SYMPHONY OF ENCHANTED LANDS II - THE DARK SECRET

Featuring the legendary Christopher Lee on narrator duties, Symphony of Enchanted Lands II begins the second major Rhapsody saga - The Dark Secret, a sequel to the Emerald Sword Saga which had dominated their previous albums. The shift to a new saga seems to have been accompanied by a shift in compositional approach - whilst previous Rhapsody albums were very busy affairs (and indeed could be accused of being over-busy at points), here the band give the various elements of their music a bit more room to breathe - the symphonic parts get a chance to sprawl a bit further, but there's still enough power metal excitement to prevent things from getting boring. Overall, then, the band seem to be experimenting with slightly slower pacing here, which may turn off some long-term fans but for my part I think it shows their continued commitment to ongoing musical development.