Vision Divine is a very productive band and again this year we are offered another fine slice of intelligent Power Metal. This is a band that somehow tries to redefine the more traditional Power Metal genre, going for a more innovative direction.
In a rather untraditional manner
The Perfect Machine opens the album with its almost eight minutes of comprehensive and challenging Metal. Favourite parts include the amazing opening keyboard thrills, the intense guitar/key solo duel, the technical bass passages and powerful refrain.
The tempo slows down as the harmonious key melody gets
1st Day Of A Never-ending Day into gear. The symphonic mid section works out OK and all taking into account this is a decent and healthy groovy composition.
The Ancestors' Blood throws in some well-adjusted aggressiveness while keeping things on the melodic side through splendid vocals and bright keyboard strokes.
A thunderous guitar solo from band founder and former
Labyrinth member Olaf Thorsen and advanced drum techniques give it a complex edge too. It's more than fair to evaluate this as both a diverse and outright brilliant creation.
With Michele Luppi the band has found a very interesting and super talented vocalist, brining a special dynamic and very harmonious style to the table, just listen to him sing the catchy chorus in
Land Of Fear.
While at it this is yet another great song, being very energetic and accessible.
Even though some songs have a clearer profile than others, they are all essential to the story and have several splendid elements.
God Is Dead lacks a more interesting chorus, but the evolving bass lines and futuristic key arrangements by maestro Oleg Smirnoff are immensely cool components.
Rising Sun slowly elevates to the sound of a jamming piano melody and transforms into an ingenious track with a diverse flow, giving room for all instruments to express a high level of creativity.
Atmospheric
acoustic guitar chords and a soft lead melody create a great placid mood in the beginning of the ballad
Here In 6048. The thrilling vocal line "
here in 6048, we all have lost our faith" has burnt itself into my brain and I catch myself singing it out loud quite often. always a sign of good music.
The heavy guitar riff fittingly breaks the song in two, growing into a more jamming approach towards the end.
The bands advanced form of Power Metal keeps things very interesting most of the time, being ingenious, progressive and still very forceful, as with the high tempo
The River. Powerful drumming and a hard driving rhythm guitar attack create a tight and massive wall.
A luring keyboard puts a gloomy veil around
Now That You've Gone, once again having a sweet progressive edge. Not the most thrilling ending chapter but the instrumental mid section is simply put clever music of extremely high calibre.
The songs are wrapped into a powerful and tight production, allowing fitting room for all instruments to come forward.
Every element from the stunning vocals, thrilling key arrangements, crunchy guitar parts and complex drumming to the striking bass lines are top class performances.
The concept raises some interesting issues about what we as humans could and should try to alter with technology; it's about emotions, belief, perfection and a search for better world. a nicely thought out concept.
The Perfect Machine follows nicely in the direction of last years Stream Of Consciousness, but it's more to the point and an inch catchier.
Overall a wisely selected collection of compromised quality metal.
Written by
Tommy Saturday, January 7, 2006
Show all reviews by TommyRatingsTommy: 7.5/10Members: No members have rated this album yet.
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