Rhapsody frontman Luca Turilli decided to pursue a solo career back in 1999 when he released the highly accomplished King of the Nordic Twilight, the first part of a trilogy. Turilli followed it up with Prophet of the Last Eclipse, which was particularly well received in Germany. And now, the third and final part of his trilogy has arrived, The Infinite Wonders of Creation. This album marks Turilli adding one male and one female singer to his lineup.
Joining Turilli are male and female vocalists (whose names are unfortunately not mentioned in the liner notes), and guest musicians that play drums, guitars, bass, and even the flute, in order to help create the sounds Luca Turilli had envisioned before he started writing this album. Considering this album is the medium for Turilli to showcase his talents on keyboards and guitars, he doesn't hesitate to pull darker and more gothic-style atmospheric sounds out of his instrument, lending pieces like "Altitudes", a cinematic and dreamy aura. Add to this wonderfully-sung operatic vocals by a slightly Italian-accented lady, and huge symphonic textures. This isn't to say the album lacks the mandatory crunch and heaviness of symphonic power metal: "Mother Nature", begins with agile synth work, huge waves of melody, slowly rising drumming, and excellent female vocals that precede hard-hitting power chords and even a brief lead guitar solo. Bear in mind though that Lost Horizons is not meant to be Rhapsody in disguise. Therefore the guitar playing on the album isn't as highlighted and extensive on Turilli's main band. Rather, the huge riffs are there to provide contrast and dynamics. With that mentioned, fans of Turilli's distinct power metal side will be pleased when they hear the catchy title track, sung by classic power metal vocals (with only few supporting female harmonies), big double-bass drums, and speedy guitar riffing. Add to this the electronic keyboard sequincing and rich synth layers that distinguish the piece from the Rhapsody repertoire.
On the slower, more ballady songs, such as the piano-driven "Silver Moon", the female soprano vocals may remind some of Nightwish, with a less operatic singer. The song has a full sound, enriched with clever orchestrations and an intense emotional scope. "Angels of the Winter Dawn" is another cool song, beginning with folky flute sounds and heavy guitar breaks. There are both male and female vocals on this track, exchanging verses and soaring during the chorus. Turilli gets to show his respect to his influences Chopin and Scriabin during a beautiful piano here as well. More electronica is available on "Cosmic Revelation", a number reminiscent of Wishmaster period Nightwish, except that this track has a more epic aspect to it; while traces of film score can be detected in the Middle Eastern intro of "Pyramids and Stargates".
While The Infinite Wonders of Creation might highly please most Rhapsody fans, I feel it's far from being original or too different from Luca Turilli's other projects. Also, it's a shame that the packaging of the album totally ignores the other musicians and puts the limelight solely on Turilli. Still, power metal fans who aren't too interested in originality but moreso energetic, pumping melodic metal marked by symphonic soundscapes should enjoy this disc immensely.
Track Listing
- Secrets of Forgotten Ages
- Mother Nature
- Angels of the Winter Dawn
- Altitudes
- The Miracle of Life
- Silver Moon
- Cosmic Revelation
- Pyramids and Stargates
- Mystic and Divine
- The Infinite Wonders of Creation
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