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8.0
- Band:
DIVINE VISION - Duration: 00:47:58
- Available from: 20/09/2024
- Label:
-
Scarlet Records
Streaming not yet available
Vision Divine's ninth studio album could only be a refined and complex work that follows a concept – written by the leader and guitarist Olaf Thorsen himself – which tells of three angels banned from heaven and exiled who must reunite to save the Earth.
To make the story even more compelling, there are some guests who play the different characters and protagonists: Ray Alder (Fates Warning), Alle Conti (Twilight Force, Trick Or Treat) and AC Wild (Bulldozer) give their contribution even if limited to one appearance each.
“Blood And Angels' Tears” is a work that, on one hand, brings Vision Divine back to more power-oriented territories, with compact songs that leave aside the progressive sounds of their previous works; on the other hand, it is a work that requires several listens before being fully appreciated.
If the various influences of these twenty-five years of the band's history are all well present, we can say that, in our opinion, the sounds of the eponymous debut are decisively taken up here, revisiting them in a modern key and with a more imaginative touch capable of also recalling something of a complex and not immediate album like “The Perfect Machine”.
After a short orchestral and narrated intro, with the task of immersing the listener in the concept, the earth-shaking title-track opens the dance: Ivan Giannini's throat is pushed to notes that are unattainable for most, but in general there are many passages in this album where his voice is put to the test. The talented singer comes out with his head held high, even if at times he almost seems to force it excessively.
“Once Invinsible” continues to beat on power territories with a volcanic and scratchy riff, driving the crazy drumming of Matt Peruzzi (truly over the top his performance!). Alessio Lucatti also officially takes the stage, first with carpets of enveloping keyboards that open the way to the captivating “Drink Our Blood” (with its eighties coordinates, a bit in arena rock style), then flying through a lightning-fast solo during the same.
The most refined prog takes “When Darkness Comes” by the hand with its elegant atmospheres accompanying it on controlled rhythms and pushing it between soft and suffused vocal melodies up to a theatrical and pathos-rich refrain; Thorsen's solo is melodic and dreamy, the chorus is captivating and immediately sticks in your head before diving back into the pressing notes of “Preys”, a dynamic piece that features sudden tempo changes and a dark central phase, where Giannini shows all his vocal ductility and launches himself on high notes during a chorus led by Peruzzi's double bass drum.
The pleasant and airy “Go East” recalls some more carefree compositions that have often accompanied our guys’ career such as “Violet Loneliness” and “Versions Of The Same” while with the volcanic and dizzying “The Broken Past” we hit again by activating the detonator.
The long-awaited Ray Alder finally grabs the microphone and duets with Ivan during the verse, but during the chorus, the strong and thundering voice of Alle Conti also appears: together they create a piece of fiery power metal of the highest level, as well as one of the key moments of the entire listening. The conclusive and theatrical “Lost” enchants us among the dreamy notes of the piano, with Ivan’s powerful voice taking over again before a grand finale in crescendo with Lucatti’s keyboards and a narrative voice that disappear giving us an appointment for the second part of the work that will see the light in the near future.
You may like Vision Divine or not – after all, it depends on your musical tastes: what is certain and indisputable is that this album presents a high quality in songwriting and an individual technique above the lines; but the characteristic that makes “Blood And Angels' Tears” an extraordinary work is its personality, which shines through firmly during listening, something not usual among current productions and in particular within the power metal genre. A confirmation therefore for one of the spearheads of the Italian scene.
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM