Rain of a Thousand Flames

Rain of a Thousand Flames is an ambitious mini-album on which Rhapsody of Fire (then named Rhapsody), as if reinforcing its grand narrative world, layers cinematic orchestration and solemn choirs extremely densely. Though not a full album, within the short work, vivid scene changes like a film score and metal’s sure speed are packed tightly. An important record connecting to the next epic of the “Emerald Sword Saga.” From the grandeur of the dramatic opening title track “Rain of a Thousand Flames” and the drama of “Queen of the Dark Horizons” to a cut like “Tears of a Dying Angel,” every song is engaging, while a cut like “The Poem’s Evil Page” conveys the work’s dense world. The gorgeous, grand arrangement, by no means an end in itself, functions as a sure means to make fantasy’s scale audible as sound. A record fully enjoyable both as a bridge heading to the next grand epic and as an independent, dense world. Its content is truly varied, also including dramatic covers. An engaging record letting you savor Rhapsody of Fire’s own cinematic appeal in condensed form — a record where the band’s dense world shines.