Triumph or Agony

For the Warlock album, see Triumph and Agony.

Triumph or Agony is the seventh studio album by Italian symphonic power metal band Rhapsody of Fire, released in Europe on 25 September 2006. It is the first album that the band released after their name change.

Triumph or Agony
Studio album by Rhapsody of Fire
Released	25 September 2006
Genre	Symphonic power metal neoclassical metal
Length	62:33 76:07 (Deluxe edition)
Label	SPV GmbH
Producer	Luca Turilli, Alex Staropoli, Sascha Paeth
Rhapsody of Fire studio album chronology
Symphony of Enchanted Lands II – The Dark Secret (2004) Triumph or Agony (2006) The Frozen Tears of Angels (2010)
Singles from Triumph or Agony
"A New Saga Begins" Released: Summer 2006 "Silent Dream" Released: 2007

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Triumph or Agony features a live 70 piece orchestra and choir and was again self-produced by guitarist/songwriter Luca Turilli and keyboardist/songwriter Alex Staropoli with assistance from co-producer Sascha Paeth. The album also features an array of guest narrators and character actors, including several recruits from the London theatre scene, Susannah York of the Superman film series and a return appearance by Christopher Lee, as the all-knowing ‘Wizard King’. The song "Il Canto del Vento", is the first song in the band's history that is not composed by Turilli or Staropoli, instead it was composed by Fabio Lione.

The cover art is done by artist Jeff Easley, famous for his work on the Dungeons & Dragons line of products.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Luca Turilli, except track 6 by Fabio Lione; all music is composed by Turilli and Alex Staropoli, except track 6 by Fabio Lione.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Dar-Kunor" I. "Echoes from the Elvish Woods" II. "Fear of the Dungeons"	3:13 1:31 1:42
2.	"Triumph or Agony"	5:02
3.	"Heart of the Darklands"	4:10
4.	"Old Age of Wonders"	4:35
5.	"The Myth of the Holy Sword"	5:03
6.	"Il Canto del Vento" ("The Chant of the Wind")	3:54
7.	"Silent Dream"	3:50
8.	"Bloody Red Dungeons"	5:11
9.	"Son of Pain"	4:42
10.	"The Mystic Prophecy of the Demonknight" I. "A New Saga Begins" II. "Through the Portals of Agony" III. "The Black Order" IV. "Nekron's Bloody Rhymes" V. "Escape from Horror"	16:26 8:39 0:41 2:36 0:41 3:45
11.	"Dark Reign of Fire" I. "Dark Reign of Fire" II. "Winter Dawn's Theme"	6:26 1:45 4:41
Total length:		62:32

French edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Son of Pain (French version)"	4:42
Total length:		67:14

French deluxe edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
13.	"A New Saga Begins (Radio Edit)"	4:19
14.	"Defenders of Gaia"	4:35
Total length:		76:08

Italian edition bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
12.	"Defenders of Gaia"	4:35
13.	"A New Saga Begins (Radio Edit)"	4:19
14.	"Son of Pain (Italian version)"	4:42
Total length:		76:08

Personnel

Rhapsody of Fire Fabio Lione – lead vocals Luca Turilli – guitars, production Alex Staropoli – keyboards, orchestral arrangements, production Patrice Guers – bass Alex Holzwarth – drums Additional personnel Manuel Staropoli – flute, recorder Christopher Lee – narration Toby Eddington – narration Stash Kirkbride – narration Christina Lee – narration Marcus D'Amico – narration Simon Fielding – narration Susannah York – narration Dominique Leurquin – guitar solos (2, 5, 7, 8) Johannes Monno – guitars (classical) Bridget Fogle – soprano vocals

Choir Cinzia Rizzo, Miro Rodenberg, Olaf Hayer, Previn Moore, Robert Hunecke-Rizzo, Thomas Rettke Brno Academy Choir Dana Kurečková, Iva Holubová, Jana Klinerová, Jaroslava Zezulová, Kateřina Hudcová, Lucie Matalová, Ludmila Kieseljovová, Ludmila Markesová, Vladimíra Dolejšová, Jiří Klecker, Karel Seffer, Libor Markes, Michael Pinsker, Milan Hanzliczek, Pavel Konárek, Robert Kurečka, Serhij Derda, Tomáš Ibrmajer, Vladimír Kutnohorský, Alena Sobolová, Andrea Dáňová, Barbora Francová, Dana Toncrová, Eva Badalová, Eva Klepalová, Kateřina Nejedlá, Kateřina Pastrňáková, Magda Krejčová, Marie Vališová, Petra Bodová, Petra Koňárková, Terezie Kamenická, Terezie Plevová, Zora Jaborníková, Ivan Nepivoda, Jakub Herzan, Jiří Barták, Marek Mikuš, Matěj Dupal, Tomáš Kamenický, Vladimír Prachař, Vít Matuška

Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra

Emil Nosek – violin František Hrubý – violin Hana Roušarová – violin Hana Tesařová – violin Jan Nedoma – violin Jana Štípková – violin Jitka Hanáková – violin Milan Lapka – violin Miroslav Křivánek – violin Přemysl Roušar – violin Dana Blahutová – violin Hana Bílková – violin Jan Kotulan – violin Jaroslav Aladzas – violin Jitka Šuranská – violin Josef Geryk – violin Josef Kubelka – violin Josef Vyžrálek – violin Leo Sláma – violin Yvona Fialová – violin Dana Božková – viola Juraj Petrovič – viola Lucie Dümlerová – viola

Michaela Slámová – viola Miroslav Kašný – viola Oldřich Šebestík – viola Pavel Novák – viola Roman Janů – viola Alexandr Erml – celli David Kefer – celli Erich Hulín – celli Hana Škarpová – celli Zdenka Aladzasová – celli Zuzana Ermlová – celli Josef Horák – double bass Michal Pášma – double bass Pavel Juřík – double bass Vladimír Hudeček – double bass Vítězslav Pelikán – double bass Jana Holásková – flute Jiřina Vodičková – flute Vladimír Vodička – flute Krista Hallová – oboe Svatopluk Holásek – oboe Aleš Pavlorek – clarinet Jiří Kundl – clarinet

Jaroslav Janoštík – bassoon Václav Kaniok – bassoon František Vyskočil – French horn Jiří Zatloukal – French horn Josef Číhal – French horn Milan Kubát – French horn Rudolf Linner – French horn Vlastimil Kelar – French horn Pavel Skopal – trumpet Rostislav Killar – trumpet Zdeněk Macek – trumpet Ivan Dřínovský – trombone Milan Tesař – trombone Roman Sklenář – trombone Miloslav Žváček – tuba Lucie Vápová – harp

Production

Jeff Easley – cover art Petr Pololanik – orchestra conductor Marek Obdržálek – choir conductor Sascha Paeth – production, engineering, mixing Joey DeMaio – executive producer Rob LaVaque – editing, engineering

Phillip Colodetti – editing, engineering Bernd Kugler – orchestra and choir recording Marc Lenz – orchestra and choir recording Jan Wrede – orchestra and choir recording Stefan Schmidt – orchestra and choir recording Olaf Reitmeier – engineering

Charts

Chart (2006)	Peak position
French Albums (SNEP)[2]	59
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[3]	54
Italian Albums (FIMI)[4]	18
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[5]	40
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[6]	74