10 Most Underrated Metal Albums Of The 2000s
4. Rhapsody Of Fire - Symphony Of Enchanted Lands II: The Dark Secret (2004)
On the other end of the ludicrous power spectrum are Italian giants Rhapsody of Fire, who actually brought symphonic power metal to the heavy metal consciousness with their 1997 debut 'Legendary Tales'. Blending high fantasy, classical orchestration, and neoclassical metal riffs, Rhapsody of Fire are the pioneers and staples of the genre, and back in 2004, they unleashed the next endeavour in their musical narrative, kickstarting "The Dark Secret Saga".
Their final album as simply Rhapsody, 'Symphony... II' has Tolkien-esque story-telling, ludicrous orchestral bombast - complete with an actual orchestra, and most importantly, Sir Christopher Lee, as the RAF veteran and noted connoisseur of heavy metal joined the Italians for the album's narration and co-lead vocals for the idyllic track "The Magic of the Wizard's Dream".
Elsewhere, the combination of guitarist Luca Turilli, keyboardist Alex Staropoli, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra and Brno Academy Choir create musical bliss of drama, passion, and pan flutes, all fronted by the iron lungs of Fabio Leone.
'Unholy Warcry' still ranks amongst one of power metal's all-time best songs and is a product of arguably the band's strongest line-up. Plus Manowar's Joey DeMaio is executive producer for the album so you know it's going to be a fun amount of bonkers too.