Skip to main content

Power Metal: Vision Divine - Vision Divine (1999)


79 / 100
Vision Divine’s debut stands as a solid, if uneven, introduction to their prog-power identity. A respectable start that shows promise and personality despite its flaws.
So, when we talk about prog power, especially from the late '90s, Angra and Symphony X always come up. But since I mostly listen on Bandcamp and stuff, I can't say I really know them that well. Then, in the edge of the 20th century, Vision Divine released their self-titled album. It's established by Olaf Thörsen (Labyrinth), and Fabio Lione whom power metal fans will recognize him as Rhapsody's former singer.

The band's name is kind of in the lyrics of the first song, something about divine eyes, even though there's a self-titled song "Vision Divine" but is probably the weakest one. The beginning of the first song reminds me of their guitar solos in the later work, "Colours of My World," but with a slight classical thing going on, almost like Canon in D. There's also a classical sample in the instrumental track, "Forgotten Worlds," which Dragon Guardian also used in "Ankoku Butokai," but unfortunately I still don't know the original song—it's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 by Bach actually.

Because they're prog, Vision Divine includes keyboard parts and guitar solos, and they use sound effects like thunder to emphasize the chorus of "On the Wings of the Storm," plus relaxing beach sounds in the last song, which is surprisingly good—not bad at all. You can hear Rhapsody's influence on Lione's singing, especially in "On the Wings of the Storm" and "The Whisper," and he gets emotional in "Black Mask of Fear" and "Exodus."

So, besides the song "Vision Divine," there are two tracks that are different: "The Miracle," which is a symphonic speed metal song, and "The Final Countdown," which was the worst choice for a cover. That Europe cover just doesn't sound like Vision Divine, unlike Silent Knight's version. It's a shame.

Overall, Vision Divine's first album is still pretty good, even if it's not completely perfect.

[The review also posted on Metal Archives.]
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Terima kasih telah berkomentar. Usahakan untuk menjaga sopan santun.

Popular posts from this blog

Breakcore: Subheroine - End. (2025)

77 / 100 End. is Subheroine ’s most immersive and emotionally textured work yet ... Is being a week late enough to make a new release feel cold and stale? Maybe it’s the effect of our fast-paced modern world and the FOMO trend. Who knows. Whatever. Alright then, let’s welcome a new breakcore/drum & bass album (though it runs under 30 minutes) from Subheroine : End. ! End. by SUBHEROINE Released just on November 7 via Japan’s veteran breakcore label, Lost Frog Productions , End . delivers a noticeably more atmospheric vibe this time. So, tagging it as atmospheric drum & bass makes perfect sense, while the “depressive” tag seems to apply only to the cover art. But is that really the case? As always, there are surprises when reviewing music—those unexpected moments that make certain tracks sound more intriguing than expected. The most prominent depressive elements appear in the sampled voice of an anime girl sounding shocked or weakened in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Electronica/IDM: 4T Thieves - Humanoid (2018)

70 / 100 Humanoid is a compact and tastefully crafted slice of IDM-leaning electronica that blends futuristic elements without overwhelming the listener. I opened my December with an electronica release by 4T Thieves , an EP titled Humanoid , which came out back in February 2018. A brief profile and the project’s track record can be found on RYM or Last.fm , and it’s clear that this act has been active since the 90s, although only arriving on Bandcamp around 2018. Humanoid by 4T Thieves As the name suggests, Humanoid presents a modern environment tinged with a futuristic sci-fi atmosphere, supported by drum work leaning toward IDM and prominent synth/bass that paints the image of a future city gate on “ Elemental .” This is followed by “ Codex ,” which is given a special dose of classic IDM-style glitch effects , and the rest continues into “ The Looking Glass ,” which gives off a nighttime-shadow feel through its slightly dark synth melodies. “Band...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listening Notes: Playlist Clearance Vol. 1

If a store has a term called clearance sale, then I have a new agenda called playlist clearance . This agenda is meant to clean up releases sitting on my playlist shelves—sometimes for months—without any written listening notes. This matters a lot to me personally, since I prefer listening to music offline rather than streaming, even though platforms like Spotify also offer offline features. I’m already too used to downloading music, even if it means I’ll probably never really get into mainstream artists, which automatically reduces public attention. Hahaha… As for that issue, I do have my own alternative—but for now, I don’t yet have a map to avoid being overwhelmed and confused when diving into streaming platforms just to consume popular releases. Alright, back to cleaning up the playlist. What’s in here this time? Let’s take a look! Abraham – Débris de mondes perdus (2022) 73% Sometimes music can feel like a stab—or a cause of headache—like this fourth album from Sw...
Post a Comment
Read more