Rhapsody

Symphony of Enchanted Lands 2: The Dark Secret

Much too over ambitious

Review Score:

(8/10)
Relapsody seem to be running out of ideas. Their songwriting has deteriorated into a pale imitation of its glorious former self. All too often the melodies used here are reminiscant of earlier, and superior material. At least that ghastly narrator of old has been replaced by the sinister Sauruman, and the piddly string quartet by a majestic orchestra. The epic choirs are truly astounding, and are the highlight of the album.

However, blending the soundtrack to Lord of the Rings alongside playful Medieval folk songs just doesn't work. The storyline has also become more important than the actual music itself, with too much emphasis placed on narrative passages. The tales of Dargor etc. should not outweigh the importance of delivering a solid piece of music. One such example undertaken by Fabio is so cringeworthy it hardly bears thinking about -you would have thought the Italians would have learnt correct English vocal phrasing by now!

On this album Fabio seems to be loosing his voice in places. It sounds strained and cracked next to the rich tones of the operatic backing singers. I also found most of the lead guitar solos were repetetive, and became tiresome after a few listens. Much of the drum patterns are the same, and the same tempo is often employed throughout the album, much as with their last one.

Its not all bad, and there are some truly magnificent moments, yet the material is not consistant enough to warrant high praise. My advice would be to pick up an earlier album bearing the same name, which for me has yet to be surpassed. Better still, why not try the latest of Luca Turilli's solo work, a truly outstanding masterpiece.

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