Rhapsody Of Fire - Triumph Or Agony review
| Band: | Rhapsody Of Fire |
| Album: | Triumph Or Agony |
| Style: | Symphonic power metal |
| Release date: | September 2006 |
Disc I
01. Dar-Kunor
1 - Echoes From The Elvish Woods
2 - Fear Of The Dungeons
02. Triumph Or Agony
03. Heart Of The Darklands
04. Old Age Of Wonders
05. The Myth Of The Holy Sword
06. Il Canto Del Vento
07. Silent Dream
08. Bloody Red Dungeons
09. Son Of Pain
10. The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight
1 - A New Saga Begins
2 - Through The Portals Of Agony
3 - The Black Order
4 - Nekron's Bloody Rhymes
5 - Escape From Horror
11. Dark Reign Of Fire
1 - Winter Dawn's Theme
12. Defenders Of Gaia [digipack/vinyl bonus]
13. A New Saga Begins [radio edit] [digipack/vinyl bonus]
Hey, this is the spirit! This is how a completely over the top-album with tons of orchestras and epic themes should sound! If a band is into playing this kind of stuff, it can either be cheesy and embarrassing or just awesome. 'Triumph Or Agony' is an album that should be put in the second category for sure. Of course it is cheesy, but in a good way. Compare 'Star Trek' with 'Lord Of The Rings' and you might understand what I mean.
Just before this album was released, the band changed their name. For nervous fans - that is about the only thing they changed. Okay, the album title is a bit shorter than usual but that's it (although that is regained through the 10th track of the album which probably has the ultimate Power Metal title ever). Simply, no fan of Rhapsody should be disappointed. The classical inspired solos are there, catchy choruses, riffs and passages, awesome choirs, the "medieval bard" parts and the orchestra is really frequent through the whole album. And not to forget - Fabio singing with so much Italian accent that it's hard to tell which language he is using. Everything is as it should be!
The lack of originality towards other Rhapsody albums is not something that bothers me, but that would maybe be the only weak point of this album. If you would like to compare them with other bands, they are original also on that point. They have been copied a lot but I really see Rhapsody as one of the giants of symphonic metal - only a few other bands are able to blend metal so fine with symphonic elements and epic themes - it's soundtrack metal!
One last reason for my high rating that I would like to mention is that the album is so even, something that I think is really important for a higher rating. The ballads do not surpass the fast tracks, the semi ballads or the mandatory epic, and there are no fillers. There are all kinds of tracks on this album and all types are written with high competence. That is a maturity that bands often reach after a couple of albums, and I would say that this is my favourite album by Rhapsody (Of Fire). A mandatory album for a Rhapsody fan and a great start for someone who are interested in hearing them.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 8 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written by Spyroid | 13.02.2008
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Comments
Comments: 23
Visited by: 158 users
| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8662  |
this album isn't that bad as is proclaimed...yes, Emerald Sword Saga was better, but still the "new" Rhapsody (of Fire) rocks
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023  |
Written by Ellrohir on 13.02.2008 at 13:48 I still claim this to be their best album 
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| Katatronik Angel of Lust Posts: 1018  |
I don't think it's their best one, but it's a great work indeed IMO! Way better than Symphony II... The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight is an absolute masterpiece!
---- "The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown." Howard Phillips Lovecraft
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| Duy Hung Account deleted |
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023 |
Written by Guest on 13.02.2008 at 21:38 I also miss the speed a bit, they could've had some more fast passages in the songs or just one really fast song.
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| Duy Hung Account deleted |
Duy Hung
Account deleted Written by Spyroid on 14.02.2008 at 14:18 But anyway i'm satisfied with some parts in The Mystic Prophecy ... , double bass drums, fast riffs and even the screams of Fabio 
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023 |
Written by Guest on 14.02.2008 at 15:03 That's awesome I just remember one of his unforgetable lines in SotEL II, in some of the long songs I think. Anyway - he says"I will deny you, and fight you - FOREVER!" with an incredible Italian accent =D
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| Duy Hung Account deleted |
Duy Hung
Account deleted Written by Spyroid on 14.02.2008 at 16:12 Hehe that's Sacred Power Of Raging Winds, i also like that song a lot, especially the flute solo somewhere after those dialogues you mentioned
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| GT Coffee!! Staff Posts: 5101  |
A quite nice review. Have only listened to the album once but liked it a lot and it might be the first studio album by Rhapsody I buy (have it as mp3 atm).
----  Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023 |
Written by GT on 16.02.2008 at 16:04 Thanks a lot I recommend you to buy it, it's my favourite Rhapsody album.
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| Evil Chip Posts: 505  |
A great album it reminds me a lot of the lord of the rings when I hear it, its just so epic. Still i miss a little the fast parts with the bouble bass pedal and stuff like that. This saga is more calm at the time but I think in its climax will be more metal like in Dawn of Victory and PotDF. 
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| Evil Chip Posts: 505 |
Now I've listened more to the album.... what an album I agree.. is their best it has that dramatic feel that made symphony of enchanted lands their classic album. The intro is just mind blowing, it transports you inmediately to the age of elves. So Epic, so Power Metal. 
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| Spyroid Rosetta Stoned Posts: 1023 |
Written by Evil Chip on 09.03.2008 at 23:06 I miss the frequent doubble bass drum sometimes, but otherwise it's not far from flawless rhapsody is the definition of epic ;P
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| Evil Chip Posts: 505 |
Written by Spyroid on 09.03.2008 at 23:46 Yeah I know but i agree now that is their best album so far, its very epic, more atmospheric not so fast like their early ones.
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| Quinaitor Posts: 51  |
To Atlantic... " Yeah I know but i agree now that is their best album so far, its very epic, more atmospheric not so fast like their early ones. " FINALLY ROF changes its sound a little bit to not bore with the sound... lyrics will always be awesome!!! guitar solos will be heavenlies... but the sound was the freaking same every freaking album... and i was beginning to fear for ROF to transform into DragonForce and its super boring fast sound... but they managed to create another masterpiece... with a total new sound... HAIL RHAPSODY OF FIRE!!! THE MIGHTY WARRIORS!!!
---- Metal is flowing through my veins...
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| Ag Fox Angel No More Elite Posts: 4774  |
Couldn't stand the album though I claim myself to be a fan of the Symphonic Power sound. can someone explain why I think this is so boring?
---- loves 小巫
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| Lord_Regnier Posts: 1469  |
Written by Ag Fox on 05.08.2009 at 20:46 Because this album is a total snoozefest. Boring as hell. Only good for people who can't get enough of ultra cheesy pseudo metal. Only those who can't make the difference between epicness and cheesiness can think this album is epic. This album is horrendous. Even SOELII sucked less than that.
---- "Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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| Daggon Underpaid M.D. Posts: 1689  |
Written by Lord_Regnier on 06.08.2009 at 04:43 Just remember that your statement is only yours, don't try to make it seem as if it were the ultimate truth, there are some fans like me who enjoy this album, yes, sometimes it's boring but at other times I really like it. Your way of talking is very pretentious.
---- "Les vers savent qu'ils n'ont pas d'ailes, c'est pour cela qu'ils se cachent sous terre"
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8662 |
I think the biggest and only problem of this album is, that all other previous Rhapsody's albums are simply better but that doesnt mean bad album automatically...
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep
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| Luxoline Posts: 3 |
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| Ellrohir Heaven Knight Posts: 8662 |
And the refrain in "The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight"
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep
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| Aquila Posts: 8  |
If they are distributed in different albums, the son of pain, silent dream, old age of wonders, defenders of gaia....would be as great as wings of destiny, despite the over-melody, lack metal, the album is still good!!!!!
---- Maybe the final of the world is really darkness, but science and melody can light the perspective!!!!
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| FrozenJoy Posts: 60 |
Um... I hate to say this, but I think this album sucks... And sucks really big... I LOVE Rhapsody, I've given 9 or 10 to all their previous albums, but I just can't stand this one... What the heck were they thinking...?  I think the problem with this one is: there's practically no metal here... It's symphonic music... And when it's purely symphonic, the album dives into the "mellow and cheesy waters of epicness"... (if that makes any senseXD) Don't missunderstand me, I'm not saying its bad, I just can't stand it... I know a lot of people likes it 
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And awesome song.
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