![]() ![]() Overall, while not the shiniest thing in the world, it’s a must listen for any diehard fans of Rhapsody or power metal in general, as I’m sure someone will get enjoyment out of it. He has very little vibrato which hurts the performance, and the majestic feel that Turilli has always aimed for. His job is a lot less operatic than Fabio Lione’s, and while he can certainly hit notes, it lacks the same impact. Regarding the vocals of Cristiano Adacher, it’s very interesting to think about the direction Rhapsody could’ve gone had they stuck with him. It’s truly only held back by its production, if this version had made it to Legendary Tales I guarantee it would rival even the likes of Emerald Sword. The riff is catchier, the solo is better, and the lyrics feel a lot more impactful. To be honest, this version is a lot better than Lord of the Thunder. The biggest disappointment here is the aforementioned Alive and Proud. There is also Tears at the Nightfall, which is the only truly unique song, and its basically just a midi instrumental, not unlike what appears on Legendary Tales in many regards. It also totally lacks the pounding brass in the intro. Eternal Glory is very similar to its final product, but it is very obviously still a work in progress, the chorus being shorter here and less impactful than its later appearance. Invernal Fury (Rage of the Winter) and Land of Immortals are pretty much identical to their studio releases, the biggest difference being lyrics. There are many songs that have remained virtually unchanged. The shredding, arpeggiated solos are much more present than on Symphony of Enchanted Lands, reminding me a lot of early DragonForce. For example, take Warrior of Ice, Alive and Proud (Lord of the Thunder) and Holy Wind (Riding the Winds of Eternity), all three of which are similar in the regard that their versions on official Rhapsody studio releases down the line have the addition of orchestral sections (and some major reworking on Holy Wind in particular). ![]() But this is made up for by the focus on the guitars. Rather than the grand orchestrations of Symphony of Enchanted Lands, it almost feels like the orchestra is just kind of.there. It’s very interesting to see the direction Rhapsody was headed at this point. The vocals of Cristiano Adacher are also almost drowned out by everything else going on. The entire mix really feels too quiet almost, but I don’t expect perfection from a demo, so whatever. The bass is virtually inaudible, only coming through at a few different points. The guitar tone is ok, but lacks the cleanliness and polish of later Rhapsody studio productions. Then again, in those days you had to work with what you had, and that meant scouring everywhere for a damn violin sound for your keyboard. The orchestrations are the most obvious point of this, sticking out like a sore thumb. It’s very obvious they were in over their heads at least at the time for their vision. ![]() Regarding production, it’s not exactly the pinnacle of metal demos. Luca Turilli, who had only been playing guitar for all of six years at this point shows a clear understanding of his instrument that many veteran guitarists lack, and, most importantly, the ability to absolutely fucking shred, a key feature of power metal by all agreements. Even despite its quality of production which I will absolutely touch on, it’s rather impressive that at such a young age Turilli and the gang displayed a huge level of both confidence and ability at their selected instruments. ![]() Actually, many of the songs here outdo their counterparts on Legendary Tales and Symphony of Enchanted Lands in that department. The most intriguing thing about this is the sheer skill on display. While initially Rhapsody had released a demo as Thundercross prior, this is the more complete version of this demo, and as such this is the version that should be looked at to answer the question, “Just where the hell did these guys come from?” Even in the far, far away lands of the early to mid 1990s, what has since become one of the most influential power metal bands in history was struggling with the same initial trial by fire (of Fire?): the demo tape. Every once in a while an act comes along in the endless stream of aspiring bedroom-studio musicians that catches the eye-or more accurately, the ear-of both the general public and recording labels. ![]()
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