RHAPSODY OF FIRE
“Glory For Salvation”
Album Review by Piers Renfree

8.5/10

Hailing from Trieste in Italy, symphonic power metal band Rhapsody Of Fire started out in 1993, under the name “Thundercross”. In 1995, the band changed their name to Rhapsody, and eleven years later, in 2006 they changed their name back again to the (current) Rhapsody Of Fire, due to trademark issues.

To date the band have released twelve studio albums, two live albums, three E.P.s and a live DVD. The band’s first nine albums, starting with their 1997 debut “Legendary Tales” had conceptual lyrics that told a fantasy story which concluded with 2011’s “From Chaos To Eternity”.

This, the band’s thirteenth studio album, is the second part of a new conceptual story, “The Nephilim’s Empire Saga” which started with 2019’s “The Eighth Mountain”. For this album, the band, Alex Staropoli – keyboards, Giacomo Voli – vocals, Roberto De Micheli – lead and rhythm guitar, Alessandro Sala – bass guitar and Paolo Marchesich – drums have been joined by a few other musicians to help them with creating it; Manuel Staropoli – baroque recorders & flute, Giovanni Davoli – uilleann pipes and low whistle, Davide Simonelli – violin, Mateo Sivelli – cello, and Valerio Maura – harp, while Alex Mari, Angelo Guidetti, Erika Beretti, Gabriele Gozzi, Giacomo Piercassi and Giovani Maria Palmia add their vocals as the choir.

The thirteen songs that we have here (the eleven album tracks, plus two bonus tracks) run for just over sixty six minutes and the album opens with nice, epic keyboards which instantly grabs your attention.

The production here (by keyboardist Alex Staropoli) is crisp and clear, musically this will appeal to fans of HammerFall and DragonForce. The songs are for the most part, very pacy and uplifting, with oodles of guitar noodling and catchy, melodic, vocal lines. This is no one dimensional album though, track five “Terial The Hawk”, is a slower song, that really showcases Giovanni Davoli’s pipes, whilst the seventh song, “Abyss Of Pain” is a ten minute long, dramatic epic that Iron Maiden would be (rightly) proud of.

The two bonus tracks here “Un’ode per l’eroe” (An Ode To The Hero)” and “La esencia de un rey (The Essence Of A King)” are both power ballads and sung in the band’s native language, Italian.

TRACKLIST

Son Of Vengeance
The Kingdom Of Ice
Glory For Salvation
Eternal Snow
Terial The Hawk
Maid Of The Secret Sand
Abyss Of Pain (Part II)
Infinitae Gloriae
Magic Signs
I’ll Be Your Hero
Chains Of Destiny (Quindgar)
Un’ode per l’eroe
La esencia de un rey

https://www.rhapsodyoffire.com/
https://www.facebook.com/rhapsodyoffire/

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