Boy, Rhapsody of Fire can spoil a broth pretty quickly, can’t they? Last year’s Frozen Tears of Angels was a total success, with the Italian Hollywood metallers making a triumphant return to the scene after duking it out with Joey Demaio (Manowar) and his abomination of a label, Magic Circle Group. It was well-received across the board, and it appeared the momentum the band had lost during the middle part of last decade was being regained…but not so fast
.
Not even a full calendar year since Frozen Tears comes an EP in the form ofThe Cold Embrace of Fear – A Dark Romantic Symphony, which embodies the term “overblown.” Narration is again helmed by famed actor
Christopher Lee, who cannot save the goofy intro that is “The Pass of Nair-Kaan,” where the actors try their best to act out footsteps and frantic moments, but without any visuals, it’s quite lame. Same for the “The Betrayal.” Granted, if there were a companion visual piece, it would be much more effective, but there isn’t.
Musically, this is one of RoF’s more light-weight efforts, with nary a hint of the dazzle and fired-up attitude the band had on their last studio album. Rather, the 14-minute “epic” “The Ancient Fires of Har-Kuun” is tired and bloated, proving that for all the pomp and glory the band possess, it’s nothing but a whimper when not harnessed correctly. And this EP is totally wimpy.
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(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)