Rhapsody of Fire news.... finally

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

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

We agree here 100%.

Sometimes I like the solo one better, but only because I gravitate a bit more to the themes used on it...there's different choirs and keyboards than with Rhapsody, I dig the dark electronic feel, meshes perfectly. I'm the guy who thinks he's in Metroid Prime when half awake, so..... but other than that, his solo stuff is pretty blah in comparison to Rhapsody.

I was listening to the new one - Frozen Tears of Angels and it seems the Kings of Cheese have actually decided to play some metal this time around. So far its not as operatic as the last one...

I pre-ordered it! Read a fantastic review from someone I trust, so I can't wait to hear it all!

kmorg wrote:

I pre-ordered it! Read a fantastic review from someone I trust, so I can't wait to hear it all!

cool! I have been hoping they would ditch the opera stuff and go back to playing metal.

Oh bad news for me. I love the opera stuff. My favorite is "Power of the Dragonflame", which is brimming with it.

Not sure I'll pick up this new one very quickly or not. I might wait and get it when it's cheaper.

The new Freedom Call is the album to get right now (in the power metal market anyway).

All kinds of metal freaks are hailing that album as a masterpiece!!! And I am in agreement!!!



But alas, that is for a different thread, so carry on.

Did anyone listen to the song linked. Is this song honestly not Rhapsody enough for people, seriously... it's one of the most stupidly epic things I've ever heard.

I didn't listen to it. I want to be surprised.

Usually when there's an album I KNOW I'm gonna buy ... I try to save a little room for surprise.

Well, your favorite is 'Dragonflame..', so is mine, and everything I've heard off of this reminds me the most of that album, so whatever the....opera thing confusion is...I think I would say buy it.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

Well, your favorite is 'Dragonflame..', so is mine, and everything I've heard off of this reminds me the most of that album, so whatever the....opera thing confusion is...I think I would say buy it.

Oh really? This is most like "Power of the Dragonflame"? Okay ... cool.

I was a bit disappointed in "Symphony of Enchanted Lands II". What did you think of that one?

Basically this album seems to be...

- fast riffs and hyperspeed
- more energy and aggression
- orchestral stuff being a bit more balanced out like on 'Dragonflame' or 'Dawn of Victory'
- guitar solos that go on forever

and then the chorus in every song is suddenly ridiculous and majestic and layered...........this band has to write really, really good stuff to not sound completely stale, because of how much they try to put in their music without progressing much, and on here they've got some of the best melodies I've heard from them.

I thought 'Symphony II' had all these sections that were frankly brilliant, but about half the songs just bombed as songs. I get what they were trying to do and it's really cool, but it just didn't work out well the whole way through. And the rhythm guitar is not there.

I will get to you on that Freedom Call thing when I get the CD in the mail... I already know there's a few flaws in that one, i.e. ... why is there no ripping lead in 'Tears of Babylon', one of the best things they've ever done otherwise? .. You think it's gonna reach this certain peak but then it just..goes back to the chorus..

No dude, set with that new Freedom Call for at least 3 spins.

You'll be buzzing with it's hooks!!!

That album RULES!!!

I'm getting suddenly excited about this new Rhapsody album too.

And I agree with your synopsis of "Symphony II". Just didn't quite work out for em that time. I still like the album, for what it's worth.

I heard the song, and loved it!

kmorg wrote:

I heard the song, and loved it!

I agree with OCI about the opera thing - it is toned down, not gone. I just thought Rhapsody went over the top (even for themselves) on the last couple. The new one is on my buy list.

yeah. 'Triumph or Agony' was one of the worst records I've heard.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

yeah. 'Triumph or Agony' was one of the worst records I've heard.

I heard it was pretty bad. That's why I never picked it up. "Symphony II" really kinda made me leary to pick up the follow-up.

This new one is giving me fresh hope though.


I'll have to surely get it soon!

Picked up new album today, initial thoughts:

- Christopher Lee and the others made the oft-contrived storyline seem fairly epic in 'Symphony II'. Not so with this one.

- There are a bazillion solos in every song full of teh shredz, very well done stuff on guitar, bass, keys. However, I cannot recall these leads as I can those of say 'The March of the Swordmaster'.. 'Land of Immortals'... 'Never Forgotten Heroes'.... It's kind of..widdlywaaaahhhhhh widdly widdly widdly...etc....for the most part. Not offensive, not DragonForce, but sadly run of the mill. If you are going to play this type of music, you have to keep a laser focus on the ideas that stick out and can manage to be fresh and new within the limited framework. Most of the leads do not do this.

- Fabio Lione is clearly acting as the weak link of the group. The songwriting is stepped up and for the most part is admittedly better and more intense than it has been in a while, but his voice doesn't carry the same intensity. He sounds kind of tired and bored a lot of the time and it was distracting at first. 'Reign of Terror' succeeds in stomping me to death because it doesn't have a lot of his lone clean voice.

- There are a lot of great (really great) choruses on this record, and some very cool rhythms. The 'sound' overall will attract more older fans this time. But some of this just sounds rushed, sounds too 'safe', and the mix, though it has punch and preserves the guitar tone, allows nothing to breathe. It's like this:



that is all I have at this time.

For me this album is a step in the right direction, but they're still not there. Some of the songs are really great, but only time will tell of their staying power.

kmorg wrote:

For me this album is a step in the right direction, but they're still not there. Some of the songs are really great, but only time will tell of their staying power.

thats how i feel. It is a huge improvement over the last one. I think some of the problem is that when they first came on the scene, they were really unique and those songs had staying power. Now all these years later there are zillions of copycat bands.

I still think Luca's first solo cd is one of the best things he has ever done.

yep, but the main problem with the copycat bands is the zero presence of songwriting and enthusiasm. This band, with all their Engrish fantasy lyricism and heavy-accented singing, gets you way into it because on their best work the passion is just huge and dominates everything, besides that, they've put together some of the best melodies I've heard in metal, in riffs, choruses, leads, etc. But their style, while expansive in itself, doesn't allow much progression, unless you move almost completely away from some of the elements it carries (Labyrinth succeeds because they always kept maybe 50% of their older power metal formula and were authentically progressive the rest of the time, Freedom Call did this for some of their new one..etc). So I think they are kind of standing still and trying to squeeze more and more life out of what they're doing but occasionally struggling.... just because..they themselves have scaled almost every peak in what they do already.

Also I think the second Turilli album is the best he's done. I don't mind the first one, but the second one is just incredible.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

yep, but the main problem with the copycat bands is the zero presence of songwriting and enthusiasm. This band, with all their Engrish fantasy lyricism and heavy-accented singing, gets you way into it because on their best work the passion is just huge and dominates everything, besides that, they've put together some of the best melodies I've heard in metal, in riffs, choruses, leads, etc. But their style, while expansive in itself, doesn't allow much progression, at the same time unless you move almost completely away from some of the elements it carries. So I think they are kind of standing still and trying to squeeze more and more life out of what they're doing but occasionally struggling.... just because..they themselves have scaled almost every peak in what they do already.

Also I think the second Turilli album is the best he's done. I don't mind the first one, but the second one is just incredible.

I love the second turilli but the first one will always be my fav. both are must have's of the genre though.