Challenge the Wind

Challenge the Wind is a 2024 work on which Rhapsody of Fire raises high to the fore, without any hesitation, the grand orchestration, speeding powerful rhythm and heroic-tale melody it excels at. The songs advance powerfully while keeping their speed and sure lift, and solemn choirs and the dramatic unison of keyboards and guitar draw big, grand, cinematic scenery one after another. A record showing that, even as veterans, its creative drive has not dimmed in the least. From the dramatic opening title track “Challenge the Wind” and the speeding “Whispers of Doom” to a cut like “The Bloody Pariah,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Kreel’s Magic Staff” and “Vanquished by Shadows” convey the work’s grand world. Giacomo Voli’s powerful, expressive voice powerfully drives that world. A record on which, rather than ballad-like quiet rest, the sure drive of powerfully advancing a grand adventure is valued above all. Thus, listening through the album, you are wrapped in a sure sensation as if experiencing one long battle and grand journey. A powerful, engaging record aimed at listeners who want to bathe fully in the splendor of symphonic power metal — a record where the band’s consistent appeal shines.