Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody – Ascending to Infinity (2012)

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Our initial impression of the latest ‘Rhapsody’ (Luca Turilli’s incarnation of it) is HOLY SHIT. The man has shown over the years that he is a brilliant musician and with the ridiculously over the top “Ascending to Infinity” he answers to all the skeptics a big: I am Rhapsody. Featuring nine brilliant tracks of Symphonic Metal, this is one of those albums that you need to hear at least 100 times to fully discover all the little details and brilliance behind it.

After the epic mood –setter “Quantum X”, things blow up with the playful “Ascending to Infinity”. In this track, the guitars are flowing, the orchestral arrangements are very classical sounding, but Alessandro Conti’s vocals steal the show. Coming from the relatively unknown band “Trick or Treat”, this new singer delivers every single line to perfection. The over the top feeling is not saturated as with other overly ambitious bands, and the tempo changes are very well crafted.

After the amazing initial impression, “Dante’s Inferno” keeps the cinematic feeling going before the excellent choir sections kick in. This track has a bigger symphonic edge than the previous one, and the guitar/keyboard acrobatics of Luca make their appearance. With a nice medieval vibe, “Excalibur” keeps the symphonic experience going; this track reminds us a bit of Epica, if Epica was on crack that is. The excellent solos of Luca and Dominique Leurquin make this song an even more impressive feat.

 Our favorite track of this release is the dramatic “Tormento E Passione”. There is something about singing in Italian and almost Opera style that just gets to us and the use of a few electronic hints in this track just makes it even more impressive. Keeping up with excellent guitar acrobatics and outstanding melodies, “Dark Fate of Atlantis” and “Clash of the Titans” make up two excellent tracks that keep this release in very high spirits. The ‘not even Metal’ “Luna” is a delightful Italian song (we love opera) , but it does feel a bit out of place, particularly after the high intensity of “Dark Fate of Atlantis”. While we hope that Luca Turilli does not start composing songs for Laura Pausini and similar artists, this song was quite weird for this release.

The 15 minute epic “Of Michael The Archangel and Lucifer’s Fall” closes this release with such grace and style. Nicely growing in momentum, this track delivers more amazing guitars, an excellent bass guitar line, and very tight drumming. This song clearly showcases all the abilities of the band’s musicians and the majestic songwriting skills of Luca.

Overall, “Ascending to Infinity” is a truly remarkable musical experience. This release is so rich and diverse that will blow you away, and after the first shock, you will find yourself wanting to play it over and over again. Luca Turilli has demonstrated who the real mastermind behind Rhapsody was, and he is not afraid of showing it in this outstanding release.

Band: Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody Album: Ascending to Infinity
Label:Nuclear Blast Records

Release: July 3th, 2012

Oficial Site myspace

Genre: Symphonic Metal

Country: Italy

Rating: 93/100
Year: 

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