Band:	Rhapsody Of Fire
Album:	Into The Legend
Style:	Symphonic power metal
Release date:	January 15, 2016
A review by:	Belegûr

01. In Principio
02. Distant Sky
03. Into The Legend
04. Winter's Rain
05. A Voice In The Cold Wind
06. Valley Of Shadows
07. Shining Star
08. Realms Of Light
09. Rage Of Darkness
10. The Kiss Of Life
11. Volar Sin Dolor [Digipak bonus]
12. Speranze E Amor [Japanese bonus]
+ Video: Into The Legend [Digipak bonus]

After the confusing mess that was Prometheus, Symphonia Ignus Divinus, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody return?wait, this is the other one. After the travesty that was Dark Wings Of Steel, Rhapsody Of Fire return with Into The Legend. Have things improved? It certainly wouldn't be hard to improve on their last effort, but I am glad to say that this is far more impressive. The energy and strength of the performances have returned. However, this improvement comes at the price of some originality. We all know Rhapsody Of Fire were well set in their ways for many years, but the truly great moments on this album definitely come from raiding their back catalogue and attempting to recreate the glorious sound of the first four albums from the "Emerald Sword Saga". So perhaps Into The Legend is a bit of a double-edged emerald sword in that regard.

Into The Legend was created over seven years in four different studios. This is sort of confusing as it makes it seem like Dark Wings Of Steel was just released to pass the time before this album was finished. I don't know if that is the case, but it would certainly explain why it was so forgettable and boring. Into The Legend is the album you would have expected to be released instead. We have the drawn out orchestral intro - minus over the top narration, leading into an energetic and rapid "Distant Sky". What I found interesting about this track was how much it sounded like track written by former guitarist Luca Turilli. It sort of jumps out as a track similar to one you would find on Power Of the Dragonflame, complete with guitar sweeps and grandiose chorus. It is certainly a great opener and this focus on memorable choruses and energy is what has been missing from the band in recent years. "Rage Of Darkness" could have also been an amazing opener for the album and is such an enjoyable song with a chorus that would blow your testes off If they decide to play it live. Again though, the greatness of these tracks comes from the work that the band has already released. The brilliant chorus of "Rage Of Darkness" really reminded me of "Eternal Glory" from Symphony Of Enchanted Lands.

"A Voice In The Cold Wind" sounds like it's been lifted straight off of Dawn Of Victory, being a mix of "Trolls In The Dark" and "The Village Of Dwarves". I'm probably getting fans of classic Rhapsody Of Fire all excited by comparing tracks from Into The Legend with some of their best work, but none of the tracks are necessarily better than the older tracks. They are excellent, but it's disappointing if you are looking for some new and interesting song ideas. Thankfully there are some surprises and "Winter's Rain" is one of them. It doesn't sound like a typical Rhapsody Of Fire track. It is mid tempo, but with a nice build up to the chorus and an interesting mid-section that was rather unexpected. It's great to hear this sort of track and it's far more interesting than the likes of "Shining Star", which is just another typical ballad.

The biggest positive on the album could be the orchestration. You can instantly hear the benefit of a real orchestra and the use of multiple choirs just add something extra to the overall sound. It sounds enormous! This is what makes Into The Legend stand out when compared to the early albums that it sometimes tries to recreate. The 17 minute closer "The Kiss Of Light" highlights this completely. An acoustic section with some great backing vocals, leading into a great solo section where both keyboard and guitar have their moment to shine, but in a surprisingly tasteful way. The long song to close the album does really work here and doesn't seem as generic as it ordinarily would.

Rhapsody Of Fire seem to be back on track and it's definitely not hard to recommend Into The Legend. Some of the best moments from the album do borrow heavily from older material, but that is a small price to pay to avoid another Dark Wings Of Steel. With the departure of Luca Turilli, Alex Staropoli is definitely more present than he has ever been and this means guitarist Roby De Micheli still hasn't done anything particularly memorable in the band since joining. This is disappointing as even with the excellent orchestration on Into The Legend, I would still kill for some amazing guitar work. These are perhaps improvements for future albums. Now if only Luca Turilli's Rhapsody would sort themselves out, the classic "Rhapsody" split could be considered a blessing.