lukretion Formed in 1998 as a collaboration between Olaf Thörsen (Labÿrinth’s guitarist) and Fabio Lione (Rhapsody of Fire’s and former Labÿrinth’s singer), Vision Divine are a sort of Italian power metal supergroup. In fact, in addition to Thörsen and Lione, the band’s initial line-up comprised two more Labÿrinth’s musicians, Mattia Stancioiu (drums) and Andrea De Paoli (keyboards), as well as bass player Andrea Torricini from relatively lesser-known Italian power metal act Shadows of Steel (where Andrea De Paoli also played).

Based on the curricula of the musicians involved, it would be easy to assume that Vision Divine sound like a mix between Labÿrinth and Rhapsody of Fire. But that would be wrong. Although there are obvious similarities to Labÿrinth (which is inevitable, given that the two bands share 3/5 of their members), it is quite clear that, with Vision Divine, Olaf Thörsen and Fabio Lione were trying to pursue a different sound relative to their respective “main” bands. Power metal lies certainty at the core of Send Me An Angel, but the album also explores different influences, ranging from progressive metal to – perhaps more shockingly- 1980s pop/rock, as the inclusion of A-ha’s 1985 classic “Take on Me” also illustrates.

Generally speaking, the album contains two types of songs. On the one hand, we have a handful of tracks that follow quite closely the stylings of the classic speed/power metal sound, with fast-paced, double-bass drumming, crunchy but melodic guitar riffs, and epic, operatic vocals rich in vibrato and full of pathos. Songs like “Away from You”, “Apocalypse Coming” and “Flame of Hate” is where Vision Divine are most reminiscent of Labÿrinth and similarly-oriented speed/power metal acts. These are also the songs that I find least impressive, as personally I do not feel that they add much to what other bands, including Labÿrinth, were already doing at the time.

Things get considerably more interesting when Vision Divine incorporate in their sound subtle 1980s Euro pop/rock influences, such as on “Send Me an Angel”, “Pain”, “Black & White” and the instrumental “Nemesis”. These influences are perhaps most prominent in Andrea De Paoli’s retro-futuristic keyboard tones that bring to mind bands like Europe (which Vision Divine had covered on their debut album with the classic anthem “The Final Countdown”). The combination of 80s pop/rock glamour and power metal grit – channeled through Lione’s shouted vocals and Thörsen’s powerful melodic riffage, work like a charm, especially when the songwriting also explores slightly unusual solutions, hinting at sly prog metal ambitions. In “Pain”, the pre-chorus surprises with a sudden slow-down in tempo and very melodic vocal lines, before the song picks up again its bludgeoning tempo and riffage. “Black & White” offers again tempo changes aplenty as well as interesting dynamics and excellent interplays between Lione and female singer Ale Gatti. I also love the unexpected keyboard break that follows the first chorus of this song, as well as Lione’s Dickinson-esque vocals on the last part of the choruses. The instrumental “Nemesis” is another favourite of mine, with its keyboard deluge and that recurring, percussive guitar/keyboard riff that for some reason reminds me of the theme song of the movie Rocky.

I wish Vision Divine would have embraced this direction more fully through the whole album, instead of regularly returning to a more standard power metal sound in about half of the songs. In a way, it almost feels like Thörsen and Lione wanted to play it safe, anchoring the album in a sound they knew fans of Labÿrinth and Rhapsody would be comfortable with, instead of embracing full on the more interesting – but risky – 1980s pop/rock leanings they experimented with in the other half of the songs (that A-ha cover being perhaps the most daring experiment of all!).

To these ears, this playing it safe is mildly disappointing and it also makes for a slightly disjointed album overall. However, this does not detract too much from the album’s strengths, which are many – from the excellent production with good balance between guitars and keyboards, to strong performances across the board. Overall, with Send Me An Angel, Vision Divine consolidate their status as a supergroup that is more than just the sum of its parts and whose reason to exist is not mere commercial exploitation of what at the time were the most prominent brand names in the Italian power metal arena. Viewed through this lens, it’s hard not to see Send Me An Angel as a resounding success.