Rhapsody of Fire

"Rhapsody (band)" redirects here. For the "parallel" Rhapsody band created in 2011, see Luca Turilli's Rhapsody. For the Australian girl group, see Rhapsody (girl group).
Rhapsody of Fire
Rhapsody of Fire performing in 2019
Rhapsody of Fire performing in 2019
Background information
Also known as
  • Thundercross (1993–1995)
  • Rhapsody (1995–2006)
OriginTrieste, Italy
Genres
Years active1993–present
Labels
Spinoffs
Members
  • Alex Staropoli
  • Roberto De Micheli
  • Alessandro Sala
  • Giacomo Voli
  • Paolo Marchesich
Past members
Websitewww.rhapsodyoffire.com

Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.[1][2][3]

Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band has released thirteen studio albums, two live albums, three EPs, and a Live DVD. Rhapsody of Fire is known for its conceptual lyrics that constitute a fantasy story throughout all of their albums from 1997 to 2011. After using the moniker of Rhapsody for nearly ten years, the band changed its name to Rhapsody of Fire in 2006 due to trademark issues.[4]

In 2011, following the release of their album From Chaos to Eternity which concluded The Dark Secret Saga, and after 18 years as co-leader of the band, Turilli left Rhapsody of Fire (on good terms) to form a new Rhapsody band, Luca Turilli's Rhapsody, along with two other members who left with him, Dominique Leurquin, Patrice Guers. They describe their discography as a parallel continuation of Rhapsody of Fire's discography, with their first album being their own "Rhapsody's 11th album" and consider that they didn't leave the band, rather that it amicably split in two.[5]

In 2016, other long-term members Fabio Lione and Alex Holzwarth left the band, and reunited with Turilli, Leurquin, and Guers, to play again under the name Rhapsody for their 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour; in December 2018, several months after announcing that Luca Turilli's Rhapsody was now inactive, Turilli announced the creation of a new Rhapsody band named Turilli / Lione Rhapsody, with the lineup of the 20th Anniversary Farewell Tour (recreating, minus Staropoli, the original band's 2002–2011 lineup).

  1. ^ "Rhapsody of Fire hometown, lineup, biography". Last.fm. Archived from the original on 2 March 2017. Retrieved 18 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Rhapsody of Fire - MusicBrainz". Musicbrainz.org. Archived from the original on 22 February 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  3. ^ "Nuclear Blast". Nuclearblast.de. Archived from the original on 9 May 2017. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Rhapsody Forced To Change Name". Ultimate-guitar.com. Archived from the original on 20 September 2016. Retrieved 29 May 2008.
  5. ^ "Biography". Ltrhapsody.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2012.