When Rhapsody makes an album it really is more of a production. The latest effort from Luca Turilli and the guys may be their boldest statement to date.
'Dawn of Victory' is a continuation of the symphonic power metal the band has become known for. The orchestral arrangements are there. The choir vocals are there, but also is the sonic fury that the band delivers that intertwine with the other elements.
One thing that makes 'Dawn of Victory' that much more special is the limited edition package that was also available in a quantity of 20,000 worldwide. The package was in a book form and includes an extra disc containing multimedia and live tracks. The book has stories, band pics, etc. The book is also hard bound. A very nice package overall.
Lets get to the important stuff... the music. The album is fairly aggressive in nature, but contains those outside elements that make it bigger than life. Take for instance album opener 'Lux Triumphans'. The choir style chants give you a major feel of what a big prioduction this album is. The title track 'Dawn of Victory' explodes in a frenzy and really sets the tempo. Other standout tracks include 'The Village of Dwarves', the mid tempo 'The bloody rage of the Titans', the single 'Holy Thunderforce', the instrumental 'Trolls in the dark', and the big finale 'The mighty ride of the Firelord' clocking in at just over 9 minutes.
This album really showcases the band as a unit. The band is very tight yet has great finesse. If you have a chance to find the limited edition, definitely check it out. If the single album is your thing, don't miss this either. The album really is very large in sound and very much worth checking out for new fans and old fans alike. Very good stuff
I recieved a promo disc recently from Art Gordon, otherwise known as Flesh Gordon. Contained on it were 6 tracks of which 3 are available on MP3.com. I gave it a spin or two and here is what I thought.
The promo starts off with 'House of Horrors' which has a taste of the modern metal sound crossed with classic hard rock. 'Beyond the Door' follows with a taste of a darker metal sound. Next is 'Eternal Life'. Sound is a bit haunting with varying tempos. One of my favs and one that is on Mp3.com is 'Sandy'. Very interesting vocal arrangements mixed with more haunting melodies make this track cool. Probably my favorite is 'Dark Visions'. This tune has psychadelic sounding guitar work with once again, those very haunting melodies. The final track is 'Rockit Baby'. This is the out and out rocker of the disc with some classic rocker influences. Got the groove thing going here. Very upbeat.
Art has a very cool flair to his approach at songwriting. I feel that he has a bright future if he keeps applying himself and never gives up. Definitely stop by MP3.com and give him a listen!
