Melbourne Based Melodic Metallers’ Vanishing Point return with their sixth studio album Dead Elysium on August 28th via Octane Records.
The album features a healthy dosage of formidable vocals, intricate guitar wizardry and orchestral arrangements to signal Vanishing Point are back with a strong intent. The Australians first came to prominence in 1997 with their first full length LP In Thought to much critical- acclaim, which catapulted them into the limelight with high profile support slots along titans such as Nightwish, Edguy, Sonata Artica, Joe Satriani and the mighty Iron Maiden. The exposure earned them the special achievement as the first unsigned band to appear at Wacken Open Air, before they soon disappeared, following the successful Distant is the Sun in 2014. Fortunately, the band have made a triumphant return with renewed vigour and some tales to tell.
The self- titled opener marks an important message to those loyal fans wondering whatever happened to them. The bombastic orchestral elements, machine gun- style drumming and piano –laden intro states Vanishing Point’s aims for the resulting ten tracks ahead.
Count the Days continues a similar trend with vocalist Silvio Massaro mesmerises with a towering presence over mesmerising keyboards, heavy drums and double guitar harmonic assault.
The Fall is an emotional track, I believe, is about the notion of moving on. The voice timbre has more versatility and rawness that attacks the heartstrings. The double guitar solos play off one another like a gunfight in a wild western.
The Healing is another heavy blend of aggressive drumming, soaring melodies and passionate singing replete with dizzying levels of notes and phrasing on guitar that is well- structured to feel like the listener is on the verge of the album’s impending end.
And Finally. The Ocean completes the comeback with an outpouring of sentimentality with this riff- driven song, multi- layered with symphonic stylings and huge chorus.
Dead Elysium is an album that shows Vanishing Point will not be going away anytime sooner. There are parts that feel like they are one long song, but the writing and presentation provides the strengths for hardened fans and new listeners to enjoy.
7/10
TRACKLIST
Dead Elysium
Count Your Days
To The Wolves
Salvus
The Fall
Free
Recreate The Impossible
Shadow World
The Healing
The Ocean
