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Metal Hammer

Legendary Years is a studio album by the Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, consisting of re-recorded songs from The Emerald Sword Saga, a five concept albums-long story started in their first album Legendary Tales in 1997 and concluded in Power of the Dragonflame in 2002.

It is their first work with singer Giacomo Voli and drummer Manu Lotter, replacing longtime members Fabio Lione and Alex Holzwarth respectively. It also marks the band's first album (and first record since 1995) not to feature Lione, and the first without Holzwarth since their 1998 studio album Symphony of Enchanted Lands.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Luca Turilli; all music is composed by Turilli and Alex Staropoli.

No.TitleOriginal albumLength
1."Dawn of Victory"Dawn of Victory4:44
2."Knightrider of Doom"Power of the Dragonflame3:58
3."Flames of Revenge"Legendary Tales5:32
4."Beyond the Gates of Infinity"Symphony of Enchanted Lands7:21
5."Land of Immortals"Legendary Tales4:53
6."Emerald Sword"Symphony of Enchanted Lands4:23
7."Legendary Tales"Legendary Tales7:49
8."Dargor, Shadowlord of the Black Mountain"Dawn of Victory4:47
9."When Demons Awake"Power of the Dragonflame6:46
10."Wings of Destiny"Symphony of Enchanted Lands4:17
11."Riding the Winds of Eternity"Symphony of Enchanted Lands4:12
12."The Dark Tower of Abyss"Symphony of Enchanted Lands6:51
13."Holy Thunderforce"Dawn of Victory4:20
14."Rain of a Thousand Flames"Rain of a Thousand Flames3:43
Total length:73:36
Japanese bonus track
No.TitleOriginal albumLength
15."Where Dragons Fly"Emerald Sword (Single)4:34
Total length:78:10

Personnel

All information from the album booklet.

Rhapsody of Fire

Additional musicians

  • Manuel Staropoli – baroque recorder, baroque oboe, flute
  • Massimo Marchese – lute
  • Teodora Tommasi – celtic harp
  • Elisa Frausin – cello
  • Elisa Verzier – vocals (alto)
  • Riccardo Rados – vocals (tenor)
  • Hao Wang – vocals (bass)
  • Matjaž Zobec – vocals (bass)
  • Paola Marra – vocals (soprano)
  • Galateia Mastichidou – vocals (soprano)

Choir

  • Paolo Ribaldini, Davide Moras, Fabio Sambenini, Gabriele Gozzi, Alex Mari, Marco Sandron

Production

  • Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann – engineering, editing, mixing, mastering, recording
  • Massimo Goina – photography
  • Paul Thureau – layout
  • Luca Balboa – conductor
  • Alexandre Charleux – cover art