METALLIAN - Rhapsody Of Fire

Triumph Or Agony - 2006 - Magic Circle
The Frozen Tears Of Angels - 2010 - Nuclear Blast
From Chaos To Eternity - 2011 - Nuclear Blast
Live - From Chaos To Eternity - 2012 - AFM
Dark Wings Of Steel - 2013 - AFM
Live In Atlanta - 2014 - Magic Circle
Into The Legend - 2016 - AFM
The Eighth Mountain - 2019 - AFM
Glory For Salvation - 2021 - AFM
Challenge The Wind - 2024 - AFM

Members

Vocals

Athena XIX, Vision Divine, Vision, Labÿrinth, J. Storm, Angra, Hollow Haze>>Fabio Lione [Fabio Tordiglione]>>Athena XIX, Labÿrinth, Vision Divine, Angra, Hollow Haze, Turill/Lione Rhapsody, Salvator, Eternal Idol, Magic Kingdom, Lione/Conti, Spirits Of Fire - Solo, Teodasia, Embrace Of Souls, Sour Wine>>GIACOMO VOLI>>Solo, Teodasia, Embrace Of Souls, Sour Wine

Guitar

Solo, Luca Turilli's Dreamquest, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody>>Luca Turilli>>Solo, Luca Turilli's Dreamquest, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody - Thundercross, Steel Crown, Sinestesia, The Unity>>ROBERTO DE MICHELI>>Sinestesia, The Unity

Bass

Consortium Project, Patrick Rondat, Inner Visions, High Voltage>>Patrice Guers>>Patrick Rondat, High Voltage, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody - Sinestesia, Saeko>>ALESSANDRO SALA>>Sinestesia, Saeko

Drum

Sieges Even, Paradox, Looking-Glass-Self, Val'Paraiso, Blind Guardian, Kamelot, Avantasia, Pergana, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody, Serious Black>>Alex Holzwarth>>Sieges Even, Paradox, Looking-Glass-Self, Val'Paraiso, Blind Guardian, Kamelot, Avantasia, Pergana, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, Turilli/Lione Rhapsody, Serious Black, Tragul - Farewell To Arms, The Bellerophon Project, A Day In Venice, Emil Bulls>>Manuel Lotter>>Emil Bulls, Angus McSix - Aisling, Sinestesia>>PAOLO MARCHESICH>>Sinestesia

Keyboard

ALEX STAROPOLI

History & Biography

Rhapsody Of Fire is the same band and continuation of Rhapsody, however, with a changed monicker due to legal action by an American entity. In any case, the band kept its logo and added a ‘Of Fire’ to its name. The Italy-based act specialised in pompous and grandiose keyboard music laced with speed.

Live In Canada 2005 - The Dark Secret was the last album under the Rhapsody monicker. The name change was announced on July 14th, 2006. Triumph Or Agony in the autumn of 2006 was the first as Rhapsody Of Fire. The album contained the second chapter of its Dark Secret saga. The first was heard on 2004’s Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret. The line-up in 2006 was singer Fabio Lione, guitarist Luca Turilli, bassist Patrice Guers, drummer Alex Holzwarth and keyboardist Alex Staropoli. Concert guitarist was Dominique Leurquin. This was still on the Magic Circle imprint of Joey DiMao and Manowar. It would be only a year away from band and label becoming embroiled in a legal tussle forcing the group into two years of inactivity. Before that, however, Manowar, Rhapsody Of Fire and HolyHell, which was also managed by Magic Circle, would conduct the Demons, Dragons And Warriors 2007 tour and share a sampler for attendees. Visions From The Enchanted Lands was a live full-length video recorded at various stops in 2005. It contained a Manowar cover version.

With Manowar and Magic Circle drama in the rear view mirror, Rhapsody Of Fire ended up on Nuclear Blast. The Frozen Tears Of Angels was released in 2010. The same year brought an EP with the pretentious The Cold Embrace Of Fear: A Dark Romantic Symphony title. It was considered Dark Secret saga 3.5. Luca and Alex were opening their own studio in Italy. The band was playing Wacken and Bloodstock Open Air in 2011. Christopher Lee was again guesting on the album. Lione would also become Kamelot’s live vocalist here. The final chapter in the Dark Secret saga was called From Chaos To Eternity and released in the summer of 2011. The next album was a live one and on AFM Records. Dark Wings Of Steel was not only the first studio album on AFM, but was notable for the departure of Luca Turilli. On guitar was Roby De Micheli who had been in Thundercross early on. Turilli would not go far as he would assemble and run Luca Turilli's Rhapsody. Amusingly, he had already operated a solo act and even another outfit called Luca Turilli's Dreamquest. In any case, this was billed as a friendly split with the camps and one which they took care to emphasise had the blessing of both sides.The band being on AFM meant that North America was off the map for the group and the gang would try to maintain a profile in Germany and surrounding European countries only.

Live In Atlanta was a cash-in by Magic Circle and stemmed from the Canadian and USA tour of 2005. As such, Luca Turilli was on guitar. The band also toured with Orden Ogan and Freedom Call. Into The Legend was well-received, which was a relief to the band as it featured guitarist Roberto De Micheli and bassist Alessandro Sala. Lione left the microphone. A new project was called Turill/Lione Rhapsody. Lione had joined Angra three years prior and would make that act its main one although a dozen side-projects would not be shunned. The Eighth Mountain began a new story dubbed The Nephilim's Empire Saga. Luca had been the band’s lyricist in the past. Giacomo Voli was the singer. Manu Lotter was the drummer. In parallel, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody and Primal Fear would embark on a North American co-headlining tour beginning April 2016. Rhapsody Of Fire recruited singer Giacomo Voli as a replacement for Fabio Lione who had left in September 2016. Alex Staropoli was nominated for the best soundtrack award at the Action On Film Festival in California, USA for his score for the low budget flick Rogue Warrior - Robot Fighter in 2016. It was not his first film score. Rhapsody, in the meantime, reunited with its most famous line-up to commemorate the band’s 20th anniversary and play the Symphony Of Enchanted Lands album in full as a farewell event. Rhapsody reunion shows were in Europe and South America. The infamous “farewell” shows also landed at 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. The band told the press that these were the final concerts, etc. Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione were together again, but Staropoli skipped the ceremonies. Legendary Years of 2017 was one of those self-cover version albums.It featured the band’s new singer and drummer. The band toured with Orden Ogan again. Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione announced the formation of Turilli/Lione Rhapsody with Dominique Leurquin (guitars), Patrice Guers (bass) and Alex Holzwarth (drums) in 2018. It was the Rhapsody Farewell tour line-up of a year ago.

I'll Be Your Hero of 2021 was a 40-minute long “EP” with a new track, but filled with live and self-cover version ditties mostly. Glory For Salvation continued The Nephilim's Empire saga. It contained the drumming of Paolo Marchesich. The band, Nightmare and Manigance toured in 2023. A tour with Nightmare and Phantom Elite was postponed due to the pandemic in 2022. The band also toured with Avaland and Sortilège. A 2023 tour of North America was to include Wind Rose and Seven Kingdoms. De Micheli also joined the Germans in The Unity in 2024. Rhapsody Of Fire’s Challenge The Wind album was the third part of the Nephilim saga and was released by AFM Records in May 2024. It was engineered by Orden Ogan's Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann. There was a music video for the song Diamond Claws. The group was booked for Hellfest 2024. Rhapsody Of Fire announced a European tour in support of Challenge The Wind. The trek featured support on select dates from Freedom Call, The Unity, Secret Sphere and Xeneris,

Reviews

RHAPSODY OF FIRE - TRIUMPH OR AGONY - SPV
Why a band that has existed for over a decade runs into copyright issues now is very suspicious and the brief explanation given on their bio is useless at best, but onto the music we go. A Lord Of The Rings, shall we say, inspired intro starts off this new beginning for the Italians. The title track follows bringing with it the usual vocals and chorus but one that is perhaps surprisingly simple in structure without too much of the extras like keyboards or female vocals. Heart Of The Darklands starts off with a Yngwie-esque solo and does sound like Rising Force too. Old Age Of Wonders feature flutes to start and therefore one must move on. The Myth Of The Holy Sword could easily pass as a tribute to Manowar. Il Canto Del Vento is not much more than a typical ballad, one surely worthy of a place on the Italian charts. Silent Dream is fast and heavy compared to the former but that is not saying much and also scores a few points on the catchiness meter. Bloody Red Dungeons is another ballad to slow-paced song. There are more flutes and more of Lord Of The Rings on Son Of Pain. The 16-minute long The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demon Knight follows and mixes much of what is heard earlier into its various five parts, of note is its ninth minute point where it picks up in pace and heaviness, but it doesn’t last for long. Dark Reign Of Fire closes the album with more choirs and atmospheric passages. Neither triumph nor agony here, just Rhapsody. - Anna Tergel

Interviews

Rhapsody Of Fire