Artist: "Rhapsody"
Album: " Symphony Of Enchanted Lands, Vol. 2: The Dark Secret"
Genre: Metal
Label: Steamhammer

Reviewer: -RoG-
Posted: 5/13/2008

Review: Rhapsody is a symphonic power metal band from Italy and this is easily the best album I've heard from them. I'm a sucker for over the top power metal, what with all the speedy riffs, shrill vocals and some of the cheesiest storytelling methods you'll ever hear... how could anybody not love this stuff? Well, you'll be happy to hear that Symphony Of Enchanted Lands, Vol. 2: The Dark Secret delivers on all these aspects of the genre more than any other power metal band ever has.

True, there are a lot of people who can't stand power metal because of how inherently absurd the music stylings are, but there's no denying the impressive musicianship. Rhapsody (now known as "Rhapsody of Fire" due to trademark issues) has actually defined themselves as "film score" metal because of how their albums sound like something straight out of a movie, complete with epic tales that usually involve wizards and dragons. If you want Lord of the Rings combined with power metal, Rhapsody is your band.

As incredible as the musical mastery of Luca Turilli, Alex Staropoli and their massive accompanying orchestras and choruses are, what really pushes this album beyond its predecessors for me is that they actually had Christopher Lee narrate the story as the Wizard King! His deep, thundering voice proves to be an absolutely perfect fit for the fast-paced epic sound of Rhapsody. Just check out this intro while imagining it being read by Christopher Lee, and if that doesn't sell you on the album, nothing will:

"It was a good time for all creatures on the earth, but fate decreed that the dark prophecy of a demon knight could bring a tragic end to this peace scarring their lives forever.

Shortly before his defeat in the last of the primordial Wars between the heavens and hells the evil son of the Hell God Kron, known as Nekron, withdrew to his lair in the underworld. There sensing his impending death he inscribed a testament of pure evil in seven black books. One by one six of these books were discovered through the ages, however the seventh, last and most terrible of all contained the secret of his resurrection.

He commanded seven immortal demons to carry out his dark plan. But they were turned into stone by the angels of the crystal realms. And so his dreams slept with them until a time came when the forces of evil would usurp the earth. Nekron would rule in the unholy name of cosmic chaos.

And this time he would reign supreme!"

Admit it... you're quivering with anticipation now and simply cannot live the rest of your life without knowing if Nekron was defeated or not. It's an album with incredibly epic musical performances, but most importantly (to me at least) it's chock full of unintentional hilarity, and for that reason, by the power of the dragonflame, I cannot recommend it enough to you. If you don't get it, you may miss out on your only opportunity to hear a flute solo with a power metal band to back it up. Yeah, you heard me.

Overall rating:
(Scored on a 0.5 - 5 pickles rating: 0.5 being the worst and 5 being the best)