Sarah Brightman took five years between 2003's pop exotica outing Harem and Symphony. The over-the-top gothic excess in the artwork here seems like a cousin to Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell II, so much so that it feels like legendary theatrical rock excess king Jim Steinman -- a former associate of Brightman's longtime producer Frank Peterson (who wrote or co-wrote five of these tunes) -- is haunting the recording. Despite the big duet presences here -- Andrea Bocelli (again) onCanto della Terra, tenor Alessandro Safina on Sarai Qui, vocalist and actor Fernando Lima, and Kiss' Paul Stanley -- there are relatively few moments of real inspiration amidst the obvious kitsch. Symphony is trademark Brightman. It sits dead center at the crossroads of classical crossover, pop, and musical theater. Despite the star power on board, this is exactly what EMI wanted from her. The reprise of her first duet appearance with Bocelli is a firm showcase for both voices, and Sarai Qui with Safina is among best things here -- even if the arrangements threaten to do in all that vocal power. As for Pasión, Lima's voice, with all of its high tenor acrobatics, is as lilting as her light soprano. It may work in the theater, or in the movies, but it doesn't here. I Will Be with You (Where the Lost Ones Go), with Stanley, is a bit of a campy cheat. Brightman originally recorded this for the #Pokeman soundtrack with Chris Thompson of Manfred Mann. Stanley's vocal chops just don't equate with the former. With acoustic guitars all but drowned in strings, the emotional punch of the original is lost. Brightman simply soars, and if her ice queen vocal isn't believable emotionally, it contains enough drama to keep it from falling into the abyss.

1		Gothica
2		Fleurs du mal
3		Symphony
4		Canto della terra (feat. Andrea Bocelli)
5		Sanvean
6		I Will Be With You (Where the Lost Ones Go) [feat. Paul Stanley]
7		Schwere Träume
8		Sarai Qui (feat. Alessandro Safina)
9		Storia d'amore
10		Let It Rain
11		Attesa
12		Pasión (feat. Fernando Lima)
13		Running