Rhapsody: "Power of the Dragonflame"
| Published 09/17/04

Graphic by: Doni Neel

  "Power of the Dragonflame" is one of the cheesiest, most clichéd albums I have ever heard, but deep within its core lays the true essence of heavy metal. Guitarist Luca Turilli is a technical virtuoso, who gives Rhapsody its truly unique undertones and cinematic sound. The drumming is furiously fast and avoids monotony, unlike some metal bands. The vocals are extremely operatic and swap between Italian and English, which is reminiscent of early Iron Maiden. As a band, Rhapsody is solid, well thought out and utterly amazing.

The concept behind this album is rooted in an epic quest created by Turilli, known as the Emerald Sword Saga. This story includes five albums, beginning with "Legendary Tales" of 1997. The albums chronicle the quest of Aresius, a wizard of a land known as Elgard, to the restoration his homeland from the feared hands of the army of Akron. "Power of the Dragonflame" is the final chapter from Aresius¹ journey.

If you like shredding metal riffs, operatic vocal capabilitiesand film-score style entertainment, Rhapsody is definitely the band for you. With songs such as "When Demons Awake,"  "March of the Swordmaster" and the 20-minute ballad, "Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness," this band presents an epic journey with truly epic music. This CD is recommended only to those who like cheesy metal and insane guitar riffs. If this is you, grab your Italian translators, epic RPGs and Dungeons and Dragons books, and get ready to rock out!