LEGENDARY TALES

Growing up as a metal fan in Italy, it was pretty much impossible to miss the explosion of Italian power metal supernova Rhapsody. It instantly became the biggest and most successful Italian band to be recognized internationally in the genre, and Luca Turilli's face was on the cover of almost every metal magazine across the Italian Peninsula. Of course I had to buy their debut album Legendary Tales - and so I did. Although I have never been a big power metal fan, I remember that Legendary Tales blew me away. It was vastly superior to any other Italian power metal band I had listened to and it compared favourably to those acts that I considered the sacred giants of the genre (Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius). Moreover, it somehow possessed a distinctively Italian melodicism that made me connect deeply with the 10 songs of the record. Still today I consider it a very fine piece of work, probably one of the best by the band and in the genre as well.

It's easy to see why this album worked and still works so well. It has a very well-defined sound that stands out as fairly unique in comparison to other bands in the genre. Turilli (guitars) and Staropoli's (keyboards) stroke of genius was to combine the trademark sound of neoclassic/power metal bands, like Rainbow, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force, Helloween, Gamma Ray and a touch of Manowar, with classic instrumentation and patterns from Renaissance and Baroque music (Italian's folk rock composer Angelo Branduardi has always been a clear influence for Rhapsody). The resulting effect is one of the best and most veritable evocations of medieval and Renaissance epic chivalry and adventure that can be found in metal music. You may argue that Blind Guardian also worked on a similar sound, which is true, but while the Germans were essentially a metal band with folk influences, in Rhapsody the fusion of metal and Baroque folk music is more complete and more fulfilling.

The Italians had many more arrows in their quiver than a distinctive sound. Technical proficiency was one of them. Turilli is a great guitar player, who can play fast without ever losing sight of melody or phrase construction. His duels with the classical string instruments and Staropoli's keyboards are nearly as satisfying as the most flamboyant instrumental detours you may find on progressive rock/metal records. And then there is Fabio Lione ? a fantastic singer with a very theatrical voice and a mighty vibrato that will transport you straight back to the world of opera in Italian Renaissance. Contrary to the (too) many frigid, high-pitched power metal singers out there, Lione is extremely expressive and warm, which for me is a big bonus. The singer is also helped by a rich multi-voice choir that often joins Lione in the songs' choruses, heightening even further the epic zest of the music.

The sound production is also excellent, guided by the expert hands of Sascha Paeth (who also plays bass on the album) and Miro. This was another massive step forward compared to the contemporaneous Italian metal productions: the album sounded massive, with sufficient clarity to let the listener appreciate all the nuances and complexity of the music without losing an ounce of power.

The album is entertaining from start to finish, albeit a few songs stand out as particularly strong. This is actually a common theme across many Rhapsody's album: although the quality level is generally good, each album feels constructed around one/two obvious masterpieces, surrounded by somewhat minor tracks. The honours of best pieces on this record go to the opener (after the obligatory intro) "Warrior of Ice" and the following song "Rage of the Winter". These tracks are a perfect manifesto for what Rhapsody were trying to do with their music. They are epic and bombastic, but powerful and incisive too. And they pack some stellar choruses, which can never hurt. "Forest of the Unicorns" is also great: it's a nice, semi-acoustic ballad where the band fully unleash their Baroque folk spirit.

From then on the album starts to plod a little bit, as the band keep alternating what are essentially lesser versions of the first 3 songs for the rest of the record: either fast-paced, powerful epics or languid folksy ballads. This detracts somewhat from the overall listening experience because the initial excitement wears off a little as the minutes go by without too much variation in the composition department. Another let-down are the rather silly and simplistic lyrics and storyline penned by Turilli. The writing technique seemingly consists in throwing around all possible stereotypes about knights, princesses, dragons and other fantasy creatures without too much attention to plot development or realism. The album concept? and the whole saga spanning across 5 records ? could have been so much better in the hands of a more subtle and savvy narrator.

Nevertheless, Legendary Tales still occupies a special place in my musical collection. My power metal "phase" quickly dissipated at the turn of the century and nowadays I only occasionally listen to this genre, but I keep returning to this album from time to time. It's fresh, daring, interesting, fun and epic as hell. If you are in the mood for a good dose of heroic fist-pumping and chest beating metal, you simply can't go wrong with Legendary Tales.