Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by
Luca Turilli
Luca Turilli (born 5 March 1972) is an Italian composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist constantly engaged in various musical projects.
Having always declared to love music at 360 degrees, Turilli has dedicated himself to multip ...
and
Alex Staropoli
Alessandro "Alex" Staropoli (born 9 January 1970) is a keyboard player, composer, leader and co-founder (with Luca Turilli) of the Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He does the orchestral arrangements in all the band's songs. Fo ...
, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.
Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band has released twelve
studio albums
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
, two
live albums
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records coll ...
Live DVD
A live CD (also live DVD, live disc, or live operating system) is a complete bootable computer installation including operating system which runs directly from a CD-ROM or similar storage device into a computer's memory, rather than loading fr ...
. Rhapsody of Fire is known for its conceptual lyrics that constitute a
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
story throughout all of their albums from
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...
to 2011. After using the moniker of Rhapsody for nearly ten years, the band changed its name to Rhapsody of Fire in 2006 due to trademark issues.
In 2011, following the release of their album ''
From Chaos to Eternity
''From Chaos to Eternity'' is the ninth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on June 17, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. This is the last album to feature long-time guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli, b ...
'' which concluded The Dark Secret Saga, and after 18 years as co-leader of the band, Turilli left Rhapsody of Fire (on good terms) to form a new Rhapsody band,
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody (often simply referred by itself as Rhapsody, LT's Rhapsody or Turilli's Rhapsody) was an Italian symphonic power metal band created and led by Luca Turilli after his split from Rhapsody of Fire, also including German, ...
, along with two other members who left with him,
Dominique Leurquin
Dominique Leurquin is a French guitarist, best known for his collaborations with Luca Turilli; he is a current member of Turilli / Lione Rhapsody, a former member of Luca Turilli's Rhapsody and Luca Turilli's Dreamquest, and a former session m ...
,
Patrice Guers Patrice Guers (born 5 September 1969 in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France) is the former bassist of the Italian symphonic metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He joined the band after Alessandro Lotta left the band and performed with them until 2011, when he de ...
. They describe their discography as a parallel continuation of Rhapsody of Fire's discography, with their first album being their own "Rhapsody's 11th album" and consider that they didn't leave the band, rather that it amicably split in two.
In 2016, other long-term members Fabio Lione and
Alex Holzwarth
Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.
Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band h ...
left the band, and reunited with Turilli, Leurquin, and Guers, to play again under the name Rhapsody for their 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour; in December 2018, several months after announcing that Luca Turilli's Rhapsody was now inactive, Turilli announced the creation of a new Rhapsody band named Turilli / Lione Rhapsody, with the lineup of the 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour (recreating, minus Staropoli, the original band's 2002–2011 lineup).
History
Early years as Thundercross (1993–1997)
The power metal band Thundercross was formed in 1993 by
Luca Turilli
Luca Turilli (born 5 March 1972) is an Italian composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist constantly engaged in various musical projects.
Having always declared to love music at 360 degrees, Turilli has dedicated himself to multip ...
,
Alex Staropoli
Alessandro "Alex" Staropoli (born 9 January 1970) is a keyboard player, composer, leader and co-founder (with Luca Turilli) of the Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He does the orchestral arrangements in all the band's songs. Fo ...
, and Daniele Carbonera. Turilli has said in interviews that both Thundercross and the early Rhapsody material were heavily influenced by
Helloween
Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Wei ...
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen ( ; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning ov ...
and
Jason Becker
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Medea. He w ...
were a big influence from a guitar playing perspective.
In 1994, Thundercross released their first
demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
, ''Land of Immortals'', with vocalist Cristiano Adacher. During this period of time, they went through a few bassist changes in their lineup.
After accepting a proposal from ''Limb Music Products & Publishing'', the band started recording their second demo, ''
Eternal Glory Eternal Glory is a 1995 demotape released by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody and their first release as Rhapsody.
Early recordings
In October 1994, the band, named Thundercross at that time, had finished recording their first demo ' ...
''. At this time they also changed their name to ''Rhapsody''. Shortly after the release of ''Eternal Glory'', Adacher and bassist Furlan left the band. Former vocalist of
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth (, ) was an elaborate, confusing structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos. Its function was to hold the Minotaur, the monster eventually killed by t ...
and ''Athena'' Fabio Lione joined Rhapsody afterwards.
Album debut: ''Legendary Tales'' and ''Symphony of Enchanted Lands'' (1997–2000)
With these four members, the band started recording their debut album, ''
Legendary Tales
''Legendary Tales'' is the debut studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released in 1997 on Limb Music. The album is the beginning of the Emerald Sword Saga.
Track listing
Personnel
Band members
* Fabio Lione - vo ...
'', which was released in 1997. Rhapsody incorporated classical music, baroque and heavy metal styles in a subgenre they call "film score metal" due to its resemblance to movie soundtracks. The album was recorded in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
by the well-known producer
Sascha Paeth
Sascha Paeth (born 9 September 1970 in Wolfsburg, West Germany) is a German guitarist, bassist, musical producer, and mixer known for working with heavy metal bands such as Avantasia, Edguy, Angra, Shaaman, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, After ...
(Heaven's Gate), who also helped Rhapsody with their bass parts. The album was also the beginning story of the Emerald Sword Saga. The lyrics on the album (written by Turilli) often refer to mystical
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
and the heroic valor of those times and are centered around
high fantasy
High fantasy, or epic fantasy, is a subgenre of fantasy defined by the epic nature of its setting or by the epic stature of its characters, themes, or plot.Brian Stableford, ''The A to Z of Fantasy Literature'', (p. 198), Scarecrow Press, ...
, highlighting, in particular, the everlasting fight between good and evil.
In the years that followed, Turilli, Staropoli, and Lione developed their new sound even more with their second album, '' Symphony of Enchanted Lands'', in 1998, having been joined by bass player
Alessandro Lotta
Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.
Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band ...
. They wrote pieces such as "Emerald Sword", drawing on Russian
folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
and
Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
* Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Fo ...
style elements and adding to the ''Emerald Sword Saga''. 1999 was a quiet year for Rhapsody, but Luca and Fabio both released solo albums.
Success and conclusion of The Emerald Sword Saga (2000–2004)
In the spring Rhapsody started their first tour, starting in Sweden. They performed with
Stratovarius
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after fo ...
and
Sonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup c ...
in Spring 2000 supported by their new drummer Alex Holzwarth.
After the tour, they began recording their new album, ''
Dawn of Victory
''Dawn of Victory'' is the third studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, released in 2000. Like the previous albums, it centers on the story of Algalord and The Emerald Sword Saga. It was produced and engineered by Sascha Pae ...
''. The first single " Holy Thunderforce" was released in 2000 with some success. The new album showed Rhapsody in a whole new light, with a more aggressive style and sped-up tempo. It continued the third part of the Emerald Sword Saga, and the orchestra still played an important part of the album, with songs such as "Lux Triumphans", "The Village of Dwarves" and "The Bloody Rage of the Titans", played beside more bombastic melodies as "Dawn of Victory", "Triumph for My Magic Steel", "Dargor, Shadowlord of the Black Mountain" and "Holy Thunderforce". It was more successful than any of their previous outings, and "Dawn of Victory" ranked at #32 in the German charts, while in Japan it peaked in 4th place. In early summer 2001, Rhapsody toured through
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
and Europe.
''
Rain of a Thousand Flames
''Rain of a Thousand Flames'' is the fourth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, released in 2001. It tells a part of The Emerald Sword Saga, but it is a parallel episode that is not essential to the story, taking place ...
'' served as a bridge between the last part of the Emerald Sword Saga and ''Power of the Dragonflame''. ''
Power of the Dragonflame
''Power of the Dragonflame'' is the fifth studio album released by Rhapsody. It was released on 23 April 2002 by Limb Music. It is the last chapter in the Emerald Sword Saga. In 2017, '' Loudwire'' ranked it as the 9th best power metal album of ...
'' was released in February 2002 and saw incredible success worldwide. Marking the end of the Emerald Sword Saga, it contained soft ballads, upbeat metal melodies, and the epic 19-minute-long concluding song, "Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness". The band was joined by another two members,
Patrice Guers Patrice Guers (born 5 September 1969 in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France) is the former bassist of the Italian symphonic metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He joined the band after Alessandro Lotta left the band and performed with them until 2011, when he de ...
(bass) and Dominique Leurquin (guitars). Alex Holzwarth, who had been playing drums for Rhapsody onstage since 2000 was listed in the official band line-up on these releases, although Holzwarth has played drums in the studio since The Dark Secret EP.
Beginning of The Dark Secret Saga, name change and legal issues (2004–2008)
''The Dark Secret'' EP was released on 28 June 2004. It gave listeners a taste of what could be expected from the new album, labeled '' Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret'' which was released several months later in September. Christopher Lee was involved in this project,
narrating
A narrative, story, or tale is any account of a series of related events or experiences, whether nonfictional (memoir, biography, news report, documentary, travelogue, etc.) or fictional (fairy tale, fable, legend, thriller, novel, etc.). Narra ...
part of the storyline. ''Symphony of Enchanted Lands II'' was a follow-up to the Emerald Sword Saga called The Dark Secret Saga.
In July 2006 the band formerly known as Rhapsody changed their name to Rhapsody of Fire due to trademark issues. The band's website goes into further detail:
''The band members consider this a great new start, reflecting the emboldened and increasingly grandiose direction that their music has taken. "The power of the Dragonflame will burn brighter than ever before," says guitarist/songwriter
Luca Turilli
Luca Turilli (born 5 March 1972) is an Italian composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist constantly engaged in various musical projects.
Having always declared to love music at 360 degrees, Turilli has dedicated himself to multip ...
. Keyboardist/songwriter
Alex Staropoli
Alessandro "Alex" Staropoli (born 9 January 1970) is a keyboard player, composer, leader and co-founder (with Luca Turilli) of the Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He does the orchestral arrangements in all the band's songs. Fo ...
adds, "The name Rhapsody of Fire better represents the energy that has always been present in this band and its music."''
The band released ''
Triumph or Agony
''Triumph or Agony'' is the seventh studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, released in Europe on 25 September 2006. It is the first album that the band released after their name change.
''Triumph or Agony'' feat ...
'' on 25 September 2006 in Europe. The second chapter in The Dark Secret Saga, ''Triumph or Agony'', continues the bombastic Rhapsody of Fire tradition with a live 70-piece
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
and
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
as Turilli and Staropoli continued to self-produce the band's work with the assistance of co-producer Sascha Paeth.
Newer songs include "Silent Dream", "Son of Pain" and the epic 16-minute-long "The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight", an example of a cinema soundtrack adapted to a metal song. In addition, vocalist Fabio Lione gave his songwriting debut for Rhapsody of Fire with the song "Il canto del Vento".
In June 2008, Luca Turilli reported on the band's official website about a "hard legal fight with
Magic Circle Music
Magic Circle Music was founded by Manowar bassist Joey DeMaio in 2005 named after Richard Wagner's ''Der Ring des Nibelungen''. The purpose of the label is to give the band (Manowar) creative control. Furthermore, it is stated on their website t ...
and his main representative Mr.
Joey DeMaio
Joey DeMaio (born March 6, 1954) is an American musician who is the bass player and main songwriter for the heavy metal band Manowar which he founded in 1980. He is also the founder and CEO of Magic Circle Music.
Biography
He is a childhoo ...
". Since then, the band had gone on a hiatus for nearly a year and a half. Any studio or live activity was suspended for the period. Luca Turilli concentrated on his solo albums, Fabio Lione collaborated with
Vision Divine
Vision Divine is an Italian power/progressive metal band formed in 1998.
History
Originally a solo project from Olaf Thörsen (born Carlo Andrea Magnani). Soon, Fabio Lione rejoined him after the first Labyrinth period ("No Limits"), and the ...
and
Kamelot
Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood, in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album '' Siége Perilous'', and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in A ...
, Alex Holzwarth collaborated with his brother Oliver, and Staropoli also announced his plans to record a solo album.
Final albums with Turilli, end of The Dark Secret Saga; split into two bands (2009–2011)
In late 2009
Limb Music
Limb Music is an independent record label based in Hamburg, Germany and specialized in various subgenres of heavy metal music. It was also known as LMP, which stood for Limb Music Products, later changed to Limb Music GmbH. The music publishing ...
re-released their back-catalogue from 1997 to 2001, along with the compilation album ''
Tales from the Emerald Sword Saga
''Tales from the Emerald Sword Saga'' is the first compilation album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, Rhapsody in 2004.
Track listing
Track differences
*Track 8, "Riding the Winds of Eternity", is the same as the one foun ...
'' on digital music stores.
On 18 November 2009, it was announced that the band had signed with
Nuclear Blast Records
Nuclear Blast is a record label and mail order record distributor with subsidiaries in Germany, the United States and Brazil. The label was founded in 1987 by Markus Staiger in Germany. Originally releasing hardcore punk records, the label mov ...
and that their new album, '' The Frozen Tears of Angels'', would be released on 5 March 2010. However, Nuclear Blast stated that the album would not be released until 30 April. On 5 March 2010, the official Rhapsody of Fire website announced that it would indeed be released on 30 April. A new song was made available to download soon after. The album was produced by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli and mixed and mastered by
Sascha Paeth
Sascha Paeth (born 9 September 1970 in Wolfsburg, West Germany) is a German guitarist, bassist, musical producer, and mixer known for working with heavy metal bands such as Avantasia, Edguy, Angra, Shaaman, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, After ...
at the Gate Studio in
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg (; Eastphalian: ''Wulfsborg'') is the fifth largest city in the German state of Lower Saxony, located on the river Aller. It lies about east of Hanover and west of Berlin.
Wolfsburg is famous as the location of Volkswagen AG's he ...
. As well as the standard edition, it was released as a "special limited deluxe digipak" which included two bonus tracks and a 32-page booklet, and on vinyl.
A 35-minute EP entitled '' The Cold Embrace of Fear – A Dark Romantic Symphony'' was released in Europe on 15 October 2010 and in the United States on 25 January 2011. The story is directly connected to ''The Frozen Tears of Angels''.
Rhapsody of Fire's ninth studio album, ''
From Chaos to Eternity
''From Chaos to Eternity'' is the ninth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on June 17, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. This is the last album to feature long-time guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli, b ...
'', was released on 12 July 2011. ''From Chaos to Eternity'' is the final album in the band's fantasy storyline, The Algalord Chronicles, which began with the release of ''Legendary Tales''. It also marks the conclusion of The Dark Secret Saga, which began on ''Symphony of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret''. The final song on the album, the five-part "Heroes of the Waterfalls' Kingdom", is the band's longest, at almost twenty minutes long.
After the release of ''From Chaos to Eternity'', the band underwent many line-up changes. On 15 April 2011, it was announced that Tom Hess had become Rhapsody of Fire's second guitarist. Hess had actually joined the band in December 2010, recording all the rhythm guitar parts and contributing several solos for ''
From Chaos to Eternity
''From Chaos to Eternity'' is the ninth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on June 17, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. This is the last album to feature long-time guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli, b ...
''. Hess began touring with the band starting in 2011.
On 16 August 2011, Rhapsody of Fire announced the friendly departure of long-time guitarist, songwriter, and founding member
Luca Turilli
Luca Turilli (born 5 March 1972) is an Italian composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist constantly engaged in various musical projects.
Having always declared to love music at 360 degrees, Turilli has dedicated himself to multip ...
, along with bassist
Patrice Guers Patrice Guers (born 5 September 1969 in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France) is the former bassist of the Italian symphonic metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He joined the band after Alessandro Lotta left the band and performed with them until 2011, when he de ...
. They went on to found a new Rhapsody band,
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody
Luca Turilli's Rhapsody (often simply referred by itself as Rhapsody, LT's Rhapsody or Turilli's Rhapsody) was an Italian symphonic power metal band created and led by Luca Turilli after his split from Rhapsody of Fire, also including German, ...
. With the departure of Turilli, Tom Hess became the lead guitarist of the band.
AFM Records
AFM Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Lordi, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator.
In 2005, Candlelight Records si ...
. On 3 May 2013, a second live album was released, titled '' Live – From Chaos to Eternity'', recorded during the European dates of their ''From Chaos to Eternity World Tour 2012''.
In July 2013, Tom Hess respectfully parted ways with the band due to "philosophical differences" with Alex Staropoli. Hess would not be replaced, with the band continuing with just one guitarist. Recording for the band's next studio album, '' Dark Wings of Steel'', also began in July 2013. ''Dark Wings of Steel'' was released at the end of the year and was the band's first album not to be based on the band's fantasy saga, ''The Algalord Chronicles'', which spanned from ''
Legendary Tales
''Legendary Tales'' is the debut studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released in 1997 on Limb Music. The album is the beginning of the Emerald Sword Saga.
Track listing
Personnel
Band members
* Fabio Lione - vo ...
'' to ''
From Chaos to Eternity
''From Chaos to Eternity'' is the ninth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on June 17, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. This is the last album to feature long-time guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli, b ...
''. A European tour followed the release of the album.
Bassist Oliver Holzwarth left the band in August 2014. Alessandro Sala was announced as his replacement in June 2015, although he had joined the band a few months prior. Sala had previously been a bandmate of Roberto De Micheli in the band Sinestesia.
Songwriting for a followup to ''Dark Wings of Steel'' began in the Fall of 2014. Album artwork and the track listings for the new album, titled '' Into the Legend'', were revealed in November 2015. The album was released in January 2016.
After a short tour to promote the new album, Fabio Lione announced his departure on 28 September 2016. Drummer Alex Holzwarth also announced his departure on the band's Facebook page a couple of days later on 9 October 2016.
On 21 November 2016, former members Luca Turilli, Fabio Lione, Alex Holzwarth, Patrice Guers and Dominique Leurquin announced a Rhapsody "20th Anniversary Farewell Tour", in parallel to the current band. The tour celebrated the 20th anniversary of Rhapsody's first album ''
Legendary Tales
''Legendary Tales'' is the debut studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released in 1997 on Limb Music. The album is the beginning of the Emerald Sword Saga.
Track listing
Personnel
Band members
* Fabio Lione - vo ...
'' and featured, among other songs, the album '' Symphony of Enchanted Lands'' played in its entirety. The 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour started on 26 April 2017 in Annecy, France, and ended on 20 March 2018 in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a Madrid metropolitan area, metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the Largest cities of the Europ ...
, Spain.
On 11 November 2016, the band announced their new lead vocalist, Giacomo Voli. Manu Lotter was announced as the new drummer on 22 December 2016.
On 20 January 2017, the band announced that their new album will be 14 classic Rhapsody songs re-recorded. The new album titled '' Legendary Years'' was announced on 17 March 2017 from the band's Facebook page. The album was released on 26 May 2017.
The new lineup performed for the first time at the Trieste Summer Rock Festival at the castle of San Giusto on 29 July 2017 in Trieste,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
. Following after the new line-up's debut performance was a tour with
Orden Ogan
Orden Ogan is a German power metal band with progressive and folk metal elements. The band was formed in 1996 by Sebastian Grütling (drums) and Sebastian Levermann (lead vocals and guitar). They currently have three demos and seven studio albu ...
in the fall of 2017.
The Nephilim's Empire Saga (2018–present)
On 14 March 2018, the band had posted a narrative extract on their Facebook page, hinting that another album was being made.
The band later revealed the title of their twelfth album '' The Eighth Mountain'', as the first chapter of a new saga titled The Nephilim's Empire Saga on 16 November 2018. The album was released on 22 February 2019.
On 6 April 2020, Vocalist Giacomo Voli in an exclusive interview revealed that the band is currently working on their next album. Giacomo said, "This year we will record the new album and probably start already in the summer. At the end of the tour, I will start working on the lyrics with Roby De Micheli because some songs are already in the pre-production phase so they can be released in the spring of next year. As for the development of the saga, we will continue to narrate the events of this strange protagonist who was able to get out of hell thanks to the Nephilim. There are many possible ways and we will see what will happen."
On 22 June 2020, it was announced that drummer Manu Lotter had departed from the band. The band announced Paolo Marchesich as their new drummer on 14 July 2020.
Rhapsody of Fire had announced that the recording of the album had been completed on 24 September 2020, and were confirmed to be mixing the album with Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann in April 2021.
On 23 April 2021, it was announced that Rhapsody of Fire would be releasing their upcoming EP, ''I'll Be Your Hero'', on 4 June 2021 which contains a song recorded for the band's thirteenth studio album, '' Glory for Salvation'', the second chapter to The Nephilim's Empire Saga which was released on 26 November 2021. A second single named after the title of the next album was released on 9 July 2021. The third single off of the album, "Magic Signs", was released on 2 September 2021. The fourth single, "Terial the Hawk", was released on 15 October 2021. The fifth single, "Chains of Destiny" was released on 7 November 2021, along with a music video.
Band members
Current members
*
Alex Staropoli
Alessandro "Alex" Staropoli (born 9 January 1970) is a keyboard player, composer, leader and co-founder (with Luca Turilli) of the Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He does the orchestral arrangements in all the band's songs. Fo ...
– keyboards (1993–present)
* Roberto De Micheli – lead guitar (2011–present), rhythm guitar (2013–present)
* Alessandro Sala – bass (2015–present)
* Giacomo Voli – lead vocals (2016–present)
* Paolo Marchesich – drums (2020–present)
Former members
*
Luca Turilli
Luca Turilli (born 5 March 1972) is an Italian composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist constantly engaged in various musical projects.
Having always declared to love music at 360 degrees, Turilli has dedicated himself to multip ...
– lead guitar (1993–2011), rhythm guitar (1993–2000), lead vocals (1993)
* Cristiano Adacher – lead vocals (1993–1995)
* Andrea Furlan – bass (1993–1995)
* Daniele Carbonera – drums (1993–1999)
* Fabio Lione – lead vocals (1995–2016)
*
Alessandro Lotta
Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.
Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band ...
– bass (1998–2002)
* Alex Holzwarth – drums (2000–2016)
*
Patrice Guers Patrice Guers (born 5 September 1969 in Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France) is the former bassist of the Italian symphonic metal band Rhapsody of Fire. He joined the band after Alessandro Lotta left the band and performed with them until 2011, when he de ...
– bass (2002–2011)
* Tom Hess – rhythm guitar (2011–2013)
* Oliver Holzwarth – bass (2011–2014)
* Manu Lotter – drums (2016–2020)
Session musicians
* Manuel Staropoli – studio baroque recorders (1997–present),
composition
Composition or Compositions may refer to:
Arts and literature
*Composition (dance), practice and teaching of choreography
*Composition (language), in literature and rhetoric, producing a work in spoken tradition and written discourse, to include v ...
(2013–present)
* Leone Conti – live bass (2020–present)
Former session musicians
*
Robert Hunecke-Rizzo
Robert Hunecke-Rizzo (17 June 1971 in Wolfsburg) is a German bassist, guitarist and drummer, known for his work with Heavens Gate, Luca Turilli, and Kamelot.
He was one of the founding members of the supergroup Aina, which released the metal o ...
– studio bass (1997)
*
Sascha Paeth
Sascha Paeth (born 9 September 1970 in Wolfsburg, West Germany) is a German guitarist, bassist, musical producer, and mixer known for working with heavy metal bands such as Avantasia, Edguy, Angra, Shaaman, Rhapsody of Fire, Kamelot, After ...
– studio bass (1997, 2002, 2014–2015)
* Jay Lansford – studio narration (1997–2002)
* Thunderforce – studio drums (2000–2002)
*
Dominique Leurquin
Dominique Leurquin is a French guitarist, best known for his collaborations with Luca Turilli; he is a current member of Turilli / Lione Rhapsody, a former member of Luca Turilli's Rhapsody and Luca Turilli's Dreamquest, and a former session m ...
– live and studio guitars (2000–2011)
*
Petr Pololanik
Petr is a Czech given name for males and a Czech surname. Petr is the Czech form of ''Peter''. For information on Petr as a first name, see Peter (given name).
Given name
* Petr Aven (born 1955), Russian billionaire banker, economist and poli ...
– studio conductor and orchestrator (2004, 2006)
* Christopher Lee – studio narration, spoken vocals, occasional singing vocals (2004–2011, 2019)
* Vito Lo Re – orchestra conductor (2013, 2016, 2019)
Timeline
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Legendary Tales
''Legendary Tales'' is the debut studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody. It was released in 1997 on Limb Music. The album is the beginning of the Emerald Sword Saga.
Track listing
Personnel
Band members
* Fabio Lione - vo ...
Dawn of Victory
''Dawn of Victory'' is the third studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, released in 2000. Like the previous albums, it centers on the story of Algalord and The Emerald Sword Saga. It was produced and engineered by Sascha Pae ...
'' (2000)
*''
Rain of a Thousand Flames
''Rain of a Thousand Flames'' is the fourth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, released in 2001. It tells a part of The Emerald Sword Saga, but it is a parallel episode that is not essential to the story, taking place ...
'' (2001)
*''
Power of the Dragonflame
''Power of the Dragonflame'' is the fifth studio album released by Rhapsody. It was released on 23 April 2002 by Limb Music. It is the last chapter in the Emerald Sword Saga. In 2017, '' Loudwire'' ranked it as the 9th best power metal album of ...
'' (2002)
*''
Symphony of Enchanted Lands II – The Dark Secret
''Symphony of Enchanted Lands II – The Dark Secret'' is the sixth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody, released in 2004. A concept album like all previous albums of the band, it is not a sequel to '' Symphony of Ench ...
'' (2004)
*''
Triumph or Agony
''Triumph or Agony'' is the seventh studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, released in Europe on 25 September 2006. It is the first album that the band released after their name change.
''Triumph or Agony'' feat ...
From Chaos to Eternity
''From Chaos to Eternity'' is the ninth studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire. It was released on June 17, 2011 via Nuclear Blast. This is the last album to feature long-time guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli, b ...