Live In Canada 2005 (The Dark Secret)

If there had never been such a thing as punk rock, there's a fair chance that the majority of hard rock music could have ended up being of the bombastic variety -- loaded with "dungeons and dragons" lyric imagery and complex/symphonic instrumentation. And that is exactly the style that the Italian sextet Rhapsody specialize in. In other words, depending on your musical tastes, Rhapsody are either the saviors of rock or a relic from a time best forgotten. Either way, Rhapsody continue on their path of musically creating the perfect Lord of the Rings soundtrack on their first-ever concert set, 2006's Live in Canada 2005: The Dark Secret. A double-disc set (one CD, one DVD), Live in Canada 2005 manages to feature all the Rhapsody favorites, including "Emerald Sword," "Dawn of Victory," and "The March of the Swordmaster." For fans of prog metal loaded with superhuman playing/singing and lyrics straight out of medieval times, Live in Canada 2005: The Dark Secret is a must-hear. You could say that if Manowar didn't sport furry loincloths, were not as menacing, and were more "technical" with their playing, they would not sound far off from Rhapsody. That said, it shouldn't come as a surprise then that founding Manowar member Joey DeMaio is part of Rhapsody's management team, and serves as the album's executive producer. ~ Greg Prato|