Rhapsody - Holy Thunderforce EP/single

It's the season of EP's, which begins of course, right before the period of new releases sets upon us, and luckily for Rhapsody, their latest flaunting of their goods is strong enough to ride to the top of the cream of the crop. For the band, it's not about their past vs. the present (which is ironically enough a glimpse of the near future in this particular case), but it's actually a head to head match against their guitarist, Luca Turilli's solo album from last year, which was a masterpiece, plain and simple. "Kings of the Nordic Twilight" was my top pick from 1999, beating out even the innovative darkness of Angel Dust's "Bleed" and an effort by a keyboard player with Goran Edman on vocals. So Rhapsody has some tough competition going against them, mostly by an internal member! Things are looking good for them however, since earlier this year they proved that they are not just another studio gimmick (which was circulating pretty heavy in the rumor mills just a short span ago), by playing live, and the results could be clearly heard on a raw, yet excellent bootleg as they churned out their songs with a vivid rawness that was nothing but pure metal. Now all they have to do is turn out a stellar conclusion to their trilogy, and judging by the two compositions from the upcoming "Dawn of Victory", this may very well become reality.

Hopping right into the meat of the album itself, with only three songs, it seems a bit short for an EP, and instead plays more like a single. It's a little too lean for my tastes, especially considering the price, but it *is* Rhapsody, you either love them or hate them, and I'm a part of the former instead of the latter.

On to the music:

1. Holy Thunderforce - The single's title track is predictably epic in porportions, and it takes a similiar course to the previous frantically majestic orchestrated pieces from their previous albums, "Emerald Sword" for example. It's been two years since Fabio Lione has been heard belting out the vocal lines to something this gigantically grand, and he fares extremely well, soaring high above the complex arrangements warring beneath his voice, each instrument intent on drowning the next out, yet Fabio delivers with his usual heavy accented grace. Insanity reigns supreme in the crazed solo that graces the center of the song, a fierce battle between guitar, violin and keys, and its up to the listener to decide who turns out victorious. "Holy Thunderforce" hits hard, and each note feels fantastic to listen to, despite the fact that we've heard this same kind of thing three times before (both Rhapsodys and Luca's solo), it remains triumphantly delightful.
2. Dargor, Shadowlord of the Black Mountain - An odd, mysterious opening, almost like that of a musicbox, clear ringing notes, and then a bit of flute playing a medieval flavored melody with violin accompanying it, and then... all hell ensues. A crushing heaviness brings the flute to silence, as a poundingly crisp rhythm takes over, which will be interrupted for 'lighter' interludes featuring more violins and gentle bard-like acoustic lappings. Luca Turilli is truly a masterful guitarist, his riffs and chops are so thick and unyielding, yet suggestively majestic at the same time. Lione is positively commanding, and his voice is put to some surprisingly subtle uses, such as a barely audible, but rock steady note "ahhhhh"ing in the distant background, well buried behind waves of chaotic sound, but there nontheless. The bouncing flute melody makes a return to herald in the fireblazing guitar/keyboard solo, both which string along with light-fingered fierceness and highly reminiscent of a shorter, yet almost as classic as the Yngwie Malmsteen-Jens Johansson battles from days of yore. The two instrumental tangents are well composed and fit with the song perfectly. Kudos for the uses of the classical flavored instruments, pouring the violins on heavily to swell the instrumental backing the vocals. Eight minutes of purely high class showmanship and exceptional songwriting. As a final touch, it ends just as it began.
3. Rage of the Winter - Easily classified as one of the best from Rhapsody's two previous discs, "RotW" sounds even better than the version which was present on "Legendary Tales" in almost every way. Ultra bombastic and really fantastic, the slightly more symphonic spin suits the song well, as it sounds positively huge. The 'hook' for this tune is the keyboards which provide the backbone for this mid paced track (which definitely has its crushing parts), and the positively EPIC chorus, which makes the ones on "Dargor" and "Holy" seem almost laughable in comparision. Yes this song is *that* good! Turilli's axeslinging is rabidly heartwrenching, yet undeniably swelling with power, simultaenously. It hits with the force of a blizzard and its addicting hold just does not let go of its icy cold death grip until its cataclysmic finish. In comparision the production on this version outshines the album track, the guitar sounds fatter, Fabio sounds much richer, and the addition of the full orchestra lavishly adding their frills and fills in every open spot. The result is a much more medieval, majestic, and thunderous tune that surpasses and eclipses the original by a tenfold. Sorely missed is the wind gusting opening of the original, as well as the halting stops, the more tender moments, the Spanish flavored acoustic spritzes and a couple of the solos that were perfect as they were on the "Legendary Tales" version. While both have their own merits, without hestitation I have to personally give this newer symphonic (demo?) take on the song top honors, even if just for its stylish snow blown rage, even if the "LT" one was no slouch at all. A gigantic improvement over the rawer feel of the original.