Yet another CD for the very Italian (even in pronunciation) Rhapsody of Fabio Lione.
An album that is definitely listenable, with many tracks of undeniable quality, but which doesn’t differ much (read: not at all) from the already known and rehashed power-epic metal clichés.

After the first track, with the introduction by the actor of Saruman (the name escapes me) for whom Fabio and company have a kind of obsession, the album opens with Unholy Warcry, one of the most valid songs on the CD, with excellent choirs and music, but unfortunately the song is nothing new and thus must be listed among "the beautiful epic songs", whereas, in my opinion, it could have been something more... Another note of demerit is the English pronunciation by good old Fabio, which, if it were slightly better, would make everything more digestible, but, alas, this is a flaw that Rhapsody carries throughout the album. Next is "Never Forgotten Heroes," my favorite, with a touch of more originality, a bit more epic and powerful than the previous one. Follow the two melodic "Elgard's Green Valleys" and "The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream", beautiful although here the same goes as with "Unholy". Passing through "Erian's Mhystical Rhymes" and "The Last Angel's Call" (the same old clichés), we arrive at the other melodic "Dragonland's Rivers", remarkable but somehow I always feel like I'm listening to Blind Guardian...
After yet another ultra-epic song to the extreme ("Sacred Power Of Raging Winds"), we come to what should be the jewel of the album, namely "Guardiani Del Destino". It is immediately noticeable that Fabio is decidedly more comfortable singing in Italian, he maneuvers very well among the words of the song and together with the Rhapsodian choirs makes this track a small masterpiece among songs that are beautiful, but really not very original.
Same story as the first tracks for the two songs that close the album, "Shadows Of Death" and "Nightfall On The Grey Mountains".

A CD to own, but not a masterpiece. I understand that in this genre it is not easy to be original, I recognize that the songs are truly beautiful, and technically the only flaw is the pronunciation, but really, in the long run, one gets a little tired of the usual Blindguardian pieces, that after you have heard "Nightfall In Middle Earth" the other bands are all the same... Let's grant Rhapsody to be a really good band with great potential, and hope that one day they will stand out from the ten thousand epic bands all alike (from which they emerge only for technical skill) when finally we will no longer have to say: "they are the Italian Blind Guardian" but "they have influenced the genre LIKE the Blind Guardian".

Tracklist and Lyrics

01   The Dark Secret (04:13)

02   Erian's Mystical Rhymes (10:32)

03   The Dark Secret / The Ancient Prophecy (00:00)

04   The Dark Secret / Ira Divina (00:00)

05   Guardiani Del Destino (05:51)

06   Shadows Of Death (08:13)

07   Nightfall On The Grey Mountains (07:20)

08   Unholy Warcry (05:53)

IN THE DARK LIES A SECRET
IN THE MYSTIC SEVENTH BLACK BOOK
NEKRON'S DARK WORDS
HE IS KRON, KRON'S DISCIPLE
HE IS SWORN TO RETURN
TO AVENGE THE LOST DIVINE WARS

Algalord arise, greater than before
time of peace, not of war
Shouts of freedom from the castle walls
Freedom in the land and
hope for all
hope for all

INTO THE SILENT, DARK AND FORGOTTEN
CAVES OF DAR-KUNOR
DEEP IN THE SECRET BOOK IS AWAITING
UNHOLY WARCRY
NEKRON PROMISED BLOODY TERROR
BRINGING DEATH AND HATE TO THE NEW WORLD

From the rocky mountains to the golden sea
to the barbarians' sacred hills
From the icy north and misty lakes
to the walls of Seth and elvish plains
all beware!

INTO THE SILENT, DARK AND FORGOTTEN
CAVES OF DAR-KUNOR
DEEP IN THE SECRET BOOK IS AWAITING
UNHOLY WARCRY
NEKRON PROMISED BLOODY TERROR
BRINGING DEATH AND HATE TO THE NEW WORLD

Torment, pain and bloody rain... Nekron's resurrection
They must kill the demon king or fight another war

"Only one person could have crossed the darklands sorrounding Hargor
and venture forth deep into the caves of Dar-Kunor...
His is a name the world will never forget...
He is Dargor!"

He is the chosen one
he walked out through the darkness
he met the wisdom's light
chosen to find the last dark rhymes
the last rhymes of hell

HE IS KRON, KRON'S DISCIPLE
HE IS SWORN TO RETURN
TO AVENGE THE LOST DIVINE WARS

There was only one who knew the way
he lived in the dark, lonely caves
the demon of the night could save the day
should they take a chance or run away...
Dargor was his name!

INTO THE SILENT, DARK AND FORGOTTEN
CAVES OF DAR-KUNOR
DEEP IN THE SECRET BOOK IS AWAITING
UNHOLY WARCRY
NOW THEY SWORE TO BAND TOGETHER
ON A SACRED JOURNEY
CALLED BY FATE, TIME TO BE GREAT
UNHOLY WARCRY
NEKRON PROMISED BLOODY TERROR
BRINGING DEATH AND HATE TO THE NEW WORLD

09   Never Forgotten Heroes (05:32)

10   Elgard's Green Valleys (02:20)

Instrumental

11   The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream (04:30)

12   Erian's Mystical Rhymes / Erian's Mystical Rhymes (00:00)

13   Erian's Mystical Rhymes / The White Dragon's Order (00:00)

In primordial times of sorrow
Ancient ages of the known world
Kron's reign of terror was rising
So the Skylords sent their angels
Against the storm that treathened heavens
Seven wars were so fought
The dead rose
Led by the Darklords of Hell

The last war
Meant the end
Of hellgod's
Old reign

Dark memories lost in the shades of illusion
Warn the light of electric sky
The angels could change the life on earth
But not the demons' old plans

United force of strong wise men...
A new order soon was born
Ten kings, ten wizards, elves and dragonlords
Ready to fight, to fight for their world

Ready to face the last secret
Hidden for 5000 angel's years
5000 years

A great and new hope in Elgard was born
The one hope that could finally find the...

Sacred words to stop the dark plan of Nekron
All contained in Erian's Mystical White Book

The holy council cast their vote
Hearing the deep voice of soul
Etherus... Iras... two names on all
Elected to face the darklord

They knew so well Erian's tale
What could be found between his rhymes
His rhymes of divine light
Written to save our lands

Ready to face the last secret
Hidden for 5000 angel's years
5000 years

Now is the time for them to share all their plans
The one hope that could finally find the...

Sacred words to stop the dark plan of Nekron
All contained in Erian's Mystical White Book

So the name was chosen:
White Dragon's Order
All sworn to fight
All for one
One for all

A great and new hope in Elgard was born
The one hope that could finally find the...

Sacred words to stop the dark plan of Nekron
All contained in Erian's Mystical White Book
Sacred words to stop the dark plan of Nekron
All contained in Erian's Mystical White Book... White Book...

(The White Dragon's Order)

(Iras:)
"And so the Order of the White Dragon decreed Khaas the hero of the middle lands.
He and princess Lothen from the kingdom of the ancient waterfalls,
together with Tharish, elven king of the caverns and myself, Iras Algor from Hor-Lad,
would travel the path of incredible danger and great adventure.

Dargor the shadowlord would lead us through the ancient underworld of Dar-Kunor.
Finally the time had come to find the legendary seventh black book,
that containing the worst of all the known prophecies"

14   The Last Angels' Call (04:37)

15   Dragonland's Rivers (03:45)

16   Sacred Power Of Raging Winds (10:06)

Naira, oriel tarna.
Majestic winds of the northlands
protect our heroes
from the deadly Naroth
cover their tracks with snow
rgae on with all your fury
Naira carna oriel nirnaan

Dark is the way to the mountains of grey
Breath turns to ice in the air
The journey is painful and longer than life
Crossing the rocks in the night

GODS LEAD THEM ALL
TO HARGOR'S WALLS
SACRED POWER OF RAGING WINDS
KEEP AWAY FROM THE BLACK ORDER'S STEEL
(THEIR BLACK STEEL THEIR BLACK WILL)
SACRED POWER OF RAGING WINDS
PLEASE HELP THEM REACH THEIR GOAL
TO HIDE IN THE SNOW
SUN AND MOON HAVE LEFT THEIR BRAVE SONS

In the dangerous peaks
they may all find their death
searching for the ancient realm
the worship of darkness is Nekron's desire
his soldiers the black
the black order sect!

GODS LEAD THEM ALL
TO HARGOR'S WALLS
SACRED POWER OF RAGING WINDS
KEEP AWAY FROM THE BLACK ORDER'S STEEL
(THEIR BLACK STEEL THEIR BLACK WILL)
SACRED POWER OF RAGING WINDS
PLEASE HELP THEM REACH THEIR GOAL
TO HIDE IN THE SNOW
DARGOR'S PAST APPEARS BEFORE HIM

[Dargor:] Father
are you really wanting my soul?
your black blood
no longer flows in my veins
[Vankar:] son you are a betrayer
You have betrayed me!!
[Dargor:] No! I don't want to serve
you hellish will
[Vankar:] You are half demon
never forget that! You are one of us!
[Dargor:] I know it well for this I will pay!
But I will deny you and fight you forever!

Sacred power of raging winds
fill their soul
and the shadowlord's heart
in a magical vision Vankar appeared
in Dargor's dream
while the four heroes
where trying to rest
he was born half demon half man
he struggled inside
but would soon understand
all would be pay with the
blood on his hands

GODS LEAD THEM ALL
TO HARGOR'S WALLS
SACRED POWER OF RAGING WINDS
KEEP AWAY FROM THE BLACK ORDER'S STEEL
(THEIR BLACK STEEL THEIR BLACK WILL)
SACRED POWER OF RAGING WINDS
PLEASE HELP THEM REACH THEIR GOAL
TO HIDE IN THE SNOW
DARGOR'S PAST APPEARS BEFORE HIM
VANKAR'S THIRST FOR BLOODY VENGEANCE
VANKAR LIVES FOR VENGEANCE

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Other reviews

By Starblazer

 "A true masterpiece of Symphonic Progressive Epic Metal, with choirs, flutes, brass, and strings supporting Turilli’s guitar, Staropoli’s keyboards, and the splendid voice of Fabio Lione."

 "The ballad 'The Magic Of The Wizards Dream' is truly enchanting, with a warm, enveloping, melodious, and expressive voice making it something unique and bewitching."