Under the Blood Red Moon in the late summer sky, Rhapsody of Fire ascended on the renowned Granada Theater in Dallas, TX. As the five-person band appeared on the stage there were sounds of a holy choir emanating from the Vatican that transitioned into the opening song, “Unholy War Cry.”

Hailing from Italy, the Symphonic Power Metal band  has long been voyeurs of this music genre. Their  fantasy -filled stories, melodic electric landscapes and operatic vocals of the great Giacomo Voli touched the souls of the dedicated fans. The musical imagery was led by narrator Christopher Lee (Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, etc.), setting the tone as they celebrated the second anniversary of their album Dawn of Victory Audience members craned their necks to hear the horses galloping with the pure empowering intensity of drummer Palolo Marchesich.

The soundscapes of the keyboards played by founding member Alex Starpoli filled the air with a mystical ambiance. The guitars were perfectly matched as bassist Allessandro Sala doubled the lead with guitar maestro Roberto de Micheli. Fists pumped as a small mosh pit started in front of the stage as the band played “Light of Immortals,” followed by their last tune  of the 15-song setlist,“Emerald Sword.”

Supporting the tour and opening the show was the very blonde, Swedish Heavy Metal lords, Enforcer! They had the crowd in their grip, singing along with their hit “From Beyond” and cover of Dio’s “Die Young.” Bands Striker and Witherfall also performed as the crowd enjoyed several hours of music.

The tour began in Texas and road off into the night to make concert dates in Arizona, California, Washington and Canada. Fans will want to catch this show when it comes to their area.

A big thank you to the Granada Theater for bringing these international acts to Big D for a beautiful night full of original metal music, bringing the mix of cultures of sound to the antique theater setting. 

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