Hello! I am honored to be featured on Metal Temple!

We made Symphony II with the clear intention to create a great symphonic opera, using a full orchestra, big choirs, the amazing presence of Mr. Christopher Lee and to create and found the first and only Film Score Metal genre.Triumph Or Agony is the continuation of that great vision and symphonic opera. This second chapter of the Dark Secret saga sounds more direct since we concentrated most of the orchestral and cinematic elements on the long track The Mystic Prophecy Of The Demonknight to let other songs breathe more. For the very first time we composed two epic-driven mid tempo songs that with their slower and dramatic approach enrich the album in a new way for Rhapsody Of Fire. Surely those songs will be proudly performed on stage.

Do you think that you'll gain new fans or even better a new kind of fans?

That would be great of course! I am constantly receiving mails from new young fans that discovered Rhapsody Of Fire just lately where they express their excitement and support. Chiara, believe me, that gives us a lot of energy.

Sometimes to express in a very clear and direct way your message you need to use epic and majestic words, and there is only one way to do it. Rhapsody Of Fire, as well as Manowar, truly and deeply believe in what they do, musically and lyrically.

There are not better words I could personally use to inform all our fans and readers about this new second chapter of our saga: Triumph Or Agony represents the chapter of the saga when our heroes Khaas, hero of the middle lands, Tarish the elfking, Princess Lothen, Dargor, the Shadowlord and the wise wizard Iras Algor, are ready to enter the dark caves of Dar-Kunor, a subterranean labyrinth of horrors located in the heart of the misty darklands. The heroes have to challenge the ancestral secrets of Dar-Kunor in order to search for the last of the seven black books written in primordial times with the blood of the angels by Nekron, the demonknight, son of the Hellgod Kron. This black book could contain the worst of the known prophecies threatening the known world.

And what about your solo project? We've been waiting for 5 long years already.

After the Triumph Or Agony production I started immediately to work on some songs by myself. I asked my brother Manuel Staropoli to write some songs too, since I want to release a band album and not a solo album. During the last 5 years I was collecting some ideas here and there but I was not really into it, because the time I had to completely dedicate myself to my music was never enough. In addition to that, it's important you know that I was not so convinced to sign for our old label [Limb] for a solo deal so I decided to wait. I am very happy now, Manuel and I are working together, he's very talented and the songs we have till now got great energy and inspiration levels. We will be writing more songs in the next periods, I want to be sure we have all the songs we need for this very first release. I still have no idea when this album will be released; it may be released end of 2007 or in first part of 2008. Those are just speculations, but I'll do my best to finish it soon anyway.

It will sound different, for sure.

Rhapsody Of Fire are hardly waiting to be on tour again, this has to be clear! It's important for us to be Manowar's special guests for the Demons, Dragons and Warriors Tour of course, especially in some countries. I am confident that this time will be the right time.

The whole 2007 will be a very busy year as far as touring goes, we will start around the end of February and we'll go on till the summer festivals. It is possible that Rhapsody of Fire will start a worldwide headliner tour around autumn 2007 and we wish to meet you all!

It was a pleasure! Thanks for your love and support!