Rhapsody of Fire - Into The Legend (2016)

Looking back at the latest album from Rhapsody of Fire, "Dark Wings of Steel", the first album without Luca Turilli, it feels like I was one of few that actually enjoyed the album. Could be that I did not care that Luca was no longer in the band, or the fact that it was a bit different from the normal sound the band produces (a sound that has always made me feel indifferent). Anyway, it was a decent album that I hoped that the band would build upon on this, their new album entitled "Into The Legend".

The things that keeps me from loving the band are still here. The weird pronunciations, the over the top theatrical approach, and songs that have a low memorability factor. It is pretty obvious that the band has a niche of fans, and I am clearly not among them. Yet somehow, there is something with this band that makes me come back to them again and again. After all, I do not hate the music they make, I just don't love it.

There are still several things to appreciate in "Into The Legend". The band's performance is impressive, attacking the listener with fast solos and beautiful arrangements, and the production is clear and sharp, just what you would expect from a band of this caliber. Also, let us not forget that cool looking cover.

The overall song quality is fairly good, but just like in the last album, I am missing memorable songs. The entire album is certainly fine when you listen to it in its entirety, but the chance of remembering anything besides the chorus of the title track is slim to none, especially if you have a lot of experience with the band before, because there are a lot of songs in their discography that are similar to these ones.

But I still have to chose some favourites, so here it goes. "Valley of Shadows" is a good one, with good intensity and some nice, Italian singing mixed in it. Now that I think of it, Rhapsody of Fire is often at its best when they involve the Italian language into their music, go figure. Anyway, "Distant Sky" and "Into The Legend" are another couple of decent tracks, but "Realms of Light" is really impressive, lots of anger and epicness in it that makes it a clear stand out (just needs a more memorable chorus to be a masterpiece). The album ends with two completely different songs, the classic power metal tune "Rage of Darkness", and a 16 minute epic known as "The Kiss of Life". The latter one is a little boring because there is not much going on in it, but it has its interesting parts that makes it a worthy listen at least once. However, it is far from the epic finisher I believe the band tried to achieve.

I really did not expect "Into The Legend" to be an overwhelming experience, and I was right. It is Rhapsody of Fire to the core, and it should not come as a surprise that the Italians has made what they know and love. "Into The Legend" does have its share of interesting moments and enjoyable songs, but my view of the band is still the same, even if this is the best album I have heard from them. I am not sure if I will ever fully embrace the band and its sound, but I will sure keep listening to them and enjoy the little things that does make me smile. After all, there is still some fine craftsmanship inside this album.

Songs worthy of recognition: Realms of Light, Valley of Shadows, Rage of Darkness

Rating: 7,5/10 Shining Stars

Rhapsody of Fire - Dark Wings of Steel (2013)

I have never understood the greatness with Rhapsody of Fire. I should like their theatrical and grand power metal sound, but for some unknown reason, I never really get turned on with their music. Maybe this was the time to finally love the band now that one of the founders and main composers Luca Turilli have left the band to further develop his "movie music" in Luca Turilli's Rhapsody.

"Dark Wings of Steel" is the 10th album by the Italians and even if Luca has left the band, I consider this album as slightly more theatrical than its controversial predecessor "From Chaos To Eternity", mostly because there is no song here that screams metal like "Aeons of Raging Darkness". But the music is not so theatrical that it could be seen as movie music, which is the last thing I want to hear. I believe that movie music belongs on the big screen and not in a CD format.

The overall standard is pretty high on this album and I cannot find a single filler here. Everything here sounds really nice, like the beautiful Italian ballad "Custode Di Pace" (means peace keeper), the epic "Angel of Light" and the symphonic "A Tale of Magic". But just like with any other Rhapsody of Fire album, I cannot point to a individual song that could stand high and pride by itself. These songs creates an stable and good album together, but they are not very special at all individually, which is of course a shame since "Dark Wings of Steel" is a very solid piece of fine musicianship.

However, the biggest problem with "Dark Wings of Steel" is the lack of memorability in the songs. The only chorus I can remember after the first two listening sessions is "Fly To Crystal Skies", and that is only because of Fabio Lione's weird pronunciation of crystal (or as he says it, criestel). As soon as one song is done, I have to go back to it only to remember what I was listening to, even if I have heard the album several times. And no, I do not suffer from Alzheimers disease if you wondered that.

But even if the album has some slight problems, it still exceeds my expectations. "Dark Wings of Steel" does not convince me that Rhapsody of Fire can create world class music, but it keeps me interested with its unique sound and fine craftsmanship. Actually, I think it is one of the better Rhapsody of Fire albums made so far. But is the band better than Luca Turilli's Rhapsody? For now, yes, but Luca can still catch up if his next album is a killer (an album that is set for an release during next year). But for now, "Dark Wings of Steel" will have to do for the fans and the ones that despises Rhapsody of Fire may have to keep looking at other directions for something they will like.

Songs worthy of recognition: A Tale of Magic, Custode Di Pace, Fly To Crystal Skies

Rating: 7/10 Angels of Light