Album Review: Vanishing Point - Dead Elysium

Sometimes you have a thought that seems like a momentary joke, until you find yourself returning to it again and again, unable to shake the fact that a throw-away aside conjured up something closer to the truth than you would like to admit. Judgments are not always deliberated over, carefully constructed from time and deep thought. We often go with our gut reaction, and let a feeling become hardened into a truth. That happened to me when I was listening to this Vanishing Point album. I was trying to think of what it reminded me of, and there was an obvious answer, but then I joked to myself something more ridiculous. By the time I sat down to write this review, that one was all I could think of.

Vanishing Point is a melodic metal band with a few progressive tendencies, and a deeper-voiced singer than most. Because of that, they sound a fair bit like a band whose album I was very fond of called Ascendia. They are more straight-forward, but striking the same tone. That comparison made sense, and was a point in their favor. And then I thought to myself that with the vocal tone, they also sound a bit like if Revolution Saints was a metal band. It was supposed to be a joke, but as more songs came and went, I could hear the AOR influence in some of the melodies, and my flippant remark rang more and more true.

Essentially, what I get out of "Dead Elysium" is a feeling of metallic AOR, featuring a deeper and raspier vocalist. Given that the relative (for lack of a better term) wimpiness of AOR is what keeps me from embracing that genre, this combination is the sort of thing that sounds intriguing to me. The music here is melodic, and it's often compelling, with the lack of brightness keeping things from sounding too saccharine and cloying. It's easy to take this kind of music and go too far into sappy and hokey territory, but the nature of Silvio Massaro's voice anchors the sound in a far more emotive register. In that sense, there are echoes of Evergrey's "Torn" album.

The one issue I have is that like so many modern albums, this one is crying out for some dynamics. The melodies don't have room in the mix to pop, because everything is running full blast all the time. Even when the band is supposed to be a bit softer, every inch of the sonic space is filled up, and I find myself wanting a bit of breathing room. This style isn't super heavy or involved, so it doesn't need to be pushed so aggressively.

And with these ten songs averaging roughly six minutes apiece, that lack of dynamics becomes difficult to ignore. The quality of the record doesn't diminish in the second half, but my enjoyment did, because I could start to feel myself growing tired, and a headache beginning to take root. I liked the music, but I didn't find myself wanting to listen to it, because the production was not inviting. I realize that sensitivity is not shared by all, or maybe even by many.

Vanishing Point definitely has something to offer, and there's a lot of good music on this album. I'm probably not going to be coming back to it as often as I might like to, but that shouldn't stop you. "Dead Elysium" is a very good melodic metal album I wouldn't hesitate to give a chance.