It’s been a while since I listened to Rhapsody of Fire, to be perfectly honest. When I first heard them in the mid-2000s in high school, they were the music I put on while delving into the Dragonlance books. I hadn’t even known that Fabio Lione left the band until recently, that’s how far I fell out of the circle. So when I was offered a chance to review their latest release, “The Eighth Mountain”, I thought it a good chance to see what these guys have been up to since the early 2010s.

Some things never change, of course. Rhapsody of Fire’s sweeping symphonics and wonderful guitar work were like the arms of an old friend you haven’t seen in so long. The new vocalist Giacomo Voli fits nicely into the sound of the album. Having gone back and listened to a few albums I missed over the years, “The Eighth Mountain” is an album of transition. Finding their footing again with a new voice leading the charge. It is the sort of album that sweeps one into a fantasy world full of magic, dragons, and heroes. Even with the softer, slower track “Warrior Heart” in the middle of the album, and “The Wind, the Rain and the Moon” later on, are a lovely break from the intensity brought on by the drums and guitars throughout the rest of the album. It all ends on a high note with the epic “Tales of a Hero’s Fate”. With sweeping symphonics and a choir ringing in the track, and nothing but greatness following.

This album was quite a reintroduction to Rhapsody of Fire after all these years. If you have reservations about the album since the vocalist change, I encourage you to give it a try.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go revisit a certain series of fantasy books.

Rating: 9/10

Tracklist:

1. Abyss of Pain
2. Seven Heroic Deeds
3. Master of Peace
4. Rain of Fury
5. White Wizard
6. Warrior Heart
7. The Courage to Forgive
8. March Against the Tyrant
9. Clash of Times
10. The Legend Goes On
11. The Wind, the Rain and the Moon
12. Tales of a Hero’s Fate

Label: AFM Records
Release Date: 22 February 2019
Website: rhapsodyoffire.com