Review by Jack on April 12, 2002.

You know when you were a kid and used to have so much from everyday activities? Absolutely everything you did was fun; going to the toilet was fun; throwing your peas from your plate to the dogs was fun; beating up your younger brother was fun (not so fun anymore, because he would now, frankly kick your ass) and so on, you get the general picture. All great, childhood moments and all fun. Rhapsody is this type of fun. “Power of the Dragonflame” is this type of fun.

Continuing the ‘Emerald Sword Saga’ from past albums Rhapsody has again raised the ‘power’ bar another notch, improving on last year’s specially priced album in “Rain of a Thousand Flames”. However, “Power of the Dragonflame”, while continuing the ‘Emerald Sword Saga’ also culminates the 'Emerald Sword Saga', leaving Rhapsody with a thirst to discover more untouched fantasy symphonic metal in other realms.

However, when it comes to metal, Rhapsody is about as metal as a paper factory/wood mill. Sure Rhapsody has all the metal elements, ie thundering guitars, ball-busting drums, but whereas many a power band starts off with the metal base and then adds non-metal elements (or no elements), Rhapsody seem to start off with a very strong operatic/classical base and then add their ‘epic Hollywood metal’ over the top. They take a different approach unlike many other ‘carbon copy’ power metal bands. It may be this different approach that Rhapsody has taken that may propel them further and further into the spotlight.

“Power of the Dragonflame” is a great album, yet it is hardly revolutionary, and it is clear that Rhapsody has stuck by their guns. The same trademark ‘epic’ choir sections and galloping guitar riffs, Rhapsody are not going to win the originality stakes, musicianship, however is another matter. Rhapsody has gone to length of including a classical choir and a classical ensemble with violins, flutes and other ‘classical’ instruments to make the end of the ‘Emerald Sword Saga’ a truly memorable one. And memorable it is, not really mind-blowing, but definitely memorable.

Of special note is the final 19 minute track; ‘Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness’, which is one of the most fantastic power metal tracks ever. Move over ‘And there was Silence’ ala Blind Guardian, we have a new contender for epic greatness! Like a hunter marking his game, ‘Gargoyles, Angels of Darkness’ carefully skirts around for most of the 19 minutes, before finally lining up its final shot and nailing the listener right between the eyes... BAM! Wall to wall power metal greatness looking you straight up and down.

Bottom Line: Definitely not exceeding the limits of what Rhapsody can muster, “Power of the Dragonflame” is not the most unpredictable album ever released, nor does it try to be. Rhapsody has never been about being unpredictable and falling flat on their face like other acts around the metal scene. Uniqueness can be a curse. Instead we have a brilliant culmination to the end of a saga. I cannot heap enough praise upon “Power of the Dragonflame”. It is just plain, good old FUN.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 7
Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 8.6 out of 10

Review by JD on March 27, 2010.

Over the years, the city of Los Angeles has been the no-brainer Mecca of Heavy Metal. That, I am so thankful to say, is still the truth even in the new millennium. Clawing its way out of the clubs and shit little venues, comes the Power Metal outfit Eminent - a band with talent and an agenda for Heavy Metal dominance.

With the first track blaring out of the speakers (song is called 'Pilgrimage') it was clear that this band was something out-of-the-norm. Sounding like a cross between In Flames, Blind Guardian, Satavage with Symphony X tenancies that combine with an odd likeness to the German metallists Helloween and some kinship to the whole NWOBHM movement in the 80's- they melt this all together and add in pure angst driven originality.... An this is the first track that is playing, let me remind you.

The next ten tracks attack, and only solidify how great of a band Eminent is. Vocally so strong, lead singer Boronic reminds me very closely to having Bruce Dickinson meeting the singer from Dream Theatre... Soaring power meeting full out strength. The others that make up the band (Hovak and Andrew on guitars, Lonny on drums and Vahe on bass) motivate the whole band to be the very best they can be... and as a whole become a band that is indisputably awe-inspiring on a major scale.

It seems that Eminent has creates pure and unabashed metal that sticks in your head unlike 99% of the other metal that happens to be out there today. I find that I cannot stop listening to this album over and over again... and that is amazing considering I just might have the worst case of ADHD ever (a trait of my dear ol’ Daddy).

This album is that freakin’ good, it reaffirms to me that metal is so good... oh so damned good to say the least. If this album was a voluptuous woman, I’d be sporting the granddaddy of all woodies that would not quit. Now that is what you call a good album... huh?

Categorical Rating Breakdown　

Musicianship:9.5
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 9.5
Originality: 9
Overall: 9

Rating: 9.4 out of 10

Review by Ryan on May 8, 2014.

Released from Love is an odd duck. Typically when you see two band names attached to one EP, you can count on it being a split seven inch. The bands will divide the running time up by sides, and each artist is allotted or two songs. Instead, what we get here is a set of four songs where Thou are augmented by contributions from The Body. That means we get a five man band, plus two orbiting and optional members, creating an arsenic mud pie with a tar ball frosting. Yummy.

This is definitely Thou's show, and I'd argue that works to the recording's advantage. In my admittedly limited experience, I find them to be the more compelling of the two bands. The Body certainly have some interesting and original ideas, but they don't seem to mesh into full songs or compositions. Thou have been around longer, and they have a more defined agenda, albeit one that doesn't exhibit much restraint when it comes to releasing b-sides and outtakes.

While Thou have developed quite a bit over that lengthy discography, the basic template remains: skeletal rhythms, guitars that vomit static, the shrieking of pterodactyls, and enough feedback to give zombie Peter Steele a necrophile erection. This is the soundtrack to a movie that got rejected by thirty studios and can only be sold through the mail.

Once hideousness is accepted as the basic theme, style and context become apparent. Thou are one of many bands currently participating in the blending of sludge with black metal, but they approach the template with an inverted strategy. Sludge is the base, and black metal is the seasoning. This reaffirms a thesis that I’ve held for some years now: black metal and sludge may be ideologically opposed, but they have many similar musical underpinnings. They also bear comparably distasteful fruit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this EP, though whether or not Thou shall become thine depends upon your tolerance for acid reflux.

Rating: 8 out of 10