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Ok i wonder is it so un-good or a good album but not verry groundbraking original?

it's just not original but they improved in quality over the last album IMO

No doubt the quality has improved. Rhapsody has done that steadily with each release. However improved sound quality doesn't necesarily equal more exciting music.

Whenever I listened to past Rhapsody CDs I was instantly hooked. It didn't take repeated listens, it was instant . And I'd go back and listen to almost every song, individually, over and over again. I've only done that with Unholy Warcry on the new CD. There's just something missing from the new release... maybe it will grow on me over time.

Rhapsody's problem is that they founded a style they could not master. Other bands followed in their footsteps, doing what they did but far better (Nightwish, Dark Moor, Fairyland, and even Luca's solo project) and so Rhapsody have become dinosaurs in a world that doesn't need them anymore.

Luca's first solo project. Prophet of the Last Eclipse wasn't all that perfected either. It had a great concept but lacked something in body.

True, but with Prophet most of the songs on there grabbed me immediately even if they were slightly flawed.

Rhapsody's albums are a stone's throw too far from reality for me to appreciate. What ever happened to guys just making music? Sure, the act can be cool but when I see bands writing their thanks in old english prose and posing with fake broadswords with puppets I just get engulfed in the cheese.

Nonetheless, I do like some of their songs...I just imagine another band played them.

They had me going until I laid eyes on the 'halloween mask with hair plugs' they call a mascot.. the kind of stuff you want delivered to you in a brown paper bag.

I think that is a puppet actually. They anamatronic him in one of the videos. I forget which one. The best thing is that the voice acting by Sir Jay Lansford is supposed to be his voice.

I really enjoyed their first album, Legendary Tales. I even have their second one, as well, but once I heard Dawn of Victory, I had enough. Dawn of Victory was the worst purchase I made that year IMO. Now, I'm no longer interested in them. I'm not sure what exactly went wrong, but oh well. There are just so many other great bands and albums that I haven't had the chance to look into yet that deserve my attention much more.

Really? I personally think that Dawn of Victory is their best release. I know a lot of people hate it but I never saw why. It's got the most consistant songwriting and flow. Each song is the logical progression of what should come next. On a whole, I somehow feel that SoEL is much less unified. Dawn of Victory has some unforgettable melodies and choruses. I mean I can hum Villiage of Dwarves and The Last Winged Unicorn until my tongue falls out and I grind my teeth to dust. Those are just great songs. None of their albums has really come as full circle for me.

For me, I found Dawn of Victory to lack the intensity and power of their first release. Listen to the last minute of Flames of Revenge, to understand what I mean, Or the intensity of the choir on Echoes of Tragdy.

Totally agreed it's my favourite Rhapsody CD as well.

I find it ironic that you are dismissing Rhapsody by listing one of the band members solo project to back up your reasoning.

I don't see Nightwish and Rhapsody playig the same style either except for both of them being in the power metal style. Both of them have some classical element but the bands approach and use of this elements are diffrent.

Can't speak for the other bands since I am barely acquainted with what they play.

I've never really heard much Rhapsody stuff before, although I picked up the new album on the strengths of Christopher Lee and 'Unholy Warcry'. Although, as someone stated above, it's taking a few listens to get into, I've enjoyed every single minute of it, and this week it's been by far the most played of my albums.

I always thought that Rhapsody were a little too overblown for my likings before, but if this CD is to judge by then they're right up my street. I couldn't take them seriously of course (:D), but this new CD's extremely good fun and I'd love to know just how similiar it is to their older stuff (or how good it is in comparison) before I part with any more cash.

I like every other Rhapsody albums and I like this one too but there is something vital missing on this album. I have come to the conclusion that on the last album many of the lead harmonies do not get stuck on my mind like the previous. I also think that many of the orchestal arrangements are unnecessary if not also boring, they´re very well done but, they come at the expense of the whole song. They should go back to their roots and let metal lead, not the classical influense.

I received SOEL 2 yesterday and have already listened the whole album five times, 72 minutes of the best music I've heard for a very long time. While most of the songs on PotDF were fast power metal tunes, new album seems to rely more on orchestrations and atmosphere. Surely there are a couple of classic rhapsody songs like Unholy Warcry, Never Forgotten Heroes and The Last Angels' Call but the carrying force on the album are slower and epic tracks like Erian's Mystical Rhymes and Sacred Power of Raging Winds, both clocking at over ten minutes.

It's true that SOEL 2 isn't guitar oriented album but more of a vocal/orchestral/opera album. I like this idea that metal is pushed to the background while not making the music sound like pop. Fabio's vocals are still there and are as excellent as they can be, his singing is very emotional on SOEL 2, especially on songs like Magic of the Wizard's Dream and Guardiani del Destino (I prefer the english version found on EP).

hmm, i don't know its a matter of taste, but still, rhapsody's dawn of victory will be still one of my favorite cds, for couple of reasons...first of all i dont really apreciate that bullshit with talking in between of songs on first 2 cds, and the main reason probably is that dawn of victory was kinda my introduction to the real metal music, before i've heard this one, i had no idea there is so many kinds of metal music, and so many bands playing all kinds of metal ;) in 2001 friend of mine gave me first 3 rhapsody cds plus wishmaster from nightwish, and i was hooked. remember many times playing whole dov cd on a jukebox in a local pub those days...:-) i love every second of dawn of victory and as a matter of fact, im just gonna give it a spin after a while before i go to sleep 4 years, and i have 700 metal cds now, but im not gonna forget what i started with...dawn of victory rules! :-)