Artist: RHAPSODY
Album: TALES FROM THE EMERALD SWORD SAGA REISSUE (CD)

Release date: 2004/ 2021
EAN/UPS: 693723605722
Media type: CD

Since the opening tones of their sensational debut album, Legendary Tales, Rhapsody have been one of the most unusual phenomena of the current metal scene. The huge range of their creativity, the number of legendary compositions that the Italian band, with their primary members guitarist Luca Turilli and keyboarder Alex Staropoli, have released until 2002 is documented in their "Best Of" album Tales From The Emerald Sword Saga.

Nowhere on earth can one find anything remotely comparable, be it in their style or in the strength of expression. RHAPSODY is unique in the true meaning of the word. 16 tracks, the most unusual and the favourites in the Emerald Sword Saga, with a total playing time of over 70 minutes, make Tales From The Emerald Sword Saga to a highly interesting release for fans old and new.

The band can certainly continue to count on their faithful fans. Metal fans all over the world greeted the release of Legendary Tales in 1997 with incredible enthusiasm and, together with the Scandinavians, Hammerfall, helped Rhapsody to become leaders of a new generation of progressive Metal bands. It was a debut of the extravagant kind, a mixture of symphonic sympathies decorated with Speed Metal jewels, something that had never been produced before in this form. Legendary Tales was followed two years later by Symphony Of Enchanted Lands, which climbed to Number 54 in the German album charts, to 41st in Finland, to 22nd in Italy and as high as 14th in Holland. The international press showed themselves equally enthusiastic.

During an extremely successful European tour with Stratovarius from early April to the end of May 2000, RHAPSODY hit the stages live for the first time and, in the same year, released their third album, Dawn Of Victory. The album even outdid the huge success of its two forerunners and reached high positions in the charts in several countries. In Germany Dawn Of Victory climbed to 32nd place in the album charts, in Italy, Finland, Sweden and France the album hovered steadily at similarly high positions, whilst reaching 24th in Japan, a position beaten only by 4th place in the Dutch Indie Charts.

In Autumn 2001 the band presented Rain Of A Thousand Flames, which was an appetizer for the forthcoming fifth full-length album, the content of which was to form the final, glorious chapter of the Emerald Sword saga. Power Of The Dragonflame climbed to 30th in the German album charts. If you compress all that together, the result is the "Best Of" album, Tales From The Emerald Sword Saga, which will be available including a new edit version of the ‘Holy Thunderforce’ + videos.

TRACKLIST:

1. Warrior Of Ice 5:57
2. Rage Of The Winter 4:47
3. Forest Of Unicorns 3:24
4. Land Of Immortals (Remake) 4:51
5. Emerald Sword 4:20
6. Wisdom Of The Kings 4:28
7. Wings Of Destiny 4:27
8. Riding The Winds Of Eternity (Edit) 4:12
9. Dawn Of Victory 4:46
10. Holy Thunderforce 4:21
11. The Village Of Dwarves 3:51
12. Rain Of A Thousand Flames 3:43
13. Knightrider Of Doom 3:56
14. March Of The Swordmaster 5:03
15. Power Of The Dragonflame 4:26
16. Lamento Eroico 4:38
Holy Thunderforce (Video-Clip) 4:35
Total Playing Time Audio 71:43

LINE-UP:

Luca Turilli - Guitars
Alex Holzwarth - Drums
Alex Staropoli - Keyboards
Fabio Lione - Vocals