Rhapsody Of Fire – ‘The Eighth Mountain’ (AFM)

By Tim Bolitho-Jones

Discovering Rhapsody Of Fire in 2019 is a bit like starting ‘Game Of Thrones’ halfway through season four without reading any of the books beforehand. The Italian power metallers have had a complex career to say the least and figuring out their backstory can be a challenge, but we’ll have a go all the same.

Originally known as ‘Rhapsody,’ they added ‘Of Fire’ in 2006 due to a legal issue and then split amicably into two separate bands a few years after that. Keyboardist/band leader Alex Staropoli and singer Fabio Lione remained in Rhapsody Of Fire, while guitarist Luca Turilli formed ‘Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody,’ thereby creating two co-existing official versions of the band.

With us so far? Well, to complicate matters Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody split in 2018 before a band led by Turilli played a “Farewell To Rhapsody” tour which also featured Lione. Turilli’s half now goes by the name ‘Turilli/Lione Rhapsody’ and while things seem friendly, it’s not clear if this new incarnation is another “official” Rhapsody or if they’re an entirely new beast.

Too long skip to the end; Alex Staropoli’s version of Rhapsody have a new album, but Fabio Lione is no longer the singer. We’re not certain if this band or Turilli’s or both of them are the official Rhapsody any more, but ‘The Eighth Mountain’ isn’t half bad. It’s a big, sprawling marathon with some decent songs on it, but it’s dangerously unforgiving and power metal newbies may want to look elsewhere.

The reason for this is the sheer scope of the thing. It’s over an hour long and every track is packed full of huge orchestration, spiralling solos and multi-layered vocals. It can be an utterly punishing listen, where one high octane epic follows another and even the ballads sound massive. It’s also the absolute pinnacle of power metal nerdiness. If the likes of Hammerfall are entry-level mass-market fantasy a la ‘Lord Of The Rings’, Rhapsody Of Fire are closer to a self-published saga inspired by an ‘Everquest’ expansion.

So yeah, it’s defiantly uncool but Rhapsody Of Fire still have a lot to recommend them. ‘Seven Heroic Deeds’ for instance is a thundering opener that belongs on a movie soundtrack. It could inspire a naked man armed with nothing but a Mango skin to go charging into battle against an Orc army and is bound to be a fan-favourite as soon as they head out on tour. ‘Clash Of Times’ and ‘Rain Of Fury’ are million-notes-a-minute extravaganzas that’ll please old-school Dragonforce fans, while ‘White Wizard’ boasts a chorus that their competitors would kill for.

Elsewhere, the theatrical melancholy of ‘Warrior Heart’ gives the album it’s best “lighters in the air” anthem, while ‘The Legend Goes On’ is another high-spirited number. Long time supporters will also be pleased to find that singer Giacomo Voli is a formidable successor to Lione. He’s already demonstrated his prowess on the ‘Legendary Years’ re-recordings, but this is the first opportunity to hear him on original material. He’s got a terrific range and his passionate performance is arguably the biggest draw here.

All of which makes ‘The Eighth Mountain’ a challenging but rewarding album. Their ambition can be a bit much and it’d be amazing if half their fans make it to the end on the first listen. Once you get past the sheer bombast though you’ll notice the intricate melodies, catchy hooks and raw enthusiasm that’s won them legions of fans already. Put on a frilly shirt, dance round a maypole and get ready to put off losing that virginity for another year.

‘The Eighth Mountain’ is released tomorrow (22 February). You can get your copy HERE.

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