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Rating: Two years after the majestic "Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II," Rhapsody of Fire returns to write the second chapter of the Dark Secret Saga, titled "Triumph or Agony," which once again demonstrates the innate and misunderstood ability of Rhapsody to renew themselves with each album: in fact, this record practically lacks the Symphonic-Power style that made them famous (like in Emerald Sword or Holy Thunderforce), and the sumptuous Symphonic-Progressive vein that characterized the previous chapter is greatly reduced: the final result is a very melodic album (as evidenced by the three ballads) with original and very interesting points that barely hint at the direction the band will take in future works.
The task of opening the album is entrusted to "Dar-Kunor," the first fully instrumental intro by Rhapsody, divided into two parts: the first "Echoes From The Elvish Woods" is soft and melancholic, and it accelerates in the choirs and solemn orchestrations of "Fear Of The Dungeons," which lead into the title track "Triumph Or Agony": majestic, stately, evocative, and intense, a true manifesto of the sublime compositional skills of the duo Turilli-Staropoli; I am practically certain that Dimmu Borgir was inspired by this very song to compose the first minute of "The Serpentine Offering." "Heart Of The Darklands" is perhaps the least inspired track on the album (the one that expresses the least personality) which still stands out for the beautiful riff and Luca Turilli's solo; no matter, it's more than made up for with "Old Age Of Wonders," a wonderful Folk-Metal gem, beautifully melancholic and evocative, with a chorus that completely captivates, velvety and caressing, with the rhythms of a very slowed and soft medieval dance. The flashback continues with the power ride "The Myth Of The Holy Sword," which tells the genesis of the Emerald Sword in an absolutely engaging emotional crescendo that explodes in the chorus, making this song one of the most classic, catchy, and immediate points of the album, although innovative compared to what Our Artists have experimented with in the past. But here the saga's narration pauses for a moment, to make space for "Il Canto Del Vento," the first Rhapsody Of Fire song entirely written and composed by Fabio Lione: we are confronted with a pearl of pure emotion, a poignant dedication supported by the sweet and melancholic piano of Alex Staropoli, even the lyrics are absolute poetry, further ennobled by the storyteller's performance really goosebumps-worthy, worthy of the best Freddie Mercury. From this mystical ecstasy, one is awakened with "Silent Dream," another track that leaves you quite puzzled: the orchestrations are stripped to the bone and the song sounds very little like Rhapsody; it could easily be a single by Stratovarius, that is to say warm, engaging, and lively. "Bloody Red Dungeons" is the darkest and heaviest point of the platter; a bit like "Power Of The Dragonflame" with an additional dark and "doomy" touch; the pianistic intro is also textbook. The third and final ballad is "Son Of Pain," characterized by velvety and moving orchestral arrangements that naturally suggest a comparison with "Lamento Eroico," but with a substantial difference: the 2002 piece was the elegy, the last farewell of the Ice Warrior before his death, whereas this is Dargor's thanksgiving for his conversion and his new life, thus the hymn to a rebirth; in both cases we are still at otherworldly levels of sublime poetry. But here on "Triumph Or Agony" stands the mighty suite "The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight," an authentic journey in music that describes in minute detail the journey of the five chosen heroes into the dark caverns of Dar-Kunor in search of the Seventh Book of Nekron. In this masterpiece of contemporary music, treacherous traps and dark and spectral landscapes are evoked, finally reaching the climax of the album, namely the theft of the cursed book and the escape from the living dead of the cave. The style of the composition is very varied: first power and Celtic, then darker and more frantic, complemented by spoken passages that perfectly describe the emotional state of the various characters, ending with the happy ending of the escape, which brings the imposing suite to the concluding piece "Dark Reign Of Fire," which navigates between orchestrations (taken as tradition from the intro), solemn choirs, sweeter parts sung by Fabio Lione and narrations (also by Christopher Lee). Like the previous "Nightfall On The Grey Mountains," this composition also closes the album elegantly and subtly. Here "Triumph Or Agony" ends, but the Dark Secret Saga is far from over...
As if all this bountiful goodness were not enough, in the special limited edition dedicated to Italian fans of which I am a proud owner, three bonus tracks have also been included: the first is an unpublished track, "Defenders Of Gaia," featuring rather gritty and frantic power sounds, which deals with a topical theme, namely the defense of the Earth and the environment, which is very dear to Luca Turilli ("The Infinite Wonders Of Creation," a stunning third solo album by the Trieste Artist, is a clear demonstration of this). The second is "A New Saga Begins," a shortened version of the first section of "The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight"; I'm usually against these "cutouts," but in this case, the result is really well achieved: an excellent power piece with Celtic influences, and finally, the Italian version of "Son Of Pain" whose new, poignant lyrics only further increase its arcane poetry, making it significantly superior to the English version.
At this moment, the band is going through the most difficult time in its history, after the abrupt and unexpected break of the contract with Magic Circle, but I am sure that Our Artists will overcome all adversities, will find a new recording home, and the Rhapsody of Fire will continue to burn, spreading its mystical poetry, for many more years to come.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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