Customer Reviews

Legendary Tales

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'll just put the comment I wrote about their second album (Symphony of Enchanted Lands), because I think both releases have the same qualities, although this one may be a bit less heavy and finished.

Some melodic metal performers are often blamed because they just try to impress people with their outstanding ability to play fast while they forget composition and feelings. With Rhapsdoy you get both ingredients, and at their best level. This is very good heavy metal with a strong classical influence. The instruments are incredibly diverse (violins, viola, cello, piano, accoustic and electric guitars, contra bass, harp, flute...) and finely orchestrated. While one heavy song and its powerful rythm will get you going, the other one will enchant your ear with its delicate medieval melodies. In my opinion the only small fly in the ointment lies in lyrics, which are a bit simple (dragons everywhere, holy swords, elves, magical keys...). But let's face it anyway, they fit to this kind of music ! I highly recommend this albu to anyone who likes metal and/or classical music. Pass on it only if you can't bare heavy guitars.

It's true, and we, the fans of melodic metal, must accept that fact. So yes, it's cheesy. But SO WHAT?! What about all the good points? What about the talent? What about the consistency of good songs? I've had many fights with so called "metal-heads", who limit themselves to only "cookie monster vocal" death metal. Now, I have nothing against death metal. I'm a true metal fan. To me Metal is metal, or their heart was at least in the right place. Except in the case of hardcore or nu-metal, which we all know, sucks. I'm simply sick of people hating melodic metal because it dosent have "attitude", which is usually the case with certain metal fans disliking, or just saying that they dislike, "power metal". So they call it "gay", because they cant vent to it, after a hard day of getting beaten up at school. I blast this sh*t because it fu*king rocks! I dont care if it's about dragons or ice warriors, or whatever! I just care about the music! It's catchy as hell! Luca Turilli is an incredible guitar player, quite possibly one of the very best on the metal scene today, or ever. The galloping double bass never lets up, and Fabio Lione's vocals are great, very operatic, and he shows a good range (although sometimes using too much vibrato). Warrior of Ice, Land of Immortals, Flames of Revenge,and Lord of the Thunder are the highlight tracks. An excellent, very fast, very catchy, but sometimes very cheesy album. This one was actually the latest Rhapsody album I've gotten, and it solidified my opinion that they're one of my new favorite bands. I blast it with all my windows down, and I dont give a sh*t what jackasses are thinking. Why do certain "so-called" metal fans seem to care? Why are they so up tight? Isn't that what metal is all about? Just having fun, and not giving a fu*k what other people think? Correct me here. You know I'm right.

When this album came out, it turned heads upon the first listen. Bands like Helloween and Stratovarius had won the world over with its melodic speed/power metal, but none had ever attempted such a musical assault upon the dark ages as Rhapsody's debut managed.

Following in the footsteps of Helloween's "Invitation", Luca Turilli and company craft a brief, synthesized orchestration as its first track ("Ira Tenax"), which leads seamlessly into the album's official opener, "Warrior of Ice". The following two tracks would show the world Rhapsody's true compositional prowess. "Rage of the Winter" is a perfect symbiosis of metal and classical interludes, a pattern that would be repeated in the forthcoming albums and later become a Rhapsody staple. "Forest of Unicorns" exhibits the band's love for all things medieval, complete with flutes, harpsichords, and what sound like children singing. It isn't until the album's standout track, "Land of Immortals" that eyes start popping out and blood pressures start rising. Following this power-metal masterpiece, whose influences range from Yngwie Malmsteen to Mozart, listeners are given over to "Echoes of Tragedy", a menacing creation of impending doom. With a somber piano, a choir composed of operatic male bass singers and a rudimentary percussion set, it sounds as if the gods were speaking through distant thunder. "Lord of the Thunder" brings us back to the kingdom of power-metal, complete with bombastic drums, great guitar-work, and singer Fabio Leone's soaring voice.

I was not a metalhead at the time, but I can still appreciate this ground-breaking release even today. The forging of the elements is brilliant, if not corny. An amazing beginning to a genre-defining band.

See also: Rhapsody -Power of the Dragonflame, Rhapsody - Dawn of Victory, Rhapsody - Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Kamelot - The Fourth Legacy

Over the last two months i have just began listening to many progressive rock title's that my boss has recommended for me or let me borrow. I soon came to the conclusion that progressive rock was so cool, that i should expand my horizon more deeply into it. So i began buying and ordering Cd's from the internet and cd stores. Legendary Tales by Rhapsody was one of the first to come in the mail. I was so struck by the english recorder and the great guitar and keyboard work that i immediatly fell in love with the CD. I just had to let my boss hear it. He too after hearing it was astonished with the greatness of the CD. The Cd only gets better as you go along completing it, which really adds a great effect and wants you to continue listening. I would really require this Cd to anyone who enjoys a great progressive band because this cd is awsome!

You have excellent musicians here. Perfect masters of the art of power metal and classical to produce a fantastic album based on epic fantasy themes. Buy it, you won't regret it... It just never gets old.

1997's Legendary Tales marks the arrival of Italian metal warriors Rhapsody onto the metal scene, and while it's easy to write these guys off as cheesy Dungeons & Dragons throwback metal, you can't underestimate the impact they had on the (re)emerging power metal scene in the late 90's. It had been a long time since anyone had played such unabashedly earnest, fantasy-based power metal and those that did (I'm talking Malmsteen and Manowar here) never took it to the lengths that Rhapsody did.

Rhapsody started with the basic Helloween-invented power metal formula, added Malmsteen-esque virtuosity, and orchestrated the living bejesus out of it. The result was a symphonic power metal sound so dramatic and epic that you had to take notice of it. And I know you can argue that Blind Guardian was doing the same thing, but Rhapsody's unapologetic embrace of cheesy lyrics, melodramatic narration, and fantasy imagery (not to mention those ridiculous band photos with capes, crowns and swords) put them in an entirely different category of power metal.

There's a lot to make fun of here. I can admit that. But there's also a lot to love. Luca Turilli's blinding guitar work is mesmerizing, and while his lyrics leave much to be desired, his songwriting and arranging are outstanding. You can chuckle at a song like Warrior of Ice, but you know you want to raise your fist and shout along (as long as no one is watching, of course). Fabio Leone's vocals add a sense of drama and power to the album, even if he doesn't seem completely comfortable with the English lyrics. Top it off symphonic arrangements (via keyboards) and a first rate production job, and you've got a very solid power metal album, especially for a debut release.

Unlike Blind Guardian, who continued to progress and improve with each release, Rhapsody's run would not last very long. They released a string of high quality power metal albums, but after Power of the Dragonflame descended into repetition and self-parody. Still, their early albums are all worth owning if you're into power metal and don't mind a little cheese.

If you want to get into Rhapsody, I suggest you start with Sympony of Enchanted Lands, (I did) . Musically this album does not stand out like some later releases does, this record, especially the heavy songsn remind me of Helloween (Kiske era), but that's not bad though. It seems they've not completely developed the Symphonic Epic 'Hollywood' Metal yet, my CD even came with a Melodic Epic Power Metal Sticker (which was an honest description.)

This album is not as good as SoEL. But it is an album you'll want to buy, especially after hearing SoEL. Also it is the first chapter of four of Rhapsody's Algalord Chronicles which is a Tolkienesque story landscape - good vs evil way back in time...

The best tracks on ...Tales is Warrior of Ice and Flames of Revenge. They're excellent!!!

Lord of the Thunder and Legendary tales are good too, as are most of the tracks.

I have some problems digesting forest of Unicorns though, that sad-happy-sad-happy-folkish-elvish mix does work for me on this one. It feels out of place to me.

If you like symphonic power metal from clasically trained artists than this one and "symphony of enchanted lands" of rhapsody are must have albums. Great music from rhapsody..Keep on fighting for metal! warriors. Millions are with you in this battle!

This cd requires 2-3 listens to be hooked. I recomend that you listen to this cd with an open mind and appreciation of its complexity and diversity of instruments. All the musicians in the band are good but the standout is the drummer-Daniele Carbinera, listen to the 2nd verse intro to the song "Lord of the thunder" and you'll experience what I mean- his double bass work is excellent accross the whole cd. Luca Turilli's guitars could have been louder on some of the songs but genuinely he plays well on all the compositions. Alex Staropoli's voice and harmonies are very good-he sounds alot like Bruce Dickenson and a few songs. This is a standout debut and the highlights are "Warrior of ice", "Rage of the winter", Lord of the thunder" and "legendary Tales". A must for your cd collection.

THIS IS THE LEAST HEAVY CD PUT OUT BY RHAPSODY BUT IT STILL SMOKES. THE VOCALIST IS VERY GOOD AND THE PRODUCTION IS FLAWLESS. THERE ARE A LOT STRINGS AND CHOURUSES THAT GIVE THE MUSIC AN EPIC FEEL.