Symphony of Enchanted Lands

Symphony of Enchanted Lands

Track Listings

1. Epicus Furor

2. Emerald Sword

3. Wisdom of the King

4. Heroes of the Lost Valley

5. Eternal Glory

6. Beyond the Gate of Infinity

7. Wings of Destiny

8. Dark Tower of Abyss

9. Riding the Winds of Eternity

10. Symphony of Enchanted Land

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The Italian progressive metal act's sophomore album, originally released in 1999. Ten tracks including, 'Epicus Furor', 'Emerald Sword', 'Wisdom Of Kings' & 'Heroes of the Lost Valley'. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Symphony of Enchanted Lands,Rhapsody,Lmp [Spv],Heavy Metal,Neo-Classical Metal,Pop,Power Metal,Progressive Metal,Rock,Symphonic Black Metal

Average customer rating:

Symphonic metal up the ying yang = awesome!!

Epic Power Metal... nothing can surpass this

Boycott Flower Metal

Fantastic, eye-opening

...Please tell me why haven't US bands taken cue?

Symphony of Enchanted Lands
Rhapsody
Manufacturer: Lmp
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music
General | Rock | Styles | Music
Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music
General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music
Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Legendary Tales

Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Vol. 2: The Dark Secret

Power of the Dragon Flame

Rain of a Thousand Flames

Triumph Or Agony

ASIN: B00002S839
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Tracks:

Epicus Furor
Emerald Sword
Wisdom of the King
Heroes of the Lost Valley
Eternal Glory
Beyond the Gate of Infinity
Wings of Destiny
Dark Tower of Abyss
Riding the Winds of Eternity
Symphony of Enchanted Land

Album Description

The Italian progressive metal act's sophomore album, originally released in 1999. Ten tracks including, 'Epicus Furor', 'Emerald Sword', 'Wisdom Of Kings' & 'Heroes of the Lost Valley'.

Customer Reviews:

Symphonic metal up the ying yang = awesome!!.......2006-09-28

What can I say?, these guys know how to tell a story. This is my favourite Rhapsody cd for whatever reason. I just think it's an amazing cd.

If you like symphonic metal this is it at it's best. The cd flows along wonderfully, however I could do without the narration stuff in between songs, but other that, it's total magic. The musicianship is top notch and the melodies are simply awesome.

Wings of Destiny has to be the greatest ballad ever written!! Every time I play that song it just hits me like a Ton Of Bricks (Metal Church reference!!). It just so full of emotion, it's down right moving, touching is what it is.

Simply put, this cd is a great release from an amazing band.

Epic Power Metal... nothing can surpass this.......2006-07-26

To all those critics of power metal i sincerely hope you die a horrible death. Sorry for that unsavoury attitude but i am just totally pissed at someone,a 'friend', who put me off power metal for a while until i regained my senses and came back to stand strong behind one of my favourite metal genres!

I'll quickly discuss my history with power metal. This album was actually the first power metal album i bought in my life. And i'll tell you straight off i loved every moment of it. Before listening to this i really never knew power metal i mean sure i'd heard of Stratovarius and Helloween but didn't really know them or their sound at all. I had very little concept of what power metal was. I was under the more British and American spell that heavy metal had to be as loud and aggressive as possible so i was mainly into metalcore-ish stuff, death metal and thrash, although i predominantly like thrash metal. To tell you the truth when i was listening to some of the stuff i was then, like Cannibal Corpse (who i slightly despise now) i didn't really like it that much, it was generic to me didn't stand out or nothing, unlike say Slayer or something. I wanted more melody, more clean singing but still maintaining that speed, heavy riffing and great solos. I basically wanted something that was new and progressive with refreshing tunes.

I bought this album and was amazed at the brilliant musicianship showcased by the guitarists notably Mr Luca Turilli, the vocals were beautiful thanks to Fabio Leone's soft touch and soaring abilities, the wonderful keyboard by Alex Strapoli, the drums were insanely fast bordering on blast beats in places due to Alex Holzwarth's precision skill and the orchestra, AN ORCHESTRA!! I NEVER KNEW THAT BANDS WERE COLLABORATING WITH ORCHESTRAS!! This was a great thing for me because one of my other loves is classical music of all sorts. Rhapsody are god damn amazing musically, structurally, lyrically and as people!! All the songs on this album are fantastic and build up to that hell of a finisher the title track epic of 13mins!!! This album helped me spawn quite a healthy power metal collection featuring bands like Primal Fear, Edguy, Sonata Arctica, Gamma Ray, Helloween, Strato and Nocturnal Rites oh and of course Rhapsody!My verdict on the album is that for a power metal fan or some one whole likes epic music this is a MUST HAVE!!SYMPHONY OF THE ENCHANTED LANDS!

Don't want to rant but i want to address the issue of people who criticise power metal. Power metal in my opinion is modern heavy metal that has progressed lightyears since the '80s. Power metal contains all the things about metal that metalheads love. Fast paced heavy riffing, brilliant wild solos, story or fantasy themed lyrics, double bass drumming, licks a plenty, dual guitars, talented singers with trademark voices and lots of energy! Please tell me what else heavy metal is about? It's not just about being loud, noisy and drunk, sure thats fun and there are plenty power metallers that advocate that eg Edguy lol. Power metal bands always and i mean ALWAYS cite the metal greats as their influences Priest, Maiden, Accept, Metallica, Queensryche, Fates Warning, Helloween etc and follow in their footsteps. I gurantee you every power metal band you listen to will make you think 'Boy that sounded like Maiden' or like with Primal Fear 'F*** this is Judas Priest man!!'.. Power metal has an uplifting spirit to it as well and a sense of being a metal community-- often inviting black metal singers,death metal singers and female vocalists to collaborate with them-- refer to Tobias Sammet's master piece the Metal Opera by Avantasia for a great example of this or Kamelot's the Black Halo. And so freakin what if they wear leather and clad and look like a bunch of sissy boys, metal kinda has a history of that if you look back on it Maiden, Priest, Manowar and KISS to name some-- for christ sake look at the back of Number of the Beast they don't look like fat muscle men do they??
My 'friend' as i spoke of earlier begged me to burn her a copy of my Rhapsody cd when i ranted and raved about it. Then when i did and met her again she's like it's really cheesy. Tell me wtf is cheesy about singing with a great voice about a story of Tolkien proportions using heavy metal and adding all these elements like orchestras, narration and SFX to enhance the experience?? NOTHING!! And here's the irony she listens to bands that 'aren't cheesy' like Greenday, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Pink!!??? What a load of crap man i hate to tell that bitch but 'love' and 'heartache' are the most cheesy and overused cliches in the music industry!!

My final word: POWER METAL IS GREAT!! RHAPSODY ROCK!! And buy this CD no regrets believe me!

Hope that was helpful.

\m/

Boycott Flower Metal.......2005-12-29

There are some bands whose lyrical content might be described as "cheesy," but who write songs that show that they KNOW they are being cheesy and having fun, and have the musical chops to back things up. Case in point, Iron Maiden. Yet on the other hand, there are bands whose music is huge mounds of processed dairy product, yet they are blissfully unaware of just how over-the-top and cheesy they are. Italian Power/Epic Metal group Rhapsody is just such a band.

I've never seen a band use cheese and bombast as a crutch as much as Rhapsody. This is a band that is ALWAYS on; ALWAYS at full throttle, never letting up with the sheer cheesiness, and no, power metal fans, that is NOT a good thing. One can only take so much cheese, so many wild guitar solos, anthemic, uplifting choruses and keyboard defecations before one gets sick of it and vomits it all up. Like so many bad metal bands, Rhapsody know no concept of subtlety. I honestly had difficulty remembering any distinct tracks at a later time, simply because they all blended together into one big mass of Power Metal cheese. When it comes to overdoing things, Manowar has NOTHING on these guys. Needless to say, if you've heard one Rhapsody album, you've heard them all.

Lyrically, you've got plenty of epic battles, mighty warriors, and elves, fairies, unicorns frolicking in the forest. It's like they had all read Dragonlance, Wheel of Time, and Lord of the Rings far too many times and decided to write metal music about it. Did these guys ever watch "This is Spinal Tap?" I can seriously imagine Rhapsody performing "Stonehenge," complete with the undersized Stonehenge and dancing dwarves. They are that cheesy. The band describes themselves as "Hollywood Metal," yet I don't remember any Hollywood scores as overindulgent as this, nor did they feature the laughably bad spoken-word narrations as found on this album.

Despite the incredible bombast and flair, Rhapsody's music is like cotton candy. It's light, fluffy, and sickeningly sweet, with no real lasting flavor. If you like metal music that sounds like something from your local Ren Fair, then by all means buy every Rhapsody album there is. But for me, I'd be embarrassed to own this stuff.

Fantastic, eye-opening.......2005-10-25

`Symphony of enchanted lands' is an album that took quite some time to grow on me. Initially, back in 2000 when I first heard it, I only appreciated `Emerald sword,' `Wisdom of the kings' and `Wings of destiny.' This year however, I've turned into a big fan of this music. It has such balls that I could not believe.

Someone said in another review about how this music takes him "back to the middle ages." I find that statement ridiculous, and insulting of this very MODERN music. Sure they use traditional sounding themes, but no one before has had the balls to turn these melodies into something so brutally heavy and melodic. Besides, who wants to go back to the plague-ridden periods of old?

This CD, `Symphony of enchanted lands,' has rejuvenated my love for heavy music. I'm a very pop-oriented guy, but this music appeals to me so directly.

I love the overall theme of the album. And although there is no definite story told by the lyrics, I love the imagery of it all.

Highlights are `Emerald sword,' `Wisdom of the kings,' `Riding the winds of eternity' and the title track. But by God, you'd be missing out on SO MUCH if you miss any of the other songs (except for `Heroes of the lost valley,' which introduces the wimpy narrator).

`Eternal glory' has some awesome solos, not to mention lovely soft parts and such a noble chorus.

That's another thing about Rhapsody. When they sing choruses, they really sing with a CHORUS! Fantastic.

`Beyond the gates of infinity' has some brilliant parts, especially the fifth minute where the instruments come back in, it is just so unbelievably heavy.

`Wings of destiny' is still a great ballad I enjoy. Rhapsody's lyrics are so cool, and so full of love and hate in such a passionate way.

`The dark tower of abyss' has an absolutely wonderful section right before the end, when Fabio sings "Immortal fire..." and the solos of Luca and Alex are so wonderful! I've never heard anyone play keyboards so melodically and wondrously as Alex. Luca's guitar solos on the other hand are so riff-like, so defined, and at times catchy as hell!

`Riding the winds of eternity' is an epitome of the heaviness and the melodicness of the band. When the band comes in, it is so earth-shakingly heavy. It is so powerful. And then the chorus comes in (well this chorus doesn't have the huge chorus with it, but anyway), with a melody from `Wings of destiny,' and it is absolutely glorious. It is just so heavy.

The title track took a while for me to really dig. I love the organs at the start, with a psalm sung by Fabio. The righteous violence of the mighty warrior is infectious! I love the trudging rhythm, together with the lyrics. And then a woman's song comes in, probably the warrior's `pwincess,' and sings words of "love, the magic word," that actually makes the warrior's following utterance, "Rape of earth, I want your head!" even more exhilarating.

I love this all!

`Symphony of enchanted lands' is an amazing work by Rhapsody, totally epic.

...Please tell me why haven't US bands taken cue?.......2005-06-13

Seriously, albums like this make me go WHY? Rhapsody manages to meld a symphonic sound into metal and make it sound good without trite lyrics. As other reviews mentioned, the first full-length song Emerald Sword is such an epic song with such a grandeur arrangement & lyrics it can make you quake with admiration. The next song is no different, Wisdom of the Kings is another great song that commands your attention. Eternal Glory then brings out a large sound that will blow your mind. It doesn't stop there though. Wings of Destiny is another great song, and Riding The Winds of Eternity will sweep your feet with its fresh epic take & lyrics.

My only complaint I have against this album is also the spoken verses, but if they put out music with a vision like this so consistently and well, I can live with it. This band & album is one of the pride and joys of symphonic metal, being one of the crowning achievements up to this date in the genre and will stand the test of time. It's a shame that more US bands don't display such creativity, such grand vision, or even such talented songwriting!

Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Vol. 2: The Dark Secret

Average customer rating:

Perhaps too much of what I expected
Another amazing album from Rhapsody!!!
it wants what it wants and what it wants is metal
Exceptional Metal orchestration
Rhapsody + Christopher Lee + Orchestra = Great Metal!

Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Vol. 2: The Dark Secret
Rhapsody
Manufacturer: Steamhammer Us [Spv]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Rock | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

Progressive Metal | Progressive | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Symphony of Enchanted Lands
Power of the Dragon Flame
Legendary Tales
Triumph Or Agony
Rain of a Thousand Flames

ASIN: B0002I7422
Release Date: 2004-10-04

Tracks:

The Dark Secret
Unholy Warcry
Never Forgotten Heroes
Elgard's Green Valleys
The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream
Erian's Mystical Rhymes
The Last Angel's Call
Dragonland's River
Sacred Power Of Raging Winds
Guardiani
Shadows Of Death
Nightfall On The Grey Mountains

Album Description

For the past seven years or, to be more precise, since the opening tones of their sensational debut album, Legendary Tales, Rhapsody have been one of the most unusual phenomena of the current metal scene. The huge range of their creativity, the number of legendary compositions that the Italian band, with their primary members guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboarder Alex Staropoli, have released so far reached the climax with the new album Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret. A new saga has been born, one that takes the listener on a musical adventure featuring epic, fast metal tracks and sonic landscapes with stirring narrative. It is the debut of a new style of Heavy Metal music created by Rhapsody known as Film Score Metal. The massive production, led by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli themselves was done in several studios throughout Europe; from England to Italy, from the Czech Republic and Belgium to Germany. Supported by appearances by more than a dozen international guest soloists and the entire Bohuslav Martinu Philharmonic Orchestra from the Czech Republic, a 50 piece choir as well as Christopher Lee - the grand seigneur of film and one of the most filmed actors in history, Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret will set the world of Symphonic Metal on fire.

Customer Reviews:

Perhaps too much of what I expected.......2007-04-04

I purchased the first Symphony of Enchanted Lands along with Unholy Warcry. I liked them enough that I decided to get what was at the time Rhapsody's latest offering. I knew full well what I was getting into: cheesy dialogue, over-the-top vocals, and fast guiter wankery.

Well, when I was able to give this album a listen, I was disappointed.

My main gripe with SoEL II is the amount of dialogue, which I guess isn't so bad, but I grew bored of it by my third listen to the album. I ended up ripping each track and creating my own CD with select songs from this album.

The music itself is enjoyable, especially if you're already a fan of Rhapsody. However, this album was just not to my liking.

Another amazing album from Rhapsody!!!.......2007-03-12

Every single song on this album sent chills down my spine! Fabio Lione's voice and the musical prowess of the other bandmates, this album is by far one of the greats from them!! For anyone who loves epic metal, a true fantasy tale, this album will be a sure fire win!!

it wants what it wants and what it wants is metal.......2006-11-06

hello fellow metallians, i just have got to say that this album really grows on you over time. every album by rhapsody to me are all masterpieces in their own right, this cd continues the symphonic epic style that rhapsody has truly perfected and crafted into what is one of the most amazing styles of metal that i have ever heard. this album is truly epic in scope and full of memorable moments. i love the song never forgotten heros, it has some of the most beautiful intricate and delicatly slaying guitar work ever to emerge from the finger tips of luca turilli, this song is by far one of the best songs to ever be recorded by a symphonic band. fabio sings so perfectly on this album, never have i heard him put so much effort into his vocals as he has on this song(never forgotten heros) just listen to the main guitar solo. it will melt your mind. also the song unholy warcry is awesome, and typical rhapsody. from amazing power metal ballads to 10+minute epics, this cd keeps the rhapsody flame burning and shows that the future of rhapsody is to be as brilliant and majestic as their past. if you are new to the power metal scene and are interrested in hearing rhapsody and you wish to find out what all the hype about rhapsody is, or if you just want to hear for your self if they are truly as great as they are said to be then start out with the cd,(rhapsody-tales from the emerald sword saga) because it is a perfect way to get to know rhapsody. it has the best songs from their first 5 albums and is truly one of the greatest best of cd's ive ever heard. there are so many great power metal bands out today trying to keep the flame alive and i am so very thankfull for all of them. rhapsody are truly up there with the top 10 of the whole pack. so many bands are trying to immitate rhapsody and some of them are very good, but none of them can hope to compare with the masters of symphonic epic power metal RHAPSODY.
your friend and brother in metal, brandon whitson

Exceptional Metal orchestration.......2006-09-02

Ingenious orchestrations incorperating classical and electronic elements to create the optimum in "Epic Metal" composition.

"Rhapsody" contains the three primary elements which comprise Malefik Musick: I. Exceptional Orchestration, II. Application of Aesthetics / Theatrics, III. Imaginative Lyrickal content.

It takes quite a bit to impress Me from this genre anymore, preferring superior evocations to 'contemporary' fare, but these musicians, along with a scarce select few besides, receive the Draconian 'Seal of Approval'.

Yes, that is the legendary Christopher Lee narrating.

Rhapsody + Christopher Lee + Orchestra = Great Metal!.......2006-06-10

I could go on forever about how much I love this CD, but instead I will give a brief description of each song.

The Dark Secret- This is a very atmospheric intro; it really sets the tone with great narration by Christopher Lee ("The Wizard King.") 10/10

Unholy Warcry- Typical Rhapsody goodness, with a great instrumental section, and more great narration by Christopher Lee. I don't care much for the little guitar doodle towards the end- it gets a bit repetitive. 9/10

Never Forgotten Heroes- It starts off very similar to "Wisdom of the Kings" on SoEL1, and then goes on to a very catchy chorus. 10/10

Elgard's Green Valleys- This is a very weak transition piece. 5/10

The Magic of the Wizard's Dream- This is an amazing Ballad. You have to hear it to believe it. 10/10

Erian's Mystical Rhymes- Interesting Monster Noises at the beginning, although you can't understand them, and so I usually just fast forward through the first minute. The rest of this ten minute song is very interesting. 9/10

The Last Angel's Call- A more typical Rhapsody song; it has a great tune and reminds me more of Riding the Wings of Eternity from the First SoEL. It is very catchy. 10/10

Dragonland's Rivers- Some stream and grunting noises for a minute- supposed to sound like a Dragon drinking from a stream I guess. It is a short, but beautiful ballad. 9/10

Sacred Power Of Raging Winds - My favorite Rhapsody Song!! Picture this: A band of heroes are walking through the snow, Christopher Lee is calling upon the gods to help them on their quest. Then, a heavy guitar comes out of the fog. Then there is a very catchy main melody, and a very intense second verse. This is followed by a great dialogue between the Demon King and his son, Fabio Lione. Then, the song transitions into an amazing 4 minute instrumental solo, with some crazy syncopation. This song also revisits Elgard's green valleys, which creates the impression the travelers have returned to that same village in the heart of battle, furthering the "Film" aspect of the album. 200/10

Guardiani del Destino- This is an amazing ballad, full of energy. Unfortunately, I don't know Italian, but it is still enjoyable to listen to! 9/10

Shadows Of Death- A more typical Rhapsody song again, but it seems like Fabio tries too hard on the vocals. Overall, an interesting song, though. Good synthesizer and guitar solos. 9/10

Nightfall on the Grey Mountains- It builds up to the chorus, then falls back down in the same manner. It is kind of an odd ending to such an amazing CD. 7/10

OVERALL: Definitely recommended to all Rhapsody fans, Metal fans, Rock Fans, and Lord of the Rings fans! (As Christopher Lee plays a big part of the album)