We are going to change our format
here starting with the always reliable Rhapsody of Fire, beginning now bands
will be marked out of 100 points. Rhapsody of Fire know how
to draw anyone’s attention. Like stories? Here you go! Like insane solos? You
got it! Fan of orchestral music? Look no further. Every band has a breaking
point though, they always release a bad album and as of 2013 with “Dark Wings
of Steel,” Rhapsody of Fire hadn’t, so maybe this time around you shouldn't hold
your expectations so high for 2016s “Into The Legend”?
Our
story begins with the 3 minute instrumental intro “In Principio,” well maybe
instrumental isn’t the way to think about it as there are choir vocals to help
to song along but before you know it the song breaks into our first actual
onslaught, ”Distant Sky.” Right off the bat you’re hit with a guitar solo, the
kind that will put “Eruption” to shame before being welcomed by Fabio Lione’s voice
that matches pitch with everything so perfectly soaring above all the sounds
and singing so clearly. The chorus of “Distant Sky” shows off how harmonies
between the guitars, orchestration, choir and Lione’s vocals can send chills
straight down your spine and following the second chorus comes and even greater
guitar solo!
The
title track “Into the Legend” begins with a folk orchestration sound before a
chugging riff begins with choir vocals and finally speedy riffs and Lione’s
vocals follow. Rhapsody of Fire is one of the few bands I’ve found who can use
a pre-chorus very well in their songs and know when it works, with “Into the
Legend” Lione’s vocals get gritty and aggressive over a darker riff before
breaking into how they will go into the legend, convincing you that the
character will become a legend. “Winter’s Rain” has one of my favourite intros
to a song ever with a tapping riff that plays quickly up the scale and
continues throughout the song with Lione singing his heart out. The pacing of
this song is perfect and the orchestration reminds me of Nightwish.
“Shining
Star” is the slow song of the album, slowing everything down immensely with acoustic
guitars, sad orchestration and Lione sounding like he’s about to cry, this is
the kind of song you could put on a radio station or in a movie and someone
would shed a tear. “Shining Star” does something that most fail to do for me in
metal album, it draws me in. I can feel it, this song has emotion, where most
bands that put slow songs in completely ruin the tempo of the album, this song
is welcome and is a nice break, hell live this song may even make me shed a
tear, it’s beautiful.
On the
other hand we have “Rage of Darkness” back up to speed, laughing and mocking
you for slow dancing with the girl beside you. The main part of this song that
made it memorable for me was the solos, man the solos, Alessandro Sala playing
a bass solo, followed by a guitar solo that copies what was just played, then
back to bass and an insane guitar solo and to round it out, a keyboard solo.
Everyone gets their time in the sun with this song and if any this song should
become a live staple just because of the amount of noise I can picture the
crowd making as this section begins. To close out the album is the epic
17minute “The Kiss of Light,” which takes aspects from throughout the entire
album, rounds them together bundled up tight and shows you how an epic should
be done.
Everything
in this album blew me away, the pacing, the super sad slow song, the
orchestration work, it’s a special album. It’s been a long time since I sat
down and really enjoyed a new Power Metal album, but Rhapsody of Fire
absolutely killed it with "Into the Legend," but don’t just take my word for it, pick up the album
through AFM Records, it’s 67 minutes of outstanding musicianship, perfect
harmony and face melting solos.
100/100
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