VISION DIVINE – Destination Set To Nowhere [2-CD Ltd. Edition] (2012)

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Italian founding member, guitarist and lyricist of Labyrinth Olaf Thörsen (real name Carlo Andrea Magnani) started VISION DIVINE as a side project, and over the years become his main band.

“Destination Set To Nowhere” is the group’s seventh album, and what an impactful one it is.

Influenced by the the greats Helloween, Vision Divine plays elaborated Prog Metal with a symphonic and power metal touch led by Thorsen’s sharp riffs & solos and Fabio Lione’s impressive vocal skills.

Lione is one of the best and most requested singers in the genre, having worked recently for Rhapsody and Kamelot, and although I don’t like much the aforementioned bands, his performance in Vision Divine is nothing short than brilliant.

Both are perfectly complemented by Alessio Lucatti’s versatile keyboard fills, not reduced to accents or simply symphonic layers, he is really a fundamental part in Vision Divine’s sound.

“Destination Set To Nowhere” is some kind of a sci-fi tale about humanity forsaking Earth and it’s problems, and hoping to begin again on a new world. The lyrics glue solidly with the music on offer, sometimes expressing a sophistication that take Vision Divine into towering altitudes with slight similarities to Dream Theater and alikes.

They build songs around a sing-along styled choruses and there are plenty of catchy elements to hook your ear. But with the progressive elements (mainly futuristic keyboards, zig-zagged progressive rhythms and complex guitar work) the more traditional metal sounds are dropped, giving it a more science-fiction, modern atmosphere as opposed to the – at this point – boring medieval orientated feel that a lot of power metal bands use.

There’s also more melancholic and melodic elements added to the music by the lead guitars and more notably, the orchestral backgrounds.

Vision Divine is one of the best bands in the scene combining Prog Metal with Power, profound technical abilities with catchiness and bite with melody.

Musically, “Destination Set To Nowhere” is intense, delivering clever riffing, passionate rhythms, great keyboards layers and miscellaneous drumming. On top of those all, there are the magnificent vocal lines by a voice that is so smooth and clear but also has its own deadly Hyde creeping from its cage from time to time.

I can’t really break this tracklist into lone tracks because I believe this entire release is something that you ought to experience in full.

Production & mix is excellent, giving air and space to the juicy arrangements that Vision Divine put on the table in this impeccable recording.

This Limited Edition includes a bonus CD with reworked songs of the band’s past albums, a great opportunity for new listeners to discover this creative act, as said, one of the best in the Prog / Melodic Power Metal scene.

Recommended.

CD1 : Destination Set To Nowhere

01. S’io Fosse Foco

02. The Dream Maker

03. Beyond The Sun And Far Away

04. The Ark

05. Mermaids From Their Moons

06. The Lighthouse

07. Message To Home

08. The House Of The Angels

09. The Sin Is You

10. Here We Die

11. Destination Set to Nowhere

CD 2 : Re-Recorded Best Of

01. New Eden

02. Vision Divine

03. Send Me An Angel

04. Taste Of A Goodbye

05. The Fallen Feather

06. La Vita Fugge

07. The Perfect Machine

08. God Is Dead

09. The 25th Hour

10. Voices

11. Gutter Ballet (Savatage cover)

Fabio Lione – Vocals

Olaf Thörsen – Guitars

Andrea Torricini – Bass

Alessio Lucatti – Keyboards

Federico Puleri – Guitars

Alessandro Bissa – Drums

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www.amazon.com/Destination-Set-Nowhere-Vision-Divine/dp/B008NR91NO