Founder/guitarist Olaf Thorsen and former Labyrinth “paeseano” Fabio Lione (vocalist of Rhapsody fame) have reunited on the sixth Vision Divine platter, produced once more by Timo Tolkki (ex-Stratovarius). Unlike a decade ago, the compositions forego the galloping power metal pace synonymous with Italian outfits of that era (OK, maybe ‘The Streets Of Laudomia’), preferring a more refined, progressive vibe. In the search to quantify the oft-subtle differences between the sub-genres, to these ears at least, prog tends to be more laidback and utilize keyboards (synth, piano, etc.), bordering on excess, to the detriment of guitars.

An over simplification, but that said, “9 Degrees West Of The Moon” is firmly in the prog category. The final third of ‘Fading Shadow’ features a spirited exchange between Thorsen’s six-string and the keyboards. European copies will include an eleventh/bonus cut, the demo version of said song. The template seems to be a pseudo-operatic Dream Theater (see snippets of female aria), although most of the tracks stay around five minutes. An aptly entitled ‘The Killing Speed Of Time’ sees stretches where the dust is pounded off the drumheads. Symphonic strings show (briefly) on ‘Fly’ and the disc concludes with a cover of Judas Priest’s ‘Touch Of Evil’.