Hi to all of You, my beloved brothers and sisters! As promised already, in this special GUESS WHAT!!!??? article, divided in two parts due to the nature of the argument faced and the impossibility to resume it in a couple of sentence only, I will start revealing an aspect always kept secret and remained hidden until now about the RHAPSODY saga and also about the lyrics and themes faced in all the other albums of my discography.
I have to be honest and admit I am feeling quite touched while revealing such kind of things as I always considered them to be very private, very deep from a spiritual point of view and essentially “not made for everybody”. Therefore I will not reveal really everything but just what I “feel” can be revealed through a Facebook page where the audience is not selected on a specific basis. I am doing this because many people in all these years kept asking questions about the content of the sagas, some specific lyrics, the “inner meanings” and different keys of reading I was speaking about in a lot of interviews, etc. and because some of my words can finally help the people understanding what RHAPSODY is all about since ALEX STAROPOLI and I founded the band in 1993.
Many people listen to music and like to enjoy it without thinking too much about meanings and all that (that’s why, as written above, I am speaking about concepts and principles that are surely not made for everybody). There are some moments when also I feel the need to enjoy music for the simple pleasure of it, not really taking care of lyrics, words and whatever. But let’s come back to RHAPSODY: the truth is that ALL RHAPSODY’S DISCOGRAPHY for which I wrote the lyrics until now (yes, I include also my last ASCENDING TO INFINITY album, the new upcoming PROMETHEUS, SYMPHONIA IGNIS DIVINUS and the future ones) is based on a specific, strong and proactive MESSAGE OF SPIRITUAL NATURE that I am trying to promote since I was young and survived my cancer in 1993.
This doesn’t mean I developed the interest for the spiritual aspects of our existence just after a dramatic event like the one of my illness. I guess in my “genes” there was already something leading me to see life under a different aspect: empathy, compassion, sufferance for the pain of the others, an immense sensitivity that later became at the same time my joy and my pain. I am far from being a man without sins and I am surely full of defects, but I was always heavily disgusted by arrogance and lack of respect, to not speak about every kind of abuse and free violence. A little example: I have a big passion for soccer and I usually look all the matches I can on TV, but the truth is that I could NEVER entered a real stadium. I didn’t do it since I was 12 years old. I was in the stadium of my hometown to enjoy a soccer match but what really impressed and shocked me was the attitude of some “people” close to me, screaming and yelling hateful words against the players and the referee during the whole match. They looked like animals to me and what was weird was that some children were doing the same too, imitating the adults and feeling pleased. Their fathers proud to see their children screaming with them. I could not accept that. Soon I started avoiding that kind of situations and after other similar episodes I preferred to avoid the “mass” once for all, choosing to live a more isolated life. Later, after studying anthropology and the psychology of the masses, I had the sureness to have made the right choice. After all, just some years ago we were entering an arena to enjoy and getting excited by the vision of people eaten and dismembered by lions or tortured in any other possible way, so what could I really expect from a part of human beings?
Such sensitivity made me seeing life in a special way. While at school I was attracted by the study of science (except for the mathematic of the last years that was my absolute weak point), at the same time I was also deeply attracted by all disciplines related with heart, spirit and soul. Many of you will know that I met my friend and ex-colleague ALEX STAROPOLI at a special course of MENTAL DYNAMICS based on some relaxing techniques to increase the power of the mind. At that time I was only 16 years old and Alex was 2 years older.
After the illness that brought me close to death and the miraculous ending who surprised also the doctors curing me, my level of consciousness surely increased and I started loving life even more than before, in a unique way, considering every single breath and heartbeat on this wonderful planet as a true miracle. From that moment I decided to dedicate my whole existence in spreading a positive message based on LOVE and RESPECT and trying to find the fundamental answer to the fundamental question: which is the REAL TRUTH behind life, death, mind, soul, good, evil, the laws of physics, space and time, the universe? My innocent curiosity turned soon into real obsession and when I was 24-25 years old I started reading and studying all what was in some way connected and could make me “feel closer” to these answers.
Anthropology, psychology, parapsychology, ancient esoteric manuscripts, scientific texts. I started jumping chaotically from book to book, from topic to topic. I wanted to KNOW and to UNDERSTAND the meaning of EVERYTHING. I rapidly felt in love with the spiritual teachings of the ancient traditions but also with JUNG, NEWTON, EINSTEIN, PLANCK and all the quantum theories that I found being very close to the spiritual cosmic perspective growing in me, especially after being witness of a unique phenomenon who gave me all the proofs I was searching for.
At that time Alex and I were meeting very often, passing hours and hours discussing about these arguments. In 1996, when it was time to decide about the lyrical direction of the first RHAPSODY album, we decided naturally and spontaneously to use the lyrics of the songs of our band in order to promote without compromises:
1) The fundamental virtues as Love, Respect and Hope
2) The emotional and spiritual connection with the wonders of Mother Nature
3) The mystery of Spiritual Evolution
Once decided all this, I started creating the whole saga and the lyrics of the songs, keeping these principles as fundamental background. In that moment in the “metal world” there were a lot of bands writing songs about Satan, hymning to evil, violence and all that. Due to our nature we could simply not stand that specific side of the heavy metal music that was deeply disgusting us. Therefore Alex and I were really excited to contribute bringing some positive energy through the words of our lyrics.
Right at that time, while progressing in my studies and personal researches, I discovered something destined to change my life and helping me to achieve a new level of consciousness. I finally felt to have found “the key”, the link, the bridge between all the spiritual and scientific knowledge, that goal I was trying to reach since years. Such intuition led me to choose the EMERALD SWORD as main subject and symbol for the whole first part of the RHAPSODY saga.
To know more about this particular “discover” and why the legendary sword was partially “made” of EMERALD, please wait for the new GUESS WHAT!!!??? article to be released in some days and including some further exclusive revelations.
Peace and Respect to all of You!
TO BE CONTINUED…
I have to be honest and admit I am feeling quite touched while revealing such kind of things as I always considered them to be very private, very deep from a spiritual point of view and essentially “not made for everybody”. Therefore I will not reveal really everything but just what I “feel” can be revealed through a Facebook page where the audience is not selected on a specific basis. I am doing this because many people in all these years kept asking questions about the content of the sagas, some specific lyrics, the “inner meanings” and different keys of reading I was speaking about in a lot of interviews, etc. and because some of my words can finally help the people understanding what RHAPSODY is all about since ALEX STAROPOLI and I founded the band in 1993.
Many people listen to music and like to enjoy it without thinking too much about meanings and all that (that’s why, as written above, I am speaking about concepts and principles that are surely not made for everybody). There are some moments when also I feel the need to enjoy music for the simple pleasure of it, not really taking care of lyrics, words and whatever. But let’s come back to RHAPSODY: the truth is that ALL RHAPSODY’S DISCOGRAPHY for which I wrote the lyrics until now (yes, I include also my last ASCENDING TO INFINITY album, the new upcoming PROMETHEUS, SYMPHONIA IGNIS DIVINUS and the future ones) is based on a specific, strong and proactive MESSAGE OF SPIRITUAL NATURE that I am trying to promote since I was young and survived my cancer in 1993.
This doesn’t mean I developed the interest for the spiritual aspects of our existence just after a dramatic event like the one of my illness. I guess in my “genes” there was already something leading me to see life under a different aspect: empathy, compassion, sufferance for the pain of the others, an immense sensitivity that later became at the same time my joy and my pain. I am far from being a man without sins and I am surely full of defects, but I was always heavily disgusted by arrogance and lack of respect, to not speak about every kind of abuse and free violence. A little example: I have a big passion for soccer and I usually look all the matches I can on TV, but the truth is that I could NEVER entered a real stadium. I didn’t do it since I was 12 years old. I was in the stadium of my hometown to enjoy a soccer match but what really impressed and shocked me was the attitude of some “people” close to me, screaming and yelling hateful words against the players and the referee during the whole match. They looked like animals to me and what was weird was that some children were doing the same too, imitating the adults and feeling pleased. Their fathers proud to see their children screaming with them. I could not accept that. Soon I started avoiding that kind of situations and after other similar episodes I preferred to avoid the “mass” once for all, choosing to live a more isolated life. Later, after studying anthropology and the psychology of the masses, I had the sureness to have made the right choice. After all, just some years ago we were entering an arena to enjoy and getting excited by the vision of people eaten and dismembered by lions or tortured in any other possible way, so what could I really expect from a part of human beings?
Such sensitivity made me seeing life in a special way. While at school I was attracted by the study of science (except for the mathematic of the last years that was my absolute weak point), at the same time I was also deeply attracted by all disciplines related with heart, spirit and soul. Many of you will know that I met my friend and ex-colleague ALEX STAROPOLI at a special course of MENTAL DYNAMICS based on some relaxing techniques to increase the power of the mind. At that time I was only 16 years old and Alex was 2 years older.
After the illness that brought me close to death and the miraculous ending who surprised also the doctors curing me, my level of consciousness surely increased and I started loving life even more than before, in a unique way, considering every single breath and heartbeat on this wonderful planet as a true miracle. From that moment I decided to dedicate my whole existence in spreading a positive message based on LOVE and RESPECT and trying to find the fundamental answer to the fundamental question: which is the REAL TRUTH behind life, death, mind, soul, good, evil, the laws of physics, space and time, the universe? My innocent curiosity turned soon into real obsession and when I was 24-25 years old I started reading and studying all what was in some way connected and could make me “feel closer” to these answers.
Anthropology, psychology, parapsychology, ancient esoteric manuscripts, scientific texts. I started jumping chaotically from book to book, from topic to topic. I wanted to KNOW and to UNDERSTAND the meaning of EVERYTHING. I rapidly felt in love with the spiritual teachings of the ancient traditions but also with JUNG, NEWTON, EINSTEIN, PLANCK and all the quantum theories that I found being very close to the spiritual cosmic perspective growing in me, especially after being witness of a unique phenomenon who gave me all the proofs I was searching for.
At that time Alex and I were meeting very often, passing hours and hours discussing about these arguments. In 1996, when it was time to decide about the lyrical direction of the first RHAPSODY album, we decided naturally and spontaneously to use the lyrics of the songs of our band in order to promote without compromises:
1) The fundamental virtues as Love, Respect and Hope
2) The emotional and spiritual connection with the wonders of Mother Nature
3) The mystery of Spiritual Evolution
Once decided all this, I started creating the whole saga and the lyrics of the songs, keeping these principles as fundamental background. In that moment in the “metal world” there were a lot of bands writing songs about Satan, hymning to evil, violence and all that. Due to our nature we could simply not stand that specific side of the heavy metal music that was deeply disgusting us. Therefore Alex and I were really excited to contribute bringing some positive energy through the words of our lyrics.
Right at that time, while progressing in my studies and personal researches, I discovered something destined to change my life and helping me to achieve a new level of consciousness. I finally felt to have found “the key”, the link, the bridge between all the spiritual and scientific knowledge, that goal I was trying to reach since years. Such intuition led me to choose the EMERALD SWORD as main subject and symbol for the whole first part of the RHAPSODY saga.
To know more about this particular “discover” and why the legendary sword was partially “made” of EMERALD, please wait for the new GUESS WHAT!!!??? article to be released in some days and including some further exclusive revelations.
Peace and Respect to all of You!
TO BE CONTINUED…
