triumph or agony

Rhapsody of Fire | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: ICAR
• ASIN: B000HD0YCY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,664 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

For the past nine years or, to be more precise, since the opening tones of their sensational debut album, Legendary Tales, Rhapsody have been one of the most unusual phenomena of the current metal scene. The huge range of their creativity, the number of legendary compositions that the Italian band, with their primary members guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboarder Alex Staropoli, have released so far is legendary and will now be topped with their new album, Triumph & Agony.

Due to copyright and trademark issues the band formerly known as Rhapsody has changed its name to Rhapsody Of Fire. The band members consider this a great new start, reflecting the emboldened and increasingly grandiose direction that their music has taken. Â"The Power of the Dragonflame will burn brighter than ever before,Â" says guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli. Keyboardist/songwriter Alex Staropoli adds, Â"The name Rhapsody Of Fire better represents the energy that has always been present in this band and its music.Â"

Rhapsody Of Fire will continue to explore musical fantasy worlds with the precision musicianship and unique symphonic concepts that their fans have come to expect and adore. Fresh on the heels of the bandÂ’s first live album release, Live In Canada 2005 - The Dark Secret, a new name and renewed vigor ensure that Rhapsody Of Fire still hold the passion and power that have always been associated with their music. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The New Rhapsody - Excellent Epic Symphonic Metal, January 2, 2007

By 

Mr D. "Artist/Designer/Kibitzer" (Cave Creek, Az United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Triumph Or Agony (Audio CD)

No you're not seeing things. It is Rhapsody in all their excess and you know what? It sounds pretty good. Not sure of the reason for the name change but it seems to have made them less hyper and more melodious (if that's possible). Plenty of medieval melodies, soaring vocals, backing choirs and of course, bombast.

Not unlike Luc Turilli's two new separate releases sans the female lead vocalists, but not quite as good. For fans of Therion, Dreamquest, Epica.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Amazing., October 9, 2006

By 

David "Lucitt" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Triumph Or Agony (Audio CD)

This is the first review I've ever written on this site. I have been an avid viewer and customer of Amazon for quite a while, yet I have never felt a need to actually write a review for something. This CD changed that for me. It is simply brilliant. With Symphony of Enchanted Lands II, Rhapsody had somewhat changed their style. SoEL2 was very epic, very big, very mature sounding, yet it didn't have that fast paced, hard hitting, almost catchy-like quality of their previous releases (for the most part). Don't misunderstand me, SoEL2 is a brilliant album, one that I would pick over most other music any day. It was just... missing something. Well, good news folks, Triumph of Agony takes the best of SoEL2 and combines it with enough of their old energy to give us something incredible. Starting with eerie whispers, this album never left me bored or wanting to switch tracks. Song ten is enough for anyone to buy the album. That song is truly brilliant. If you like power metal, if you like a big, epic sound, if you like to be swept up in your music and truly feel a part of it, then this album is for you. While Rhapsody, now Rhapsody of Fire, is certainly not for everyone, if you have even an inkling of a liking for them, this is certainly one of their very strongest efforts to date. I certainly hope their future efforts are as strong as this one. Good job guys.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars under-appreciated, June 29, 2010

By 

Jeremy Ja Vogt - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Triumph Or Agony (Audio CD)

i always see negative reviews of this album and get into arguments with former fans and/or blind guardian fans... and this is the first album i ever heard of theirs, and this is what sold me to their music, so i don't understand how someone can hate this album.

it is true that this album is not as intense, but there is no war going on in the story at the time, The Dark Secret is the second saga's starter, which i felt like that album previous to this, was more straight forward to the story's progression, where as this album is mostly time passing as they head to dar-kunor and their wizard king guide is telling of stories, which is basically the majority of the songs preluding the present journey which is the epic song The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight, which its length does not compare to previous saga endsong Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness, but its quite debatably just as epic.

but the main difference between those songs, is that Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness (from Power of the Dragonflame), is a major climatic event in that saga, so all epicness is involved. so i can see that some would prefer the older albums due to their constant battles and drama. but even so, this album's epic is a decent plot movement, and this album will leave you wondering what happens next.

which i am buying the new album soon, Frozen tears of angels. and as for the less harsh critics, i would agree with the idea of having new Rhapsody fans getting into the first 4 albums first (5 if you count Rain of a thousand flames EP).

but if you are willing to accept their new stuff as more theatrical elements and not so much action and powerful, this album and The Dark Secret (Symphony of enchanted lands part 2), will make for with epicness and bring on both a new story and nostalgia of the previous saga.