Band:	Vision Divine
Album:	Stream Of Consciousness
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	2004
A review by:	Malcolm

01. Chapter I Stream Of Unconsciousness
02. Chapter II The Secret Of Life
03. Chapter III Colours Of My World
04. Chapter IV In The Light
05. Chapter V The Fallen Feather
06. Chapter VI La Vita Fugge
07. Chapter VII Versions Of The Same
08. Chapter VIII Through The Eyes Of God
09. Chapter IX Shades
10. Chapter X We Are, We Are Not
11. Chapter XI Fool's Garden
12. Chapter XII The Fall Of Reason
13. Chapter XIII Out Of The Maze
14. Chapter XIV Identities

The reason I came in contact with Vision Divine was because Fabio Lione from Rhapsody was the singer there, so I checked them up and liked them a bit, but not as much I could say that I held them as a favourite, but I liked them.
But since the release of "Send Me an Angel" in 2002 it have been quite from Vision Divine, and I was afraid that maybe the guys had broken up and Vision Divine was history, but now I know it's not like that, even if it's happen some things since the release of "Send Me an Angel".

It was in 1998 the first chapter in the history of Vision Divine was written, as a solo-project by Olaf Thörsen (Labyrinth), he got the well-known singer Fabio Lione to join the project, with Olaf also worked with in the first Labyrinth album too.
But what Olaf didn't plan was that Vision Divine became more than just a solo-project, soon he found out that this was more of a band and he completed the line-up when he recruited the missing band members, Mat Stancioiu (Drums), Andrew McPauls (Keyboards) & Andrea "Tower" Torricini (Bass) joined and the first Vision Divine was complete.
And the band name is a mix between the first name on Labyrinth (Vision) and the title Olaf had in mind for the first solo album (Divine).
Then in the first three years of existence Vision Divine released 2 albums, "Vision Divine" in 1999 and "Send Me an Angel" in 2002.
And in the end of 2002 Olaf felt that the time had come, to make Vision Divine to his main band, so I quitted Labyrinth and gave all his time to Vision Divine.
But that wasn't good for all the members and do came also the first line-up changes, Mat & Andrew left the band and was soon replaced by Oleg Smirnoff (ex- Eldritch, now Death SS) on keyboards & Matteo Amoroso (ex- Athena) on drums.
And so did the guys stared to write material for the third album in 2003, but the problems wasn't over yet, after a while Fabio started to get problems with singing in 2 bands and after some months both Vision Divine and Fabio felt that it was for the best they guys started to look after a new singer, Michele Luppi (graduated in '98 from VIT in LA) was found and they recorded their third album, that's now released.

So what's to expect from Vision Divine now, with a new singer and 2 other new members?
Well, it's still Vision Divine, but of course, there have been some changes, mostly with Michele in front of the microphone, since he and Fabio is so different as singers.
Michele doesn't have the accent that many singers from Italy and Spain does, but you can sometimes hear that he's not English speaking from the birth.
And he does have some problems with the more emotional parts, but he in the other hand, his voice it's meant to sing in slower and more emotional parts, since it's to bright and screamy for that.

Musically there's a difference too, since the new keyboarder, Smirnoff writes all the music for the songs, it's a little different from what we are use to hear Vision Divine, the keyboards is now equal to the guitars, which I know will do that they lose some fans.
And the keyboards sounds isn't good all the time either, the computer alike sounds is very annoying from time to time.
So have that in mind before you listen to this, if you don't like keyboard driven music, this have be hard for you to accept.

But otherwise I find the "new" Vision Divine a pleasant surprise, with new singer and all I can't say I'm so disappointed, and Michele does a hell of a job too.
Even if it's bad that he can't handle the slower and emotional (ballads) parts, but you can't have everything here in life.
The only thing I can find here to complain on is that there isn't any song that got this really, REALLY, catchy chorus, all songs is good, but I would like one that's so much better than the others, that's hard to find here.
But for Michele, I give him a big thump up for his work here; I feel that Vision Divine almost gained on losing Fabio, cause Michele is really a good singer, really, really good.

And for the music, it's good, really good sometimes; with a nice doze of Heaviness and melody it's a great written album. Just one thing to complain on here too, the annoying, computer alike, keyboards sounds, please nothing of that for the next album, ok VD?

Overall, it's hard to point out a specific crowd that should buy this, but if I say, all that liked Olaf when he was in Labyrinth and for all fans of the other two Vision Divine releases, you can like this, if you have indulgence with the things mention above.
Otherwise I think that this is a good release that people should check up, some might find this the best release of the year, and I'm not saying you're wrong, but I don't think so, but I think we'll hear much greatness from Vision Divine in the future, rock on!

Favourite Songs: "The Secret of Life", "The Fallen Feather" & "Identities".