Rhapsody of Fire news.... finally

I've been wondering when we were gonna heare something from them. And today I received a newsletter from Nuclear Blast:

Italian metal heroes RHAPSODY OF FIRE return with a fantastic new album that will be released on March 5th, 2010 by their new label NUCLEAR BLAST, which is known for acts like Nightwish, Edguy or Blind Guardian.

"We are finally proud to announce to the world that Rhapsody Of Fire are stronger than ever and finally ready for their glorious come-back! We just signed a worldwide-level agreement with the legendary label ‘Nuclear Blast', at this time the greatest choice we could have ever done. Wonderful people, a great business vision and the best organization possible, for a relationship that can be anything else but successful for the years to come. In the last months we worked very hard and now all we can say is that a great new album, a real masterpiece of power/speed/symphonic metal, is finally ready!

It's title is ‘THE FROZEN TEARS OF ANGELS', it is produced by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli and it was mixed and mastered by our valorous friend Sascha Paeth at the Gate Studio in Wolfsburg (Avantasia, Epica and others).

This is not just a new album for us, but pure emotion carved in music. Lyrically it's based on the 3rd chapter of ‘THE DARK SECRET SAGA' and the long journey of five bravehearts to the frozen northern lands at the unexplored borders of the known world in order to find a way to stop the demonknight's prophecy. This album and its music will underline the feelings, hopes and fear of the main characters in this new epic adventure. All the drama of this new part of the saga will be as always enchanted by the soundtrack oriented orchestral arrangements and the majesty of opera choirs, real trademark of Rhapsody of Fire's music, but surely this album will sound more powerful, speed and guitar oriented than in the recent past, in order to underline the dark and romantic rage of the lyrics too.

Every song will have its own character, as you will be able to fly with the angels of the crystal realms through the cold skies of the north on the notes of hit-songs like ‘SEA OF FATE' (song written for the first time together by Luca Turilli, Alex Staropoli and Fabio Lione), ‘RAGING STARFIRE' or ‘THE FROZEN TEARS OF ANGELS', and at the same time you will have a taste of the angels' holy rage listening to ‘REIGN OF TERROR', real gem of this new production. The energy of more extreme metal applied to positive lyrics hymning to the victory of hope, truth and respect over the inner demons lying in the depths of our conscience for a unique contrast never heard before and that made us really excited while composing this song.

This new CD will include a great looking cover artwork, created this time by a new and incredibly talented artist able to turn the drama of our fantasy world into a serious, cinematic and realistic representation, and a complete booklet including all the details of the saga's new chapter. The album will be released as a special limited deluxe digipak (first edition) including two bonus tracks and an incredible 32-pages booklet, as well as a standard jewelcase and of course on vinyl.

We are looking forward to inviting you to the unexplored snowy and icy majestic landscapes of the north, that mystical dark frozen world where even the tears of our beloved angels can't be anything else but frozen!"

RHAPSODY OF FIRE

I read about this on the Rock Island message board yesterday.

Great news for me. I love Rhapsody.

Hmm, maybe it`s time for more Rapsody...
Actually looking forward to this one. I have been burnt out on them and pretty much the entire Euro Power scene, but i think i may be ready for some Italian flower metal

Great band

Honestly, I'm more of a Vision Divine fan nowadays. I used to be a much bigger Rhapsody fan than I currently am. Still really like them though - and I'll buy anything they release. No questions asked.

About time! I'm gonna spin some Power Of The Dragon Flame to celebrate!

Luca's solo cds rocked up until his last one...

Hopefully it's like 'Power..' or the first two Turilli albums. Most stuff after that has been ehh... alright, I do like 'Symphony II' well enough, but the most recent one was just one of the weakest records I've heard...

MB: Am I the only one who hates the most recent VD with Lione singing?

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Hopefully it's like 'Power..' or the first two Turilli albums. Most stuff after that has been ehh... alright, I do like 'Symphony II' well enough, but the most recent one was just one of the weakest records I've heard...

MB: Am I the only one who hates the most recent VD with Lione singing?

I havent cared for anything VD has released after their debut..

Slightly related news is that Olaf Thorsen is recording a follow up with Labyrinth to the 'Return To Heaven Denied' album. Since this is one of my favorite albums ever recorded, and very likely my favorite album of this style of power metal, I'm more than a little eager to hear..but at the same time, the last VD album and Labyrinth album were both yuck, so...

Labyrinth to me has always been a second tier pm band that really never managed to make itself interesting. RTHD is their best but its average...

I reside on the complete opposite spectrum of opinion.. but also check out the self-titled one before you write them off....it's heavier, more riff-based, and proggier in a different sort of way than the previous. 'No Limits' is great too, but that is more just a darker shade of 'RTHD' so I don't know how you would get on with that one..


Going back to Rhapsody, etc, I've been playing Luca's second one lately and it always continues to be a huge favorite... I never agree with people who think his debut is better than Rhapsody, but I would say the second one is easily as good, and for people that really don't like the huge baroque leanings and so forth of the latter, that's also the best album to get..different colors of instrumentation and feel there..

I absolutely love the new Vision Divine album. Fabio Lione shines on that one! Full of hooks and memorable songs. I don't know what more I could ask for in a power metal album. 10/10.

As for the recent Rhapsody stuff ... more like 8/10.

Luca Turrilli's solo stuff: 9.5/10

Labyrinth - eh they're okay. 7/10.

Are there any samples of the new Rhapsody tracks out there yet?

RoF rules! I saw them open for Manowar a while back and they kicked ass! 10/10 OCI was there, too!

Their new album is one of my most anticipated of 2010.

Metallic Blaze wrote:

Their new album is one of my most anticipated of 2010.

Labyrinth 13/13
RoF 12.5/13
VD 12/13

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Hopefully it's like 'Power..' or the first two Turilli albums. Most stuff after that has been ehh... alright, I do like 'Symphony II' well enough, but the most recent one was just one of the weakest records I've heard...

MB: Am I the only one who hates the most recent VD with Lione singing?

I don't hate it but for some reason I prefer the guy who replaced him for a while, Lione sounds better with Rhapsody IMO. Really looking forward to this one, I also like Symphony II and feel the last one was lacking (I think I've only listened to it 3-4 times since I got it).

I am hoping it is closer to the first two LT solo cds. They need to tone down the orchestra stuff and get back to playing metal again (as much as Rhapsody can). They and manowar suffer from the same thing - too much trying to be cute and not enough actual metal...

We'll see about this...

'Symphony II' was.....astounding in parts... and I think it has some classic songs of the catalog...but I felt like there were an equal amount of filler songs, and the production fed the rhythm guitar to the meat grinder. I did love the steps they took with it, the twists and turns in the songwriting, it was progressive without being 'proggy'.... you know, like 'Queen of the Dark Horizons' which is also one of those songs that either makes you a fan of the band or shows you never will be. The follow up was.... sleep inducing, lifeless...whatever you want to call it... I liked the ballad the most, which is saying something. I want every song to be a mixture of 'Holy Thunderforce', 'The March of the Swordmaster', and maybe 'Erian's Mystical Rhymes'. With the production of the former two. And one of those Italian ballads will probably be good, Rhapsody ballads except from the first couple albums are good. Then I'll be happy.

I always thought "Symphony II" was a bit subpar and bloated. One of my least favorite Rhapsody albums actually.

To me Rhapsody really only has one masterpiece and that's "Power of the Dragonflame". I'm hoping their new one can at least touch on the greatness of that one.

That one is my favorite too. Best thing Luca has done along with his second solo album.

Metallic Blaze wrote:

I always thought "Symphony II" was a bit subpar and bloated. One of my least favorite Rhapsody albums actually.

To me Rhapsody really only has one masterpiece and that's "Power of the Dragonflame". I'm hoping their new one can at least touch on the greatness of that one.

I always have thought the first Symphony was their best. Its the one I listen to the most.

Metallic Blaze wrote:

I always thought "Symphony II" was a bit subpar and bloated. One of my least favorite Rhapsody albums actually.

To me Rhapsody really only has one masterpiece and that's "Power of the Dragonflame". I'm hoping their new one can at least touch on the greatness of that one.

Dragonflame was far superior except for the narrator. Which is where Symphony II really shined. Christopher Lee has an amazing voice and narratates very well. The previous guy was horrid and had a strong lisp (or something). His voice was so annoying it made Garoyles, Angels of Darkness almost unlistenable.