After a run of classic albums, I wondered whether Rhapsody could keep things going at such a high quality. And, inevitably, this release (which, despite the title, is not a sequel to the classic SYMPHONY OF ENCHANTED LANDS), is a bit of a comedown.
There's still much to like, of course. For a start, they have Christopher Lee doing narration. There is no-one, no-one, with a better voice for such a task. He is in class of his own. He even gets to sing a bit in "The Magic Of The Wizard's Dream", and doesn't do badly there either! There's also the classic rock song "Unholy Warcry" early on, and throughout, we have the usual orchestration and choirs accompanying Fabio's wavering, melodramatic tenor. There also seems to be more variation this time around, which is certainly not a critism, and this comes across best in "Guardiani del destino", a song with plenty of variety on its own, and another definite highlight.
But the album just doesn't quite hit the consistent heights of its last few predecessors, partly because the material isn't always that terrific, and also that, at seventy-three minutes, there's just too much of it.
But this band would have to record themselves doing nothing but sword practice for me not to be gripped by whatever they bring out, and the record, which was the last to be released under the Rhapsody name, before they became Rhapsody Of Fire (and then on to other names later), is still a must for fans, with much to explore and, maybe, learn to grow more and more fond of.
****
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