Scarlet Records
Release: 20 September 2024
Genre: Power/Progressive Metal
Links: https://www.visiondivine.com/
Line Up:
Ivan Giannini – vocals
Olaf Thorsen – guitars
Federico Puleri – guitars
Alessio Lucatti – keyboards, piano
Andrea ‘Tower’ Torricini – bass
Matt Peruzzi – drums
Tracklist:
War In Heaven
The Ballet Of Blood And Angels’ Tears
Once Invincible
Drink Our Blood
When Darkness Comes
Preys
A Man On A Mission
Go East
The Broken Past
Dice And Dancers
Lost
‘War In Heaven’ sets the stage with a symphonic and spoken introduction, enhanced by choirs. It just started the album for me, and I’m already smiling. As soon as the machine-gun-speed drumming and crystal-clear guitar licks begin at the start of the title track, I know this is going to be great.
Honestly, I shouldn’t be surprised. Vision Divine is one of Italy’s top-tier bands. Former members include the powerful vocalist Fabio Lione, Michele Luppi, and the exceptional drummer Mike Terrana. Considering these are just the former members and the band is still going strong 20 years after their debut, we need to focus on the constants.
The constant since day one is Olaf Thörsen (born Carlo Andrea Magnani). He is the founding member and guitarist whose vision for Vision Divine has never faltered, leading the band to release 9 albums, including this one. This is Ivan Giannini’s second album with the band, following 2019’s When All the Heroes Are Dead, and he fits the role perfectly. He sounds settled, comfortable, and delivers a powerhouse performance, making it seem like he’s been part of the band forever. Filling Lione’s shoes was a significant challenge, but Thörsen and Giannini have managed to maintain the band’s style and presentation.
‘Preys’ encapsulates what we expect from a Vision Divine album and fits perfectly around the halfway mark. The band shows they can slow it down when needed, with the piano-driven ‘A Man On A Mission’ being simply beautiful before leading into the epic ‘Go East.’
Guitars and drums dominate once more on ‘The Broken Past,’ bringing the Italian power metal force to the forefront. However, it’s the storytelling throughout that stands out, understanding that not every song needs to be at breakneck speed to be effective. The story works best when the audience can absorb it fully.
Once again, Vision Divine delivers on all fronts. Glorious.
Score 9/10
Reviewed by: Adrian Hextall
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