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Review: Rhapsody of Fire - Legendary Tales
Rhapsody of Fire
www.rhapsodyoffire.com
Legendary Tales

Label: Limb Music Products
Year released: 1997
Duration: 45:29
Tracks: 10
Genre: Power Metal

Rating:
4.75/5


Review online: June 20, 2009
Reviewed by: Christopher Foley
Readers' Rating
How do you rate this release?

Rated 3.98/5 (79.66%) (59 Votes)
Review

So this is where it all started, these guys invented the whole cheesy bombastic Power Metal sound – love it or hate you can't deny what these guys did to the scene. When this album dropped in 1997 the whole (melodic) metal world stopped and looked, and a hell of a lot of bands thought "What a good idea, let's do this". Who would have thought mixing a Manowar mentality in with classically trained musicians and an operatic vocalist would have worked so well. When originally getting into the Power Metal thing these were one of the first bands I checked out and immediately I was impressed with the lyrics in their music (being a fantasy nut) and when I bought the CDs I found the booklets pretty damn sweet. Of course the epic tale around which the first four albums were based around was another drawing factor for me – as lame as it may seem. Although most importantly it was the music on offer, and really this is some of the finest around. Remember this was before the Power Metal scene exploded, a lot of bands were still finding their feet as was the resurgence of the genre. With their first release Rhapsody Of Fire were immediately able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the genre's biggest names.

Often Rhapsody Of Fire are seen as a novelty, a lot of the metal community see these guys as a joke and there's been times where I have been inclined to thinking the same. However it's necessary to remind ourselves that these guys aren't a novelty or a joke – sure they're cheesy and bombastic but they're still a metal band. Hell, look no further than tracks such as the mighty "Lord of Thunder", one of Rhapsody Of Fire's finest tracks to date – boasting an immense intro which screams classic. "Warrior of Ice" is a grand track - Fabio Lione's delivery of "Demons of abyss, wait for my pride" sounds immense and resident shredder and mastermind Luca Turilli delivers immense guitar work with impossible solos. Of course our other mastermind Alex Strapoli really shines with his keyboard skills. As cheesy as it is, "Rage of the Winter" is another personal favorite of mine. I remember the first time I played this track on my iPod walking to a bus stop during a wild blizzard – pretty suitable track don't you think. Love it or hate it there's no denying the fact that Legendary Tales is a milestone in its genre, 12 years on this still sounds fresh and innovative, the makings of a classic. Rhapsody Of Fire would go on to enjoy a much storied career releasing album after album of this kind of stuff. I recommend if you've yet to look into these guys to start here, ignore the naysayers and make your own mind up, these is really some choice Power Metal. Essential.

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