Legendary Tales

Legendary Tales is a vivid debut on which Rhapsody of Fire (then named Rhapsody) splendidly unites classical, grand keyboards, speeding fast guitar and heroic-tale fantasy narrative. Emerging from Italy, it early establishes its own style fusing neoclassical guitar and film-score orchestration. The songs spread from a short introduction to big, grand choruses, developing powerfully as if taking the listener to a fictional kingdom. From the development from the opening instrumental to the speeding “Warrior of Ice” and the drama of “Rage of the Winter” to a cut like “Flames of Revenge,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Forest of Unicorns” and “Virgin Skies” convey the work’s grand world. Fabio Lione’s operatic, powerful voice powerfully drives that narrative world. An extremely important record announcing the opening of the “Emerald Sword Saga,” which would later unfold as a grand story. Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli’s outstanding compositional ability is already in full bloom. A powerful, ambitious debut that defined the direction of the symphonic-power-metal genre — the band’s grand story begins here.