MUSIC REVIEW: Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory

"MY MAGIC SWORD!!!"

Now I'm the jerk who wrote the reviewderiding Rhapsody's exceedingly foreign vocals and cheesy lyrics. While I stand by that assessment, it was unfair for those characteristics to denigrate Dawn of Victory's rating. So this is meant to be a more "fair" review.

Rhapsody's story of fantasy adventure is something that generates emotional fuel. Even if the story is very generic, what counts is the feelings that come through. Metal bands these days are turgid and excessive in their negative attitudes, and Rhapsody's feeling of heroism is refreshing and pleasant. And, this is just my opinion, but I'd rather listen to songs about dragons and warriors than drinking beer, driving a truck, or having the hots for the girl at the office.

Rhapsody feels no embarrassment when tackling songcraft of this type. So it's the "good" kind of campiness. Because they are so enthusiastic about what they are doing, their energy is certainly infectious, aided by their excellent musicianship and Luca Turilli's incredible sense of melody. Many of these songs have the hooks of pop, but the energy and intensity of heavy metal. However, Rhapsody's inclusion of symphonic elements makes it something else entirely. Operatic choirs, REAL strings (not keyboards), among other things, all add credence to the band's style.

Unfortunately, the band seems to have lost some of its creativity since their previous release, Symphony of Enchanted Lands. SoEL is more creative, with greater ebbs and flows of diversity, and more interesting orchestral passages. While Dawn of Victory is still very good and has several great songs, they are more and more interchangeable with less emphasis on the orchestral side and a heavier lean towards the metal end. That's not necessarily a bad thing in itself, but doing so sacrifices an important factor of originality that they once possessed. Another drawback is the album becomes very homogenous sounding in the second half, whereas the first half has better songwriting and songs sound more variegated. Check out Symphony of Enchanted Lands before you check out this out.

A good album. It's cheesy, but that's part of what makes it great.

Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory

"Extremely formulaic and cheesy, but entertaining."

The music of Rhapsody is definitely cheesy, but it's a good kind of cheese. Here we have a bunch of Dungeons & Dragons geeks amalgamated into a metal band whose albums are a continuing saga revolving around all our favorite fantasy archetypes, like warriors, magic swords, demons, and dragons. The lyrics are laughably overwrought and horribly articulated (English isn't this band's first language). The foreign vocals are technically skillful but handicap the music thanks to horrible pronunciation. Simply put, it's almost embarrassing to listen to these guys.

Sure, this band is lame. But hey, it's guilty pleasures aplenty. It's just fun to listen to because the band plays with reams of energy and they write entertaining music. Most songs are fast and vigorous, teeming with intensity. The grandiose symphonic interludes and operatic choirs give the music a cinematic quality. Luca Turilli, the principal songwriter behind the band, has a great ear for melody and the album produces a good number of catchy hooks (though not as many as on Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Rhapsody's last album). Many of the songs are catchy, but don't sing the lyrics too loud or people will think you've been on cheap drugs.

As always, Rhapsody's music kind of defies classification. Most would call it metal, but at length I would not call it that. It's more like "heavy symphony", because it lacks the heavy riffing focus of staple metal. Though this album is more traditional as far as metal goes, the band still preserves its originality.

I fear the band might be running low on ideas, because Dawn Of Victory doesn't have the song diversity of Symphony Of Enchanted Lands nor does it feature the inventiveness behind said album's orchestral moments. Heck, the title track that opens the album basically copies antecedent song "Emerald Sword" from Symphony Of Enchanted Lands, albeit at a slower tempo. Despite the predictability in each song, they are intense enough to offer an entertaining spin in your CD player. By the time you get halfway through the album, the songs actually start to sound a little too similar.

Listen to me; I know what I'm talking about. Rhapsody's music is so bad it's good.

Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands

"How is it possible?"

How can a metal band be so CHEESY and yet... so good? Rhapsody is truly awesome, both literally and figuratively. They merge their bombastic power metal with classical music in ways that blow the mind. The guitars are exhilarating and technical. Luca Turilli is really amazing. His solos and riffs are incredible, but don't concentrate solely on the guitar. You'll also want to lend an ear to the stunning classical interludes. What's great about these songs is that they can be fast and heavy at one moment, then shift fluidly into more florid moments, but it all coheres nicely. This fantasy story of heroism is delivered through Fabio Lione operatic vocals. Though the English is a little disjointed and the lyrics are CHEESE FACTOR 10, it all sounds really good overall, so it never becomes a problem. The use of the choir adds to the power of the music.

In the end, this CD comes across with far more impact than the strong debut, Legendary Tales, and I can't wait for more of Rhapsody's albums.

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.