D.S. Lionfire
Jerusalem: A Symphonic Saga
Self-Released
There are very few albums that truly boggle the mind, but D.S. Lionfire’s Jerusalem opus will probably go down unheralded, though its scope is beyond epic. Fitting loosely into the category of “rock opera,” Lionfire’s work spans seven (!!!) discs and tells the story of a fictional character named Jerusalem who symbolizes “the earthly and spiritual cities of Jerusalem” who is being courted by three suitors representing Islam, Judaism and Christianity. With 14 characters – some with names like “4th Plane Angel” – you can imagine how dense and utterly obsessive this work is. Without constant checking to remind yourself which singer is the metaphorical representation of what, it’s an impossible nut to crack. While that doesn’t mean Jerusalem is lost on people without the attention span or interest to immerse themselves into Lionfire’s vision of *ahem* the entirety of religious history, it does mean that any enjoyment laypeople are going to glean is going to come from a different level. Many of the tracks here are a strange hybrid of symphonic metal and showtunes, various production issues surface occasionally, and even some of the cast have questionable singing voices, but none of these things make the album any less compelling, nor does it dull the scope of events contained here. It’s true that the final words that ring out on the closing track as Jerusalem considers the trio of religions are “they don’t even know who I am.” The same refrain could be directed at the audience, but we’ve got six more albums to figure it all out.
Jerusalem Symphonic Saga: http://www.jerusalemsymphonicsaga.com
