Rhapsody - Legendary Tales

LEGENDARY TALES
Rhapsody

Dungeons & Dragons + Power Metal

The genre says it all, "Symphonic Epic Power Metal." With this album, Rhapsody began their stylized form of symphonic metal revolving around cheesy but strangely amusing story about a warrior, a dragon, some magic keys, an enchanted sword... all the hackneyed fantasy literature stuff. The goofiness of the lyrics can be overlooked thanks to Rhapsody's enthusiasm, wonderful dynamic songs, and overall heroic feel. Combining speed metal with orchestral instruments and classical interludes makes an engaging piece of music. Some songs stand out much more than others. "Lord of Thunder," "Rage of the Winter," and "Land of Immortals" all merge stirring symphonic moments with speedy metal riffs and soaring choruses. The other songs basically do the same, but with less success. "Forest of Unicorns" is a delightfully silly romp through a spirited folk dance. A good album for those who like bands like Stratovarius but with more symphonic bits in the music, which makes the music more diverse.