Band:	Rhapsody
Album:	Symphony Of Enchanted Lands
Style:	Symphonic power metal
Release date:	October 05, 1998
A review by:	Pierre Tombale

01. Epicus Furor
02. Emerald Sword
03. Wisdom Of The Kings
04. Heroes Of The Lost Valley
    1 - Entering The Waterfalls Realm
    2 - The Dragons' Pride
05. Eternal Glory
06. Beyond The Gates Of Infinity
07. Wings Of Destiny
08. The Dark Tower Of Abyss
09. Riding The Winds Of Eternity
10. Symphony Of Enchanted Lands
    1 - Tharos' Last Flight
    2 - The Hymn Of The Warrior
    3 - Rex Tremende
    4 - The Immortal Fire

Symphony Of The Enchanted Lands is chapter two of the Algalord chronicles, the story Rhapsody told in 5 parts on 5 albums.

This second part opens with a mighty intro continuing with the mighty 'Emerald Sword', to me their best song together with 'Dawn Of Victory'.
Followed by the calmly opened 'Wisdom Of The Kings', a great
symphonic and speedy song, with great melody and vocals.
'Heroes of the Lost valley' is an instrumental, with a beautiful melody carried by a flute? splitting into the narrative part that opens 'Eternal Glory' a majestic and epic song, heroic and calm moods change from verse to chorus, beautifully composed.


'Beyond The Gates Of Infinity' opens with a nervous part of darker atmosphere, that has mid-tempo verses but double bass bridges that are enhanced with violins creating a mood of fleeing in panic.'Wings Of Destiny' is a sad ballad, calm melodies carried by piano.
'The Dark Tower Of Abyss' a complex composition with nice
instrumentation, but also heavy and fast passages, mighty choruses and choirs. A great classic passage is included, but I don't know if there is an original to it or Turilli's own composition, it sounds so very familiar, but embedded in the song you can't really tell.


I find the continuity is ruined by a narrative passage after the classicone. 'Riding The Winds Of Destiny' opens with a heroic intro and has very triumphant melodies. The bass drum makes you really think of fast riding. Symphony Of Enchanted Lands is the title track, the last and longest song with the longest narrative passages. Part II of the song is a hymn that starts more like a prayer. But the hymn is the overwhelming melody of it. That's the reason why it is called: 'The Hymn Of The Warrior', part III, called 'Rex Tremende' ( I guess it means the shaking king), begins with a mighty part, a
melody a great as 'Fiesta Pagana' by 'Mago de Oz', but different and short. Flowing into slower parts a sad melody sung by a female voice and again the Fiesta-like melody. Again melodies of triumph foretelling victory of the evil threat. Part IV 'The Immortal Fire' sounds like the final march against the last bulwark of evil, the final break through and it's destruction.


Mighty and Powerful, but at the same time, the calmest of the
Rhapsody albums I own. Great melodies and great compositions are the most notable attributes. But I still can't decide if I like it more than 'Dawn Of Victory' or not!