Turilli/Lione Rhapsody - Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution) (2019)

My relationship with the ever changing entity known as Rhapsody has always been complicated. At one hand, I appreciate the grand unique spectacle that the band usually give us, but I also feel like they cross over the cheesy line more often than not, making every listen extremely frustrating. It does not help either that the band is different every time they pop up on the news feed, whether it be a new name, a new line up, or a combination of both. So here we have another branch on the Rhapsody tree, with founder Luca Turilli leaving his own Rhapsody on the sidelines for now, to once again collaborate with former Rhapsody (and current Angra) singer Fabio Lione in a project called, what else, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody. Just had to stick in that Rhapsody at the end, didn't ya?

To be honest, I do not blame their branding decision here, because this is as Rhapsody as it can become, all of that glorious epic symphonic cheese metal in an all you can eat buffet. It is grander than an ancient gladiator fight at the Coliseum in Rome, and it is more dramatic than the biggest of drama queens. Needless to say, if you have any interest in anything of Turilli's and Lione's previous Rhapsody work, this will most likely suit you nicely.

It is still teetering dangerously on that thin line between brilliance and cheese, but the duo fortunately ends up successful more often than not. There is this overwhelming confidence going through this record that wins me over time and time again, a multi layered sound scape of fantastic musicality that is just wonderful to behold. A track like "Decoding The Multiverse" is a prime example of this, a song that should have been over the top with its ridiculous premise, symphonic overload, and an over acting Lione, but it is all performed so expertly that it churns out pure quality instead of Gouda.

The whole first half of the record is overall top notch stuff. Opener "Phoenix Rising" sets the bar nicely with its Middle Eastern spices and catchy chorus, which is then followed up by "D.N.A. - Demon And Angel", where Lione is doing some excellent duet work with Amaranthe's Elize Ryd. Turilli gets his moments too, like the apocalyptic "Fast Radio Burst", and in the solo of the title track.

So it all seemed well and good, and my hopes of finally starting to love a Rhapsody album started to peak out, only to go right back to its hideout at the midway point. The second half has some questionable choices that makes this record slightly front heavy, like why are they suddenly changing between English and Italian? Just a weird choice that does nothing to benefit the album as a whole. There is also more classical influences in here, which is not utilized to its fullest potential unfortunately, it just becomes overly dramatic for my taste. "I Am" and "Multidimensional" saves this second half from being complete confusion, but it does not help my view of any Rhapsody project.

Despite that disappointing ending, "Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)" is still one of the more powerful Rhapsody records I have heard in some time, showing off the brilliance that both Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione can do when they bash their collective minds together. It makes you miss the good old days, when there was only one Rhapsody out there and not three. Bravissimo to the both of you.

Songs worthy of recognition: Fast Radio Burst, D.N.A. - Demon And Angel, Decoding The Multiverse, Multidimensional

Rating: 8/10 Origins

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