Track Listings (12) - Disc #1| All Artists: Rhapsody Title: Symphony of Enchanted Lands 2: The Dark Secret Members Wishing: 1 Total Copies: 0 Label: Steamhammer Us Release Date: 10/4/2004 Genres: Pop, Rock, Metal Styles: Progressive, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC: 693723696126 |
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Search - Rhapsody :: Symphony of Enchanted Lands 2: The Dark Secret
 | Rhapsody Symphony of Enchanted Lands 2: The Dark Secret Genres: Pop, Rock, Metal
For the past seven 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... more » |
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Album Description For the past seven 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 reached the climax with the new album Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret. A new saga has been born, one that takes the listener on a musical adventure featuring epic, fast metal tracks and sonic landscapes with stirring narrative. It is the debut of a new style of Heavy Metal music created by Rhapsody known as Film Score Metal. The massive production, led by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli themselves was done in several studios throughout Europe; from England to Italy, from the Czech Republic and Belgium to Germany. Supported by appearances by more than a dozen international guest soloists and the entire Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra from the Czech Republic, a 50 piece choir as well as Christopher Lee - the grand seigneur of film and one of the most filmed actors in history, Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret will set the world of Symphonic Metal on fire. Similar CDs
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CD ReviewsWell, it was fun while it lasted Justin Gaines | Northern Virginia | 02/02/2008 (3 out of 5 stars) "After Rhapsody delivered the triumphant conclusion to their ongoing Emerald Sword Saga with 2002's Power of the Dragonflame, a lot of metal fans were left wondering what the band would do next, and how they could possibly top their previous efforts. To their credit, Rhapsody spared no expense in making 2004's Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Part II: the Dark Secret their most epic and ambitious album to date. Unfortunately this strategy did not pay off.
On the surface, it makes perfect sense for a power metal band as symphonically oriented as Rhapsody to hire a huge orchestra to augment their album, and casting Christopher Lee (Saruman from the Lord of the Rings films) seemed like a stroke of genius, especially after the godawful narration of the band's previous albums. The only thing Luca Turilli and company needed to do was come up with an album worthy of these enhancements. Besides, the time was ripe for the band to come up with some fresh ideas, new storylines, and generally take their music to a new level. Instead Luca went back to the trough to "revisit" the themes from the band's first Symphony of Enchanted Lands album, and by revisit I mean they essentially ripped themselves off. There's absolutely nothing on this album that you haven't already heard from Rhapsody. The concepts, lyrics, and arrangements are so similar to previous efforts that it borders on self-parody. On its own merits it is a perfectly decent symphonic power metal album, but when you hold it up against the band's earlier works it just falls short of expectations. Ultimately, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Part II was a wake up call for this metal fan. In the past I was able to look past the band's cheesier aspects because they were so good at this kind of music, and they seemed to improve with each album. With this album, the band definitely took two steps back, and it proved to be the album that cured me of my Rhapsody affection. Oh well, we'll always have the Emerald Sword albums." |
