day Tripper'. The album would be promoted with DOMAIN acting as special guests to the HUGHES TURNER PROJECT on a September 2002 European tour. However, the following month bassist Dirk Beckers made his exit as DOMAIN pulled in TOM ANGELRIPPER man Oliver 'Henner' Jochim as temporary replacement. CIRCLE OF PAIN's Sandro Lo Guidice made the position permanent. The band pulled in ex-SYMPHORCE drummer Stefan Köllner during 2003 as a new studio album, entitled 'The Sixth Dimension', was readied for September. DOMAIN covered AEROSMITH's 'Rats In The Cellar' as a bonus track.

The band's 2004 album 'Last Days Of Utopia', recorded for Limb Music Products, found the DEMON DRIVE and CASANOVA credited Jochen Mayer stepping in on bass. A promotional video for the track 'Endless Rain' preceded the release. South Korean versions, released through the Melodic Heaven label, added an exclusive extra song 'Only You Can', guitarist Axel Ritt's interpretation of the main theme of a famous Korean television series 'Winter Sonata'. Melodic Heaven also generated a re-issue campaign for catalogue albums 'One Million Light-years From Home', 'New Horizons', 'The Artefact' and 'The Sixth Dimension'.

The new line-up also cut cover versions of DEEP PURPLE's 'Stormbringer' and GARY MOORE's 'Over The Hills And Far Away' for use on tribute albums collated by the Finnish label Lion Music. Stefan Köllner forged a side project in May, assembling a Power Metal band in union with the PSYCHOTRON pairing of guitarist Mat Braun and bassist Frank Herold.

DOMAIN's fist ever live shows in Asia found the band performing at the massive 'Busan Rock' festival in South Korea to 25,000 fans during August. The band also put in two headline shows in Seoul and Daegu, supported by SILENT EYE, plus a television appearance on national Korean television. Issued to coincide would be an Asian compilation album entitled 'Essence Of Glory'.

DOMAIN's October 2006 album 'Stardawn', released by Limb Music products, hosted a clutch of guest artist appearances. Tarek Maghary of MAJESTY, Val Halla Jr. of IRON MASK and Connie Andreszka from CIRCLE OF PAIN featured as the "Stardawner Boys Choir" as backing vocalists on the tracks 'Crystal Stone Island', 'Temple Of The Earth' and 'Headfirst Into Desaster' whilst Michael Voss of CASANOVA appeared on 'Help Me Through The Storm'. ROUGH SILK keyboard player FERDY DOERNBERG contributed to 'Crystal Stone Island'.

In November DOMAIN celebrated its 20th anniversary with a mammoth 5 CD re-issue of 'Stardawn'. This hosted nine new songs including the 25 minute 'Shadowhall', a DVD of the 'Busan Rock' festival appearance, a Korean television documentary and a sixteen track compilation. Only 4,000 copies were pressed. That same month the DOMAIN membership evolved, introducing bassist Steven Wussow, previously with SHYLOCK, MISFIT and IRIDIUM, and singer Chitral Somapala. The latter held a wealth of scene credentials numbering FIREWIND, AVALON, RED CIRCUIT, CIVILIZATION ONE, MOONLIGHT AGONY, COURT JESTER and FARO. However, DOMAIN ended its collaboration with Chity Somapala little more than six months after he joined the group.

In early 2008 DOMAIN spent time in the studio recording its ninth album, entitled 'The Chronicles Of Love, Hate And Sorrow' for Limb Music Products, a conceptual piece based on 'Die Leiden des jungen Werther' by the famous German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The group roster for this outing, emerging in March 2009, involved Ritt, Lange, Wusswow and Köllner plus NICK HELLFORT singer Nicolaj Ruhnow.

Garry Sharpe-Young