I listen to a shot ton of music every month. As a distraction from rowdy co-workers and all the noise at my workplace, or in the background when chilling in the evening with a good glass of beer or whiskey. And as variety is the spice of life, each month I’ll try to check out a new band recommended to me by Last.fm and see if I like them or not based on their first record. This months recommendation:
Review#
Record: Vision Divine
Year: 1999
Genre: Power Metal
Recommended because off: Angra, Kamelot & Stratovarius
There once was a time when a nerdy long haired dude in his early twenties had a weakness for all things Power Metal. It might have been the lyrical themes about far away fantasy lands, knights in shining armor, dragons, maidens to be rescued, that drew me in. To be honest, they where great inspiration for the occasional weekend filled with another Dungeons & Dragons adventure.
But it was also a music genre good for a lot of jest. The absurd over the top heroic stories, overcomplicated worldbuilding. And off course, the frequent high ’epic’ screams, could also bring tears of laughter. The source of inspiration and amusement came mostly from records from the original Rhapsody and from their guitarist Luca Turilli’s own side project.
So how I completely missed Vision Divine, a side project from Rhapsody’s original singer Fabio Lione, is a mystery to me. So excited about that link to one of my all time favorite bands, it was time to dive into what would probably become a trip down memory lane.
And yes, just two minutes in and I’m already rocking my head. Their debut doesn’t beat around the bush and gets going right from the start. With the first two songs you just know that’s it a banger of an album. Every song shines and drips with power metal juiciness. Until…
Why, why did they put a The Final Countdown cover halfway on the record. To be honest, it’s already the shittiest song from Europe. And this version, it’s basically the same. No epic sauce dripped over it what so ever. Not even an effort to make it their own and so bland it really hampers the flow of the record.
So thankfully, they washed that awful sound out of our ears with another three bangers. With The Miracle they come back to the sound the record started with. Uptime, filled with the epic voicework from Fabio you can expect, only interrupted by an out of place flute/guitar solo. It’s also the longest song on the record, but it’s over before you know it. With Forever Young we are nearing the end, and once again it’s time for catchy tunes, up tempo drumming and harmonic voice lines from Fabio giving it all. Heck, if you want te explain what Power Metal is to someone, just play this song and you’re done.
And is knowing they can’t let us listeners hanging that high and suddenly stop, the treat us with Of Light and Darkness to say goodbye for now. Six minutes with nothing more than a piano accompanying a dreamy Fabio. Normally I would say, the mandatory ballad so just skip it, but ending this musical trip, slowly giving my now aching neck muscles from banging along some rest…, just… plain… perfection…
Verdict#
So, in short, Vision Divine’s debut is a nostalgic Power Metal trip, marred only by a bland coversong. But highlights like The Miracle and Forever Young showcase Fabio Lione’s epic vocals. A must-listen for fans of the genre.
Score: ★★★★☆
Tracklist#
- New Eden
- On the Wings of the Storm
- Black Mask of Fear
- Exodus
- The Whisper
- Forgotten Worlds
- Vision Divine
- The Final Countdown (Europe cover)
- The Miracle
- Forever Young
- Of Light and Darkness