Triumph or Agony
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| Triumph or Agony | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Triumph or Agony.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by Rhapsody of Fire | ||||
| Released | 25 September 2006 | |||
| Genre | Symphonic metal Power metal Neo-classical metal |
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| Length | 62:33 76:07 (Deluxe edition) |
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| Label | SPV GmbH | |||
| Producer | Luca Turilli, Alex Staropoli, Sascha Paeth | |||
| Rhapsody of Fire chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Triumph or Agony | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |    [1] |
Triumph or Agony is the seventh album studio released by Rhapsody of Fire in Europe on 25 September 2006. It is the first album that the band released after their name change.
Triumph or Agony features a live 70 piece orchestra and choir and was again self-produced by guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli and keyboardist/songwriter Alex Staropoli with assistance from co-producer Sascha Paeth. The album also features an array of guest narrators and character actors, including several recruits from the London theatre scene, the late Susannah York of the Superman film series and a return appearance by renowned actor Christopher Lee, as the all-knowing ‘Wizard King’. The song "Il Canto del Vento", is the first song in the band's history that is not composed by Turilli or Staropoli, instead it was composed by Fabio Lione.
The cover art is done by artist Jeff Easley, famous for his work on the Dungeons & Dragons line of products.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, except for where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Dar-Kunor I. "Echoes from the Elvish Woods" II. "Fear of the Dungeons" |
3:13 | |
| 2. | "Triumph or Agony" | 5:03 | |
| 3. | "Heart of the Darklands" | 4:11 | |
| 4. | "Old Age of Wonders" | 4:35 | |
| 5. | "The Myth of the Holy Sword" | 5:03 | |
| 6. | "Il Canto del Vento" ("The Chant of the Wind") | Fabio Lione | 3:54 |
| 7. | "Silent Dream" | 3:51 | |
| 8. | "Bloody Red Dungeons" | 5:12 | |
| 9. | "Son of Pain" | 4:43 | |
| 10. | "The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight" I. "A New Saga Begins" II. "Through the Portals of Agony" III. "The Black Order" IV. "Nekron's Bloody Rhymes" V. "Escape from Horror" |
16:26 | |
| 11. | "Dark Reign of Fire" I. "Dark Reign of Fire" II. "Winter Dawn's Theme" |
6:27 |
| French edition bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 12. | "Son of Pain (French version)" | 4:42 |
| French deluxe edition bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 13. | "A New Saga Begins (Radio Edit)" | 4:19 |
| 14. | "Defenders of Gaia" | 4:35 |
| Italian edition bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 12. | "Defenders of Gaia" | 4:35 |
| 13. | "A New Saga Begins (Radio Edit)" | 4:19 |
| 14. | "Son of Pain (Italian version)" | 4:42 |
Concept
"The Myth of the Holy Sword" presents the history of the Emerald Sword in the Emerald Sword Saga. During the third Elvish war in the battle for Galfor's mines, the warrior Naimur was captured by Atlon (referred to as "Hell's Fury"). Atlon tortured Naimur using an emerald stone to drain his energy and eventually killed him. After the battle, Loinir, Naimur's brother, took the stone used to torture Naimur and forged the Emerald Sword. Loinir asked the angels to bless the sword, filling it with their holy might.
Some years later, the Elves launched a new attack against Atlon and his forces, giving Loinir the chance to avenge his brother. "just a strike of the sword, [was] hell's last breath". Loinir felt as though the blade was too powerful, and thus he gave it to the wizards to examine. The wizards determined that the sword had indeed been enchanted with holy powers and that it could be dangerous if it fell into the wrong hands. They therefore hid the sword beyond the Ivory Gates.
Personnel
- Rhapsody of Fire
- Fabio Lione - Lead Vocals
- Luca Turilli - Guitars
- Alex Staropoli - Keyboards, Orchestral Arrangements
- Patrice Guers - Bass
- Alex Holzwarth - Drums
- Additional personnel
- Christopher Lee - Spoken Album Narrator
- Toby Eddington - Narrator
- Jeff Easley - Cover art
- Dominique Leurquin - Additional Guitars
- Petr Pololanik - Conductor
Production
- Executive Producer: Joey DeMaio
- Producers: Sascha Paeth, Alex Staropoli, Luca Turilli
- Engineering: Phillip Colodetti, Bernd Kugler, Rob LaVaque, Marc Lenz, Sascha Paeth, Olaf Reitmeier, Jan Wrede
- Mixing: Sascha Paeth
- Editing: Phillip Colodetti, Rob LaVaque
References
External links
- (Italian) Triumph or Agony Album Review
