We review the new Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody, and see if the album lives to the epic title!
[tracklist]
01. Nova Genesis (Ad Splendorem Angeli Triumphantis)
02. Il Cigno Nero
03. Rosenkreuz (The Rose And The Cross)
04. Anahata
05. Il Tempo Degli Dei
06. One Ring To Rule Them All
07. Notturno
08. Prometheus
09. King Solomon And The 72 Names Of God
10. Yggdrasil
11. Of Michael The Archangel And Lucifer’s Fall Part II: Codex Nemesis
[/tracklist]
[details]
[length]70:36[/length]
[record_label]Nuclear Blast[/record_label]
[release_date]19th June 2015[/release_date]
[/details]
Luca Turilli is a man that has had an extraordinary musical career. Every aspect of it has produced gold, and many have said that is owed in part to the fact that he is a workhorse, always writing, full of ideas and always perfecting. The Luca Turilli solo trilogy, his work in Rhapsody along with Alex Staropoli, and his more obscure Dreamquest project have all produced some astounding music that have captured the hearts and minds of not just metal fans, but music enthusiasts in general.
When Rhapsody of Fire split into two bands in 2011, it was of interest to the fans what direction Turilli would take. He announced to the fans that his incarnation of Rhapsody would follow on a foundation of ‘cinematic metal’, and while his debut effort ‘Ascending to Infinity‘ included the neo-classical excellence that proved the technicality of Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody was on the highest tier of the genre, the album fell short of the strong songwriting seen on albums like ‘Prophet of the Last Eclipse‘ and ‘Symphony of Enchanted Lands II‘.
Turilli’s new effort, ‘Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus‘, seemed to be under a bit of pressure to live up to Turilli’s high expectation and the label of a ‘cinematic metal’ album, hence why the album seemed to take just a bit longer to see the light of day. The album has been pushed back a couple times, but Turilli provided epic updates that spoke of ‘Prometheus‘ being the most valiant effort yet…is this the ‘cinematic metal’ album we’ve been waiting for?
We can safely say now that yes, this is true ‘cinematic metal’ album, and whatever Turilli was trying to achieve has been achieved with this album. With a prolonged intro demonstrating his orchestral abilities, the album kicks off with ‘Il Cigno Nero‘, an Italian worded power metal epic making full use of the orchestras to provide massive choruses, choirs to create atmosphere, and the neo-classical shredding that has become synonymous with Turilli’s songwriting.
It is evident that Turilli has spent much time crafting these each of these tracks with clinical precision when the album moves onto ‘Rosenkreuz (The Rose and the Cross)‘. He has tapped into the best elements of his career with the recurring digital undertones of the Dreamquest era preluding and bridging the choruses. He has guided every member of the band to execute their parts flawlessly, with a highlight being the operatic vocal performance from frontman Alessandro Conti.
What I understand in the concept of ‘cinematic metal’ is music that creates visuals and builds a story with each progressing note, whether that is the mutually agreed concept or not, Rhapsody are incredibly successful at it. Tracks such as ‘Anahata‘ provide the visuals and atmosphere of a Bond villain’s sea fortress rising from the sea, and ‘King Solomon and the 72 Names of God‘ laying down an Pharoah war story.
What ‘Ascending to Infinity‘ lacked has been repaired in ‘Prometheus‘. The strongest songwriting of Turilli’s career is present on the album, and ejects the band into the stratosphere of the metal universe. So much care, passion and love for the music is truly alive and flowing on the album, with every note, small or big, under the strict supervision of the songwriter. Another feat worth mentioning is the mix of the album is perfect deserving full commendation given the complexity of the album.
‘Prometheus, Symphonia Ignis Divinus‘ is an album that deserves respect from every musician, and every music lover. A work of art that could be performed and admired for years to come.
[verdict]Yes[/verdict]
[why]Every element of this highly album has been hand-crafted by Luca Turilli, and the songwriting is absolutely sublime. The album transcends metal music to a plane of respect that one would have for classical composers.[/why]
