Vanishing Point – Dead Elysium

Vanishing Point
Dead Elysium
AFM Records
August 28, 2020
59:41

More than six years, the Australians of Vanishing Point have their last long-player “Distant Is The Sun” have published.

Their sixth full-length album “Dead Elysium” is a revisit to the epic and bombastic sounds of soaring vocals, heavy guitars and mesmerizing orchestral elements.

So, you can read it in the press release of their label AFM Records. There is also talk of the “return to form for Australia’s most iconic melodic metal band”. Once again, the promoters did not skimp on big words. Who are Vanishing Point anyway? At least they shouldn’t be confused with the Japanese metal band of the same name. The band emerged from Eye (founded in the early 90s). Singer Silvio Massaro joined them later. In 1995, the band was renamed in Vanishing Point. In the same year the guitarist Chris Porcianko, who is still active today, joined them. Two years later the debut album “In Thought” appeared. Further publications were made at irregular intervals. Until February 2014. The time after that was obviously difficult for the band. A stable and complete lineup has only been around since this year. (Source: Encyclopaedia Metallum). And with this the sixth studio album has now been recorded.

The album starts with the title track “Dead Elysium”. After the piano intro, the Australians kick off. The popping riffs are accompanied by cheesy keyboard melodies. And that without a nominal keyboard player. The more astonishing is the rough and powerful voice of Silvio Massaro. Catchy melody lines dominate the sound of Vanishing Point, even with the guitar solos. Songs like “Count Your Days”, “The Fall” or “Free” also exude a lot of epic. “Salvus” sounds a bit darker here. There is a certain variety, especially in terms of rhythm, tone colour and instrumentation. Unfortunately, one looks in vain for a ballad on the album. There are ten rock hymns in the style of the 80s / 90s.

“Dead Elysium” is an album without any major highlights. Positive, but there is no failure among the songs either. The sound is clean and powerful, only the exuberantly used keys are annoying every now and then. But this is compensated for by the many good guitar solos. The main purpose of the songs should be to spread a good mood while listening. Not much is to be heard of the progressive orientation of earlier years. Instead a lot of timelessly beautiful melodic metal and rock melodies. The vocal performance is outstanding. All in all, one can speak of a successful comeback.

Vanishing Point – Dead Elysium (Official Lyric Video): https://youtu.be/nh0j-wIVqEs

Lineup:

Silvio Massaro – Vocals
Chris Porcianko – Guitars
James Maier – Guitars
Gaston Chin – Bass
Damien Hall – Drums

Track list:

• Dead Elysium
• Count Your Days
• To The Wolves
• Salvus
• The Fall
• Free
• Recreate The Impossible
• Shadow World
• The Healing
• The Ocean