Lasting Power - Durable and Long-Lasting Performance for Everyday Use | Perfect for Home, Office, and Outdoor Activities

After reading the venomous, subjectively brutal review listed below, I thought I'd try to balance this out a little. This album doesn't deserve one star. But what bothered me most was the vicious summation, which ridiculed the cover art, the interludes between songs, and tried to make one believe this band is obsessed with becoming "Rhapsody" (now "Rhapsody of Fire"). I've heard "Jean D' Arc" and "Hastings", and don't think they sound a whit like Rhapsody. It's not a fair comparison, simply because both bands hail from Italy and are characterized by symphonic elements. Hell, Thy Majestie should be praised because they don't incorporate the dreadful "narration" inherent in many Rhapsody songs. To me, "Hastings" is a masterpiece. I haven't heard a more intricate, melodic, and inspired symphonic metal album--the bandmembers are obviously very gifted composers. They took a step backward with "Arc", but they are still undeniably talented, and "Hastings" is a landmark album. To undermine them so savagely with a condescending Amazon review is unfair--after all, they are musicians trying to earn a living, and have recorded some brilliant music. Save your malice and aggression for artists who really deserve it--like all the pop juggernauts you see in MTV videos....