Label: AFM Records
Date: June 4th, 2021
Come on. Laugh if you wish. I’ve got no problem with that. I’ve taken this more out of sheer curiosity than necessity. Ever since it has become an impossible task to follow up which Rhapsody is the real one, which one features Turilli, Lione or Staropoli and which does not, I have stopped trying to untangle the knot. And my interest in the band has diminished to just about zero.
Shame for a band that once was my young day’s hero. Even with the title as seen above, I hardly expect my world to be shattered like it was back in the day, with “Symphony of Enchanted Lands” or “Dawn of Victory”.
Furthermore, this is not an album, but an announcement for it. There’s one new track, the title one, two live tracks, Japanese bonus track and… Well, fuck it, this is just a simple waste of time. Four versions of the same song. Each one sung in different language. And it’s a ballad! And not even a good one.
Excuse me while I skip three of them, and go back to the beginning.
Okay, I must note the new track is excellent. Just the way I remember Rhapsody. Without the “fire” part. Epic, catchy and adrenaline fueled. “Where Dragons Fly” is also fine. Regardless of what I personally think of special edition Japanese songs that seem like a giant rip-off for all the other fans worldwide. This one is also a ballad. A real epic power ballad this band is well-known for.
Two live tracks are taken from the tour where the Italians promoted “The Eighth Mountain” and both originally appear on the said album. Another couple of songs that show what Rhapsody is capable of. Rhapsody Of Fire, that is, as though these songs are good enough, they do not even come near what the original band managed to produce in the early years.
Which brings me to a conclusion. Here I’m dealing with a band that has clearly gone on too long. They undoubtedly revolutionized the genre, achieving tremendous success in the process. They’ve had a huge number of unforgettable hit songs. Some of them still bring goosebumps to your reviewer. But the problem is they are still dragging on. And it feels just like that. Dragging on whilst watering down the legacy of once monumental name on the scene.
