01	To Magic Horizons						01:21
	02	Black Dragon						05:05
	03	Legend of Steel						05:21
	04	Lord of the Winter Snow						06:05
	05	Princess Aurora						03:47
	06	The Ancient Forest of Elves						04:43
	07	Throne of Ice						01:51
	08	Where Heroes Lie						04:24
	09	Warrior's Pride						03:47
	10	Kings of the Nordic Twilight						13:50
	11	The Ancient Forest of Elves						04:43
	12	Warrior's Pride (duet version)						03:48
	13	Knight of Immortal Fire						05:11

Luca Turilli - King Of The Nordic Twilight

Released: 1999
Label: LMP / Inside Out
Cat. No.: LMP 9909-013 CD/SPV 085-31722CD
Total Time: 46:05


Review courtesy John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg, February 2000
Guitarist/composer Luca Turilli has unearthed uncultivated territory with his band Rhapsody, namely that of sympho-speedmetal. The record company themselves keep it at "epic fantasy metal." But, whichever way you look at it, the Rhapsody album Symphony of Enchanted Lands has sold no fewer than 120,000 copies worldwide. Or better still, it's another fine example of this truth: you don't have to appear on MTV every hour in order to sell! For Rhapsody, the number of limited editions was endless, which is exactly what has happened with King of the Nordic Twilight, the first solo album by Luca Turilli, as well. Next to the "ordinary" CD there's also going to be a limited digipack, a vinyl picture disc, a vinyl maxi picture disc and a CD-single. But the record, what about the record?

Accompanied by Robert Hunecke-Rizzo and Sascha Paeth (both from Heaven's Gate), violins, and a huge choir, the difference between a solo album by Turilli and a new Rhapsody album isn't big. The love for both baroque and the work of such composers as Paganini, Vivaldi and Bach, provides a lot of the classical elements that make up the backbone of this recording, the first part of the 'Virtual Odyssey Trilogy'. So there's more to come!

A song such as "Princess Aurora" almost sounds like opera. The violin in "The Ancient Forest of Elves" somehow makes me think of Kansas, whilst the vocal harmony results in the folky atmosphere of yore. We really feel right in the middle ages when we listen to "Warrior's Pride," whilst it's "all systems go" during the 12 minutes of "Kings of the Nordic Twilight." Sharpen those swords for a foray through the forest of "epic fantasy metal" and wake up the true knight in each and one of you!



Reviewed by: Bjornar Bevolden, November 2002

This is guitarist Luca Turilli's (Rhapsody) first solo album. Fans of Rhapsody are aware of his productivity and that he's the genius behind Rhapsody's music. Prior to this the album, a single was released ["The Ancient Forest Of Elves"] that gave you an idea what the forthcoming album would sound like. In addition, the single had one song that is not on the full CD ["Knight Of Immortal Fire"] and also a different version of "Warrior's Pride," which made the single absolutely worth getting. Luca has teamed up with Sascha Paeth (b/g), Miro (k), Robert Hunecke (d) and Olaf Hayer (v).

Stylistically, what we get here is very close to the material offered on the previous Rhapsody albums. Actually, this might just as well have been another Rhapsody album. This is heavy, classically influenced epic power/speed metal. First, although the music is full of cliches, there's no denying the quality of the songs. They all have great hooks, bombastic arrangements, super melody lines and choruses. The instrumentation is awesome and the use of epic choirs and orchestral arrangements (flute, violin, viola, piano, cembalo, etc.) are nicely integrated to the music. The songs have enough variation within each song to keep this interesting all the way to the end of the CD. Also, vocalist Olaf Hayer's (Treasure Seeker) mid-to-high ranged vocals, are superb, and practically made for this music.

The production is of course as good as it gets, and the songwriting and arrangements are top notch. I was a bit disappointed when I first heard this CD, but after living with it for some weeks, this CD has turned out to be one of my favourites so far this year. Although this might just as well have been another Rhapsody disc, and the cliches are all over the place, this is still sounding fresh and 10 times better than most other bands within the genre. King Of The Nordic Twilight is an enjoyable disc and a must for all fans of the genre.

PPO Rating: 8/10



More about King Of The Nordic Twilight:

Track Listing: To Magic Horizons (1:21) / Black Dragon (5:05) / Legend Of Steel (5:21) / Lord Of The Winter Snow (6:06) / Princess Aurora (3:47) / The Ancient Forest Of Elves (4:44) / Throne Of Ice (1:52) / Where Heroes Lie (4:24) / Warrior's Pride (3:48) / Kings Of The Nordic Twilight (11:37)

Sound Clips:

Musicians:
Luca Turilli - lead guitar, additional keyboards
Olaf Hayer - vocals
Sascha Paeth - bass
Miro - keyboards
Robert Hunecke-Rizzo - drums

Contact:


Website: www.world-online.de/limb-music/
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Discography

"The Ancient Forest Of Elves" (1999) (single)
King Of The Nordic Twlight (1999)
Demonheart (2002) (ep)
Prophet Of The Last Eclipse (2002)