Rhapsody, also known as Rhapsody of Fire, is an Italian symphonic power metal outfit founded in the late 1990s by Fabio Lione (vocals), Luca Turilli (guitar), Alex Staropoli (keyboards), Alessandro Lotta (bass), and Alex Holzwarth (drums). The band released their conceptual debut album, the aptly named Legendary Tales, in 1997, followed by Symphony of Enchanted Lands in 1998, and Dawn of Victory in 2000 -- all three releases are part of the group's "Emerald Sword Saga." The final chapter in the narrative, Power of the Dragonflame, arrived two years later, and the group began a new saga in 2004 with the release of their fifth LP, Symphony of Enchanted Lands, Vol. 2: The Dark Secret.nn The following year, the band was forced to change its name, choosing Rhapsody of Fire, due to copyright issues. With the arrival of their next album, 2006's Triumph or Agony, fans discovered that nothing else had changed about the elaborately conceived, progressive, and Baroque power metal unit. They inked a deal with Nuclear Blast for their next record, the ambitious Frozen Tears of Angels, the third chapter of their "Dark Secret Saga." 2011 saw the release of From Chaos to Eternity, and it also marked the departure of co-founder Luca Turilli, who left the group to form his own iteration of the band, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody. Guitarist Roby De Micheli made his studio debut with the band on 2013's Dark Wings of Steel, and appeared again on the band's 11th studio long-player, 2014's Into the Legend.nn Two years later, both Lione and Holzwarth parted ways with the band and were replaced, respectively, by vocalist Giacomo Voli and drummer Manu Lotter. They debuted on 2017's Legendary Years, which featured re-recordings of notable tracks from their Rhapsody years. In 2019, Rhapsody of Fire returned with their 12th studio album, The Eighth Mountain, which was their first album to feature songs written since the addition of Voli as lead singer. ~ James Christopher Monger