Domain

Hi Carsten. How are you my friend? Well after the 2001’s come back here we are with the third release of the band. How do you feel about that?

C: We are now at the point we all wanted to come to. The comeback album was “One Million Lightyears From Home” and we tried to do the album sound similar to the sound that Domain had at the 80’s – early 90’s. Especially with the new album we tried to do what we think would sound best. The album is heavier than anything we ever have done before and we feel much more comfortable with this album. This is the sort of music we all wanted to do. So, we are really happy with this album.

And it is heavier than your previous one.

C: Yes, of course it is... haha!

Is this something that you meant to do?

C: Yes it was a conscious decision to do an album that would be heavier. We have two new guys in the band that come from a power metal background, especially Stephan, the new drummer who used to be in Symphorce. When we started writing songs for “The Sixth Dimension” album, we tried to find out which songs we liked best. It didn’t take long to find out that all of us liked most the heavier tracks than the more melodic, soft ones and what came out was speed-up, melodic metal songs. So this is what we wanted to do and this is the sound of Domain 2003.

What was the reaction of the fans about that change of direction?

C: Basically everyone seems to be pretty happy with the new album. The critics are better and everyone says: wow; now they found their own style! Sure we have some fans that like the classic Domain sound, on the other hand most people think that heavier sound fits us best than the more melodic sound. We are all very much into classic power metal stuff, for example I’m a big fan of Malmsteen. We also love Judas Priest and this is the direction that made the fans say: hey guys this is the best album that you ever did, this is what we think too so, everybody is happy now.

Personally I like very much the heavier direction you have taken.

C: Thank you very much!

Now can you tell us how did you came up with name Domain back in the late 80’s when Kingdom turned into Domain?

C: The first album came out in 1986 as Kingdom and it was called “Lost In The City”. The problem appeared then when the Kingdom album came out; a U.S. band Kingdom Come released their first album as well. The Kingdom Come sold amazingly lots of CDs, so the record company came up and said if you want to start a career as band maybe its better to change the name. So the guys back then decided to change it from Kingdom to Domain and named the album “Our Kingdom” which completed the record “Lost In The City” before, with a different layout, a different cover and a different band name.

Do you remember whose idea was to name the band Domain?

C: This is before my time but I think that the guys were searching something similar to the previous name, Kingdom. Nobody knew the Internet back then so it was no problem to name the band like that. Today is a sort of a problem if you look for the Internet and go for a website and type domain then things are very complex, if you understand what I mean.

Yes, you are right but let’s go back to the album again. Which song do you consider as the best of the album and why?

C: Well, I can’t tell you that because it is the first time I did a Domain album, which I enjoyed it from the first song to the least one. I love each song. We had speed up tracks, melodic rock songs and mellow ones. We looked what we were able to create to this sort and sort of music. New album is just like a big unity.

So, can’t you choose one song?

C: Well if you ask me about my favorite one I would probably say, “Your Favorite Curse”. This was one of the songs that I have much space to create my own part. I also love “Talk To The Wind”, cause it’s has a very cool mood and also I like “King’s Tears” because this is something we wanted to do, and everybody said: Yeah that’s sound like Domain, cool! And we have so much fun with this song, and we said ok let’s do something like this and it came something that is similar, in my opinion, to Blind Guardian. I love the whole mood; I love the chorus, the production, and it also has different lyrics.

My favorites songs of the album are “Your Favorite Curse” and “”King’s Tears.

C: Yes, I love them very very much and I have so much fun recording it. When we are recording an album sometimes is like a fight… Axel (Ritt) wants to go in this direction and I want to go to another. But when we were recording “King’s Tears” we seat together, get a couple of beers and started yelling and screaming and everything went out pretty natural. So, we love this tune. It’s a great one.

What is the concept idea of the song “Young Hearts Can Fly”?

C: Well, when we got the critics from the fans, they said that is like the way we want Domain to sound. This is one of the first songs written for the album. It was the first time we sit down as a band to compose a song. All the previous albums basically were written by Axel himself and with this album was the first time we sat together in the rehearsing room, we jammed and we were trying to compose some songs. One of these songs was “Young Hearts Can Fly”. When Erdmann (Lange) the keyboard player, came out with the main tune we said: “yeah, that’s what we were looking for”! I believe that this is the most melodic track of the album. It’s like a soft hard rock song and of course it sounds like the old Domain.

Do you believe that the world has gone crazy?

C: Well we started writing this song when we were on Tour with Hughes/Turner. I remember we played this riff for the first time when we were somewhere in Norway I guess and said that this song must be written by the whole band. I wrote the lyrics afterwards, when the war begun in Iraq, which I believe it is something ridiculous this is what the lyrics are talking about. To me when the war broke out it was like the world had gone crazy. This is what basically this song is all about.

What “The Sixth Dimension” means for you?

C: Actually, we were bored naming the album by using the title of one of the songs. We have done such thing many times in the past. First of all, “Sixth Dimension” is the sixth studio album of Domain. On the other hand, we are actually pretty big Star Trek fans this is somehow where the title came from.

So, it has nothing to do with the dimensions that exist around us.

C: Well, not really. It is more like related to the sixth studio album of Domain. On the other hand, we try somehow to break musically into a new dimension. So, this is the new dimension that this band now has gone to.

Now lets say some things about your personal carrier. Well, how do you make it with the three bands you participate?

C: I have no problem actually. My main band is Domain, there is no doubt about it. This is the band where I spend most of my time. Midnite Club, for example, is a project of my former colleague, my former guitar player. I’ve been in a band by the name Mr. Hate and the guitar player of this band, Stephen ("Seegi" Seger: guitars), who is my best friend, came up to me and said he wanted to do another album. So, I said, why not. After all he is my best friend. On the other hand, Domain as a band has a regular schedule. We know when to have to record an album, we have to go on a tour, we have to compose songs and there is so much time left over the year, so there is no problem for me to participate in other bands also. The point is that when I joined Domain I was actually in a band named Sanvoisen, which was a german progressive metal band. So, I was always working with different people and different bands but nowadays I have become more popular everybody seems to have noticed this. Therefore for me is not something new because I did this all time

You are singing in three bands. Does that thing means that you are not satisfy with 100% with any of those bands or that you are like to sing different kind of stuff?

C: Yes, that’s it. First of all I’m working with different musicians. So, when you are working with people that you haven’t worked before that thing always frees your mind and you do things that you haven’t done before. With Domain basically I sing with my metal side of my voice. Axel wants me to sing heavier in Domain. In the other two bands I’m trying to sing a little bit different. Domain is like the metal stuff, the Midnight Club is a classic AOR band and Evidence One is a classic hard rock band thus I’m trying to work as a professional

And what about Evidence One? Should we wait for a new album as well?

C: Yes, of course…(he laughs). Well… We did some festivals in summer and now everything slowed down a bit. I had to do the Domain album first, Robin is working on the Frontline’s album, and the new drummer Rami (Ali) also plays in Frontline. We have recorded most of the songs for Evidence One second album, but we take our time. We wanted to come out at the end of the year but I guess that finally is gonna be released at the summer next year.

If you remember before a few months that we done the interview for Evidence One you told me that they are not a project and they will go on producing albums.

C: Well it started out as a project. Actually as Robby’s (Boebel: guitar, keyboards) solo project. When I joined Evidence One, it wouldn’t a full time band at all like I told you in the interview then. It was definitely o project, but with the touring that we did, and the many festivals that we participated, this whole thing turned into a full time band. But each of the guys is working with different bands. For me as I have told you before, Domain comes first.

As I told you a few months ago, Evidence One’s “Critisize The Truth” was one of the surprises of the year that passed. Do you believe that the new album will be better than your debut?

C: Of course it will be!…(he laughs)… cause I know some of the songs. The point is that we tried to write many songs for the new album and from these songs we chose the best ones. There is much staff that is left over again. For example on the Midnite Club’s album there is one track that it was left over from the Evidence One album. That song is called Midnite Club and Robbie and I wrote it for the first Evidence One album, but it didn’t make it on the first Evidence album. So, the second Evidence One album is gonna be a blast! In my opinion everybody that loved the first album, will truly, truly love the new one also.

So, back to Domain again. Are there any plans for a tour? ? Is there a chance to see you for a live show here in Greece soon?

C: Yes, there are some plans and if everything works the way we want to, we will come to Greece. There is a plan to do a support tour in Europe later this year, about March or April but nothing is for sure yet. That’s why I cannot promise that we will come to Greece, although we would love to come there. Last time when we go on tour with HTP there was a plan for a two days live show in Greece (interviewer’s note: What?!!!) but fortunately they have been cancelled (interviewer’s note: Does any promoter from Greece care or at least read these lines?!).

Well that the big problem here in Greece. Many bands are touring in Europe all the year but they never come here!

C: Hahaha…(He laughs)… Why?

I do not know why...

C: Well either I do not know why…I do not know for example why the tour with HTP stopped in Spain. Everyone said, well lets do some other live shows in Greece as well… but…. I don’t know…. I don’t know…. it’s not easy going on a tour these days. Everything is so expensive. Only the big bands like Iron Maiden or Helloween can do some tours but the problem is that many bands wants to support them and things then are very difficult.

Well that’s no problem for us here in Greece. Every year we see the same bands…you know…Iron Maiden….Iron Maiden…etc. And better not talk about the promoters here…

C: (hehe)…(he laughs again)…that’s the problem, it all about the money.

Anyway… I hope to see you for a live show someday here and to meet you.

C: Yes, of course, we probably go also out for some beers…(interviewer’s note: Beers? Better not talk about beers also!)

By the way do you know Mystic prophecy or Valley’s Eve?

C: Yes, I know those bands. I have also Mystic Prophecy’s last album.

Well, Lia and Gus from Mystic Prophecy are friends of mine. They are also Greeks. So maybe you could organize with Mystic or Valley’s Eve a live show here in Greece.

C: Yes, this is would be great. I know those bands and I like also their albums. Maybe you can bring us in contact with Lia.

Ok, I will talk to Lia and will see what will happen. And the “classic” Weird Questions” before we close this interview!!! If you had the chance to give only one album that you have participated in someone so that he can have the best opinion about your vocals and generally for your job… which album would it be and from what band?

C: Ahh…that’s a difficult question you know… it depends from what somebody would love. But I will definitely recommend him the “The Sixth Dimension” of Domain cause in my opinion that is a brilliant album. There is so much depth in the songs, and when you listen to closely to the album you will found out many stinks from song to song that makes the album so special. I would definitely recommend the “The Sixth Dimension” for sure.

Ok, weird question number two then. Do you believe in luck and in coincidences or do you believe that the human mind and will can affect all the things in life?

C: Well…both. I think that everything in life has a plan. And also I think that nothing happens without any reason. Everything that happens to somebody and in general to the world is a part of a plan. I believe that it is your fate to find out what this plan might be. If though fate sometimes strikes pretty hard… everything is got a reason. It may take sometime to find out what is this reason but everything’s got one in my opinion.

I believe the same thing too. And lets go to weird question number three. How do you imagine that the music world could be, one thousand years from now? And why?

C: Ah…ah…very difficult question….hahaha (he laughs)….

Maybe only machines will play the music?

C: The main thing that I do not know is that are they gonna live any humans then?! (Laughs from both sides)…Well probably mankind will kill itself within the next 200 years! So, probably there will be only machines to do music and…

To live on this planet…

C: Yeah…

Just like the Terminator movie…but with an alternate ending…machines will finally prevail…

C: Yes, probably…hahah (he laughs again)… But you know as long as mankind existing there will be always music, which help the people, get through life. But…what will happen in a thousand years from now…that is difficult and I really cannot tell. I hope that they will be humans and also listening to Domain! (He laughs)…

And now weird question number four. What would you do, if you had supernatural power?

C: Ah…ah….(shit)…ah….There is a track on this album which is called “Time Machine” and if I have a time machine I would love to go back to time. To go back to Ancient Hellas for example (interviewer’s note: Maybe we will be together on this journey!!!), or to Egypt, to the tome when the Dinosaurs live, or into the future, to find out if there is some music left. So, if I have some supernatural powers I would like to travel to time.

Hey Carsten is there something that you would like to tell me and I didn’t ask you?

C: Hehehe! …(he laughs)….

Maybe I asked you too many things huh?

C: You probably did! Well I don’t know…(he laughs)…but I would like to do an interview with you again when the new Evidence One album will be released…or actually when we would come to Greece for a show and we are going to have some beers together.

Be sure about that Carsten. Thank you very much for this interview…

C: Thank you Thanos…All the best…bye…

by Thanos Aggelakis
(Thx also to George Kouvelis for his great help)