My Top 20 of 2012 – Number 19

Day two of my Top 20 of 2012 countdown.

If you missed day one, please check it out here.

Vision Divine
“Destination Set To Nowhere”
earMusic

My number 19 was a bit of a surprise if I’m entirely honest. Italian melodic metallers Vision Divine have released some decent material in the past (six albums worth in fact) which I have enjoyed in part but never got fully on board with. However, with ‘Destination Set To Nowhere’, the band have really upped the ante. In fact, it wasn’t just the ante that was upped – my eyebrows went north too!

The strengths with this album are a really powerful production, great choruses, gutsy riffing and fabulous vocals. Fabio Leone has returned and sounds better than ever, really taking the compositions to another level.

The progressive flourishes that typified Vision Divine’s early material have not been entirely abandoned but they now play a distinctly supporting role to some properly catchy and melodic anthems. This is definitely a case of a band finding it’s niche and playing to its strengths. The result is very fun indeed.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHLs6B6-7R4&w=560&h=315]

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMF0RwSr8dg&w=420&h=315]