Rhapsody

Symphony Of Enchanted Lands

Overhyped

Review Score:

(6/10)
A few years back, I might have adored this album ... might. It has a healthy mix of classical influence with strings and harpsichords creating a medieval chamber-music backdrop to the frantic guitar work and pounding double-bass. To me, however, it just seemed like tiring, glorified speed metal. The word 'homogeneous' again comes to mind; there being little variety between songs on this album, or even between this album and its predecessor. Sure, there were some nice interludes scattered about, but the songs just didn't seem to have anything special about them to make them stand out. In fact, the whole attempt at making a grand, larger-than-life fantasy epic seemed WAY too forced - cold, lifeless, and without passion - though I do applaud the effort. Perhaps I am just not as impressed as I used to be with power metal's symphonic aspects, or maybe it just seemed too overdone here. Perhaps narrative sequences proclaiming such laughably insipid drivel as "Go mighty warrior ... ride ... in the name of cosmic justice" were just too much for me to take. Maybe my dislike for Lione's bland, foreign-sounding vocals is even greater than I thought. Regardless of the problem here, this is another Rhapsody album to leave me disappointed.

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