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Vision Divine: When All The Heroes Are Dead
Vision Divine - When All The Heroes Are Dead Album Art Work

Vision Divine: When All The Heroes Are ...

Symphonic Melodic Power Metal
5.0/5.0

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Scarlet Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 23.10.2019 | Released: 25.10.2019

Opening our "Where Have They Been?" file cabinet, and we find Italy's Vision Divine making a return to the studio after a seven year hiatus. Formed as a solo project for guitarist Olaf Thorsen in 1998, Vision Divine drops their eighth album When All The Heroes Are Dead and features the band's newest members. Veteran metal drummer Mike Terrana (The Ferrymen, Rage, et al) joined Vision Divine in 2016, and Deridan vocalist Ivan Giannini came aboard in 2018.

Vision Divine - Click For Larger Image

Vision Divine

When All The Heroes Are Dead is a fine return to form for Vision Divine. Once more they deliver their epic and bombastic melodic and symphonic power metal tempered by fine melody and harmony, especially in the vocal arrangements. Giannini is strong vocalist who sings melodic and clean with some range. He needs his significant vocal power to rise above Vision Divine's dramatic arrangements. Additionally, those arrangements are swollen by Alessio Lucatti's synth orchestration and then peppered with spry keyboard embellishment and individual solos. The solos are often played in a tag team fashion with Olaf Thorsen's guitar solos and, as expected, his shredding is as epic as the power metal.

All these things are trademark Vision Divine musical ploys, but I found something else of interest. While most songs move briskly with power metal gusto, many songs are also moved by solid hard rock rhythm and groove. Put together with the other musical elements, the songs can be, well, simply catchy, nearing AOR accessibility. Combining assertive and speedy power metal with AOR accessibility may seem oxymoronic but, believe me, it's there. You'll certainly hear this within Fall From Grace and Were I God, two of my favorite songs, but also within the metal anthem, While The Sun Is Turning Black. Giannini is on fire in that song. You also get a taste of his range within The Nihil Propaganda. For a sample of Terrana significant drumming skills, check out The King Of The Sky, a furiously fast power metal tune. More traditional fast and heavy power metal arrives with The 26th Machine, 300, and Angel Of Revenge (a bonus track), all laced with terrific key and guitar solos.

Vision Divine is back and as powerful as ever. When All The Heroes Are Dead is tour de force of bombastic and entertaining melodic power metal from one of the masters of the genre. Easily recommended.


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The Bottom Line

Vision Divine is back and as powerful as ever. When All The Heroes Are Dead is tour de force of bombastic and entertaining melodic power metal from one of the masters of the genre. Easily recommended.

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