Luca Turilli - King Of The Nordic Twilight (1999)

I don't always understand the thing about members of bands going solo. Here is Rhapsody's leading force Luca Turilli releasing the first of a solo trilogy. But it has a singer and other performers, as well as a choir and some orchestration. So isn't that pretty much what Rhapsody is?
Anyway, forgetting all that for a moment, this is certainly similar to Turilli's famous band and, while it can't reach the heights of SYMPHONY OF ENCHANTED LANDS, there's still much to like.  Songs like "Black Dragon", "Legend Of Steel" and "The Ancient Forest Of Elves" are fine power metal anthems, although in the midst of them are a couple of songs, "Lord Of The Winter Snow" and the ballad "Princess Aurora" (with a female vocalist), both of which are reasonable, but don't quite succeed.
Of course, it's the concluding, eleven-minute title track that works the best, and shows Turilli in his element, although the choir moments remind me of Therion.
So, this is a solo album. To me, "solo" is Bruce Springsteen picking up his guitar and harmonica and recording NEBRASKA. But who cares what the label is? For Rhapsody fans, pretty much anything this very talented and passionate Italian has his name to is worth the indulgence, and King Of The Nordic Twilight is no exception.

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