Band:	Domain
Album:	Last Days Of Utopia
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	2005
A review by:	Malcolm

Disc I

01. Harbour Of Hope (Intro)
02. A New Beginning
03. On Stormy Seas
04. The Shores Of Utopia
05. Ocean Paradise
06. The Beauty Of Love
07. The Great Rebellion
08. Endless Rain
09. Last Days Of Utopia
10. Underneath The Blue
11. Left Alone

Disc II

01. A New Beginning [Non-Epic mix version] [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
02. Endless Rain [Non-Epic mix version] [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
03. Left Alone [Non-Epic mix version] [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
04. Caught In The Flame (Re-Make) [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
05. Head Above The Water [Track bonus] [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
+ Videoclip Of "Endless Rain" [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
+ A Poster Of The Cover Artwork [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
+ A Sticker [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]
+ Various Wallpapers And Winamp Skins [Limited Edition Double Disc bonus]

A new year has begun and with that labels are releasing their first releases of hope, hope that the new year will be a even better than the last.
And for German's Limb Music 2005 begins with one of the oldest German Melodic act still active, Domain.
Their new album, their first on Limb, their first concept album, "Last Days of Utopia" was not a bad choice as the first album of the year.

Domain, formerly known as Kingdom, released their first album, "Our Kingdom" in 1988 (a re-release of Kingdom's "Lost in the City") and released 2 more full-length albums before a split-up that lasted for almost 10 years.
In 2001 did they do a tremendous comeback with the album "One Million Lightyears from Home" and this new album will be their fourth (Seventh since the start) since their come-back in 2001.

Main-mans in Domain is singer Carsten "Lizard" Schultz (Evidence One) and guitarist Axel Ritt, and even if "Lizard" was busy in Evidence One he also had time to write the complete story about Utopia, that then was made soundwise by guitarist Ritt.
It's actually a pretty large story, it contains 11 parts and each and everyone follow a red thread.
And even if it might seem lame today to write about a fantasyland, since every single Power Metal band does it, you have to try to sort out the average from the elite.
And I would count Domain to the elite, at least very close to the elite.

The story is, as I said, a pretty large one and it contains everything a fantasy story should, a Hero on his quest.
Actually I think a quotation from the promo-sheet would explain the story very well.

"A New Beginning" takes the hero of the story on a voyage "On Stormy Seas" to discover a new existence, during which he is stranded on "The Shores of Utopia", In this "Ocean Paradise" he at last discovers "the Beauty of Love", causes "the Great Rebellion" through his thoughts, before the Gods destroy the paradise with "Endless Rain". As the only survivor our hero finds himself "underneath the Blue", floating in the sea, "Left Alone"".

There, now you got a grip about the story. Sounds pretty much like everything else, huh? I guess you're right, but Domain still does it very well, and you should not forget the music that's many times better than the average.

The music isn't like all other Power Metal, at mentioned above; Domain mixes their usual light-progressive Melodic Hard Rock with some symphonic influences and faster Epic Power. It's a pretty huge mix that sometimes sounds very unoriginal and sometimes very, very good.
I guess it's much like a love/hate situation we got here, and I must place myself on the Love-side, even if there are things I think could be better, but in general so is the album a decent story that at least have caught me for awhile, precisely as the fantastic cover artwork, made my Jason Juta, brilliant.

So if you like to own a Fantasy album that's better then the average, and with great musicians, try Domain's "Utopia". And if you're a fan of Domain, I don't think you need hesitate, even if this is a little different from their earlier work, it's still Domain.

Check Out: "A New Beginning", "The Beauty of Love", "Last Days of Utopia" & "The Great Rebellion".