Can one outgrow Rhapsody?
With From Chaos To Eternity, Rhapsody have reached the final chapter of their Symphony of the Enchanted Lands saga. I dare to underline that with a jubilant cry of Hooray!
I think the decision to embark on Part 2 of the SOEL saga may just have been the biggest mistake the band ever made. More on that later. For now, I will focus on the music, as that is what has always drawn me to the band, and made me regard
Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli as a rare breed of musical geniuses.
The opening title track cracks the majestic, overblown atmosphere open right away, with a wonderfully free-flowing song. There is a constant, powerful drive to the music as it picks up speed and heads for one of Rhapsody' finest choruses. I was sold the first time I heard this. Absolutely impossible to put into words, was the feeling of pure awe that I felt that day. There's just something grand, sweeping and mindnumbingly beautiful about that chorus. Moments like these is why I listen to Rhapsody.
Unfortunately the rest of the album fails to live up to the superior opening. There is a draught of memorable songs, and the whole middle part of the album fails to keep me engaged.
Ghosts of Forgotten Worlds has some good atmospheric moments and
I Belong to the stars has an interesting vocal chorus, but it never goes anywhere. This vocal interplay could have been developed into something much more stirring as it turns out to be rather flat. For some reason they have seen it fit to have someone shriek in a black metal-like way on several tracks and, to me, this doesn't work at all.
Aeons of Raging Darkenss seems to be caught in a state of genre confusion and never convinces. Aside from its unfortunate opening, the second to last song,
Tornado, puts the album back on track with a glorious chorus and the epic 20 minute ending to the saga goes right from stunning to toe-cringing and back again.
I've reviewed four Rhapsody albums so far and I'm not really sure what to write this time. If you know and love Rhapsody (I assume that is a given) then you will most likely buy this album blindly. If, on the other hand, you don't know about Rhapsody, then the first thing you should understand is that this album ends a multiple album journey and it is not the right place to begin discovering the band. Head right back to their debut, Legendary Tales and progress from there. If you don't like the slight change in direction the band took after Power of the Dragonflame, then know that this album brings them one step closer to their roots but there is still a long way to go.
One of Rhapsody's strengths is that you know what you get. Their basis is the same as it has always been. Still each of their albums differ from each other in slight but important ways. So is the case with From Chaos to Eternity. This time the keywords are aggression, complexity, cheese, speed and an almost fanatical devotion to putting narration into their songs.
I have adored this band from the first time I listened to Legendary Tales, and if I sometimes poke fun at them it's only meant to gently guide them back on the right track. They are one of those rare species that are able to put at least one soul stirring adrenaline kick on each of their albums, with
Triumph and Agony being the only possible exception, more often a handful, and that is something worth commending. That is enough to keep me happy. The band has a feeling for creating melodies and choruses that are truly stunning and on a whole other level, compared to most other bands. That being said, they are walking a very fine line and often fall down, flailing, face first into an embarrassing position. This happens most often when they get stuck in the narrative.
Musically the band unfolds their symphonic metal with confidence, power and good attention for cool details. The neoclassical influence is always audible and the guitar work is very much up front. Through the album there is a ton of guitar and keyboard battles, but when it comes down to it, there is nothing new here and the solos don't stand out as much as I had hoped. Latest addition to the band, guitarist Tom Hess, seems to have put his influence into the music, but I am not able to pin it down in words. It is more of a feeling. Seen as a whole the album is seriously aggressive, but does slow down for a breather often, giving a good dynamic in the music. Just wish it was more memorable.
As I mentioned in the beginning, I think Rhapsody took a wrong turn along their way right after Power of the Dragonflame. From that point on, I feel as if the story has taken control of the music and shaped it way too much. The focus is no longer on the songs themselves but on the overall story arc, this can be felt and results in songs that are less memorable and much less immediate.
A final cry of hope now that this saga is finished: Rhapsody, please, by the gods of cosmic chaos and all that is good and sweet for the ears: From here on out, be brave enough to just let the music speak to the imagination of your listeners.
So, can one outgrow Rhapsody? To me the answer is a resounding NO!!! and I hope I will never have to take that back.
I for one, am very excited what they will come up with next. (Hint: Dragonlance)
Written by
Steen Tuesday, June 7, 2011
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