01	In Tenebris						01:28
	02	Knightrider of Doom						03:56
	03	Power of the Dragonflame						04:27
	04	The March of the Swordmaster						05:03
	05	When Demons Awake						06:46
	06	Agony Is My Name						04:57
	07	Lamento Eroico						04:38
	08	Steelgods of the Last Apocalypse						05:48
	09	The Pride of the Tyrant						04:53
	10	Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness						19:02

Rhapsody - Power Of The Dragonflame

Released: 2002
Label: LMP
Cat. No.: LMP 0203-040 CD
Total Time: 61:00


Reviewed by: Gary Carson, November 2002
Hats off to the mighty Rhapsody.

Before the release of Rain Of A Thousand Flames, Rhapsody had been both praised and criticised for their music, even though they have been the forerunner of what has become epic or Hollywood or classical styled symphonic power metal. With overly positive reviews of their mini-disc of 2001, it was time for Rhapsody to show us if they were going to run and hide in the shadows of past glories or to slay those who would denounce the might of these Italian metal warriors.

Power Of The Dragonflame is the name of the new album and it is an album that will offend some and ignite others (just like their past releases then?). For me, PotDF represents a band in fine form and a band not resting on their laurels. The new disc features Rhapsody in all their glory - classical symphonic passages, epic harmonies, coy troubadour influences like Blind Guardian, and just a big, big sound that only the likes of Sascha Paeth and Miro can provide. Tracks like "The March Of The Swordmaster" show the band at their most diverse whilst the following track "When Demons Awake" are Rhapsody at their most aggressive. It's so much heavier than "Holy Thunderforce" and it is this onslaught that Rhapsody need to remain at the top. Whilst I have yet to peruse the lyrics, the Emerald Sword Saga returns and I'd be interested in how Luca Turilli (g) has developed as a lyricist. Speaking of the guitars, they have transformed themselves once again and opened up more classical components to play with. Luca's constant interplays with Alex Staropoli (k - and also the orchestral arranger) are just superb. They seem not only majestically classical but infinitely more aggressive.

Continuing on with this heavy theme, the antagonism in Fabio Lione's vocals is just amazing, although he manages to move from the totally aggressive ("When Demons Awake") to the softly supple ("Lamento Eroico"). His voice, like the album as a whole, moves from one extreme to the other effortlessly. The songs seem more diverse and I really believe that their EP was a prelude to what was coming on this album. The actual songs themselves have a certain pride about them and both stimulate and provoke. All of the original elements still show up but the album has more character than what Dawn Of Victory provided - it blows that album out of the (fantasy) universe. I was hoping to get away with not hearing that bloody narrator, but he does make an appearance in the "epic" finale, the 20 minute "Gargoyles, Angels Of Darkness" which is royal and elegant and typical Rhapsody. Overblown, yes, but we like that don't we? Once again, orgasmic artwork that I would love to see enlarged.

This album is truly magnificent. You'll like it if you enjoyed Rain Of A Thousand Flames - just don't look at the song titles because you may laugh too hard.

Similar To: Rhapsody are the leaders in their genre.

PPO Rating: 8/10

[This review originally appeared at the ProgPower Online review site; see also Duncan's review -ed.]

More about Power Of The Dragonflame:

Track Listing: In Tenebris (01:28) / Knightrider Of Doom (03:56) / Power Of The Dragonflame (04:27) / The March Of The Swordmaster (05:04) / When Demons Awake (06:46) / Agony Is My Name (04:58) / Lamento Eroico (04:38) / Steelgods Of The Last Apocalypse (05:48) / The Pride Of The Tyrant (04:53) / Garoyles, Angels Of Darkness: Angeli Di... (19:02)

Musicians:
Fabio Lione - vocals
Luca Turilli - guitar
Alex Staropoli - keyboards
Alessandro Lotta -bass
Alex Holzwarth - drums
Dominique Leurquin - guitar

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS: Epic choirs - Herby Langhans, Miro, Robert Hunecke-Rizzo, Cinzia Rizzo, Oliver Hartmann
Church choirs - Bridget Fogle, Previn Moore Female baroque voice: Bridget Fogle
Manuel Staropoli - Baroque recorders
Dana Lurie - Lead violin
Jay Lansford - Narration
Sascha Paeth - Bass Thunderforce - Drums 1st classical guitar intro of "Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness" composed and performed by Sascha Paeth
2nd classical guitar intro and interlude composed by Luca Turilli and performed by Johannes Monno

Contact:

Website: http://www.mightyrhapsody.com/
Note: will open new browser window

Email: ltrhapsody@aol.com

Discography

Legendary Tales (1997)
Symphony Of Enchanted Lands (1998)
Dawn Of Victory (2000)
Rain Of A Thousand Flames (2001)
Power Of The Dragonflame (2002)
The Dark Secret (2004)
Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret (2004)



Rhapsody - Power Of The Dragonflame

Released: 2002
Label: LMP
Cat. No.: LMP 0203-040 CD
Total Time: 61:00


Reviewed by: Duncan N Glenday, December 2003
“Superlative”: of, relating to, or constituting the degree of grammatical comparison that denotes an extreme or unsurpassed level or extent. So the English language should be full of superlatives, right? Practically every adjective has one - good, better, best; grand, grander, grandest; bombastic, more bombastic, most bombastic; where best, grandest and most bombastic are the superlatives. Problem is - when trying to describe Rhapsody’s Power Of The Dragonflame, I ran out of superlatives!

This album is only for those who are into over-the-top, epic metal. And as long as there is real quality behind the music, I am.into those sounds in a big way - and no one does bombastic epics better than Rhapsody, Italy’s masters of power-metal. A brief description of the first two tracks will give you a taste of the grand soundscapes that are Rhapsody’s signature:

The introduction is a one and a half minute overture of opulent classical choirs and orchestral arrangements. Then in what has become something of a tradition, the lush overture flows straight into a stutter-step rapid fire of staccato power chords, blistering lead guitar, and the excellent vocals of Fabio Lione trading passages with that big choir - all played over lush, dominant keyboards and a soft orchestral backing. It’s a huge sound, and several of the album’s most important themes are developed here.

See, Rhapsody does nothing in half-measures. Nothing. Adding to the metal instrumentation and vocals of the six band members are choirs, church choirs, a female baroque vocalist, violins, two classical guitarists, and an English narrator.

In 1997 Rhapsody developed a grand Dungeons and Dragons style fantasy tale known as the Emerald Sword Saga, and this release is the fifth and final installment of that grand 47-song, 5 hour epic rock opera.

It takes energy to listen to a Rhapsody album, particularly if you follow the storyline from album to album. But the best booklets in the industry make it easier - with excellent cover art, the full set of lyrics, a detailed synopsis of the story, maps, and band info. And by the time you’ve gone through the whole thing, and sunk yourself into the deep emotions and the complexities of the music, you’ll be exhausted but thoroughly satisfied.

Besides that wonderful introduction, two tracks stand out: “Lamento Eroico” is an operatic piece that showcases vocalist Fabio Lione’s versatility, and is a pleasant break from the driving pace of the rest of the album. It is a poignant number sung in Italian, accompanied by a slow, majestic piano piece by Alex Staropoli, and a soft string backing. There is a narrative ballad style to the verses, and the choruses are grandly operatic with Lione accompanied by male choirs. The metal instrumentation is kept to a minimum, and this is a close as Rhapsody gets to a power ballad.

The final 19-minute track “Garoyles, Angels of Darkness:” is a sweeping progressive epic that closes out the whole story and ranges musically from the Hollywood filmscape style of Symphony X’s V, through the full power-metal style of the best from Europe. It starts with a beautiful two-minute classical guitar passage backed by ‘tron-like sampled keys, then explodes into thrash-metal riffs and classic metal vocals. It quickly develops into a bigger sound with those keyboards, choirs and the string section building a wall of sound, which then pulls back and changes form and … this song is all over the map! It flows beautifully and ranges from classical guitar and piano to full metal thrash to operatic choirs to spoken narratives, and themes from earlier tracks as well as from some of the prior albums are reprised and brought to a majestic climax. Again - nothing done in half-measures!

All Rhapsody (and Luca Turilli) albums are showcases for their superb compositions and their excellent musicianship and singing, and the choirs add a splendid majesty and texture.

So - ignoring that thesaurus for a minute: This is the most (add your favorite superlative here) ambitious progressive symphonic metal in music today, and collectively, the epic-discography comprises the ultimate concept album. Power Of The Dragonflame itself rates somewhere between 4.5 and 4.75 out of 5 - but add the rich background story and the 5-album 6-year history of this combined productions and it soars to a five-golden-star rating.

Rating: 5/5


[See also Gary's review -ed.]

More about Power Of The Dragonflame:

Track Listing: In Tenebris (01:28) / Knightrider of Doom (03:56) / Power of the Dragonflame (04:27) / The March of the Swordmaster (05:04) / When Demons Awake (06:46) / Agony Is My Name (04:58) / Lamento Eroico (04:38) / Steelgods of the Last Apocalypse (05:48) / The Pride of the Tyrant (04:53) / Garoyles, Angels of Darkness: Angeli Di... (19:02)

Musicians:
Fabio Lione - vocals
Luca Turilli - guitar
Alex Staropoli - keyboards
Alessandro Lotta -bass
Alex Holzwarth - drums
Dominique Leurquin - guitar

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS: Epic choirs - Herby Langhans, Miro, Robert Hunecke-Rizzo, Cinzia Rizzo, Oliver Hartmann
Church choirs - Bridget Fogle, Previn Moore
Female baroque voice: Bridget Fogle
Manuel Staropoli - Baroque recorders
Dana Lurie - Lead violin
Jay Lansford - Narration
Sascha Paeth - Bass
Thunderforce - Drums
1st classical guitar intro of "Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness" composed and performed by Sascha Paeth
2nd classical guitar intro and interlude composed by Luca Turilli and performed by Johannes Monno

Contact:

Website: http://www.mightyrhapsody.com/
Note: will open new browser window

Discography

Legendary Tales (1997)
Symphony Of Enchanted Lands (1998)
Dawn Of Victory (2000)
Rain Of A Thousand Flames (2001)
Power Of The Dragonflame (2002)
The Dark Secret (2004)
Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret (2004)