Stranger Vision is a power metal band from Italy formed in 2019, releasing their debut album ‘Poetica’ in 2021 and sophomore album ‘Wasteland’ in 2022…
…featuring twelve heavy-hitting songs over an enthralling one hour of power! Right out the gate, the band are in an anticipative mood with the minute tension-fuelled intro ‘At The Gates’ setting one hell of an electrifying atmosphere – the album storming into life proper with the blistering title song ‘Wasteland’ – featuring guest vocals from Blind Guardian singer Hansi Kursch. The pace, power, and oomph of ‘Wasteland’ (the song) is phenomenal, the weighty barrage of metal the stuff to turn heads and make listeners take notice of an incredibly infectious opening salvo. Chiming in at a more sedate pace and with much more melodic intent, ‘Handful Of Dust’ is a meld of mid-tempo power metal, hard rock, and hymn-like leanings – the band maintaining the incredible infectious level they began the album with.
Hitting harder than anything heard so far, ‘The Road’ is a swashbuckling swagger of heavy power metal – Stranger Vision intent on giving the metal heads of the world something special to headbang to. After all, the album has been totally head bang-able so far, with all the signs that every remaining song will invoke the same (involuntary) response! Crashing in like an in-flight wrecking ball, ‘Desolate Sea’ is a devastating metaller with top-notch punch and power. A little more aggressive than all the previous songs, ‘Desolate Sea’ will increase the vigorousness of head banging and the force of fists punching the air. ‘Anthem For Doomed Youth’ is an anthemic heavyweight, bordering on hymn-like balladry – unsure of whether to hold my lighter aloft, raise my fist high in the air, or join a choir! Maybe all three! But whichever I may choose, the band hasn’t broken the insanely high infectious intent of the album to this point. Just incredible.
With a mellowness not heard so far, ‘Under Your Spell’ gracefully glides in like a cloud floating by on a summer’s day. And this time the band do land in ballad country, so as is the done thing when you’re here, raise your lighters high in the air and sway from side to side as the band gently strolls on by. Hitting with the heaviest feel of the album so far, ‘Fire’ is almost doom-laden in its approach – imagine a mix of Dio and Black Sabbath with a power metal ambience! The mid-tempo march is impressive, the mighty swagger something to be afraid of, with the sheer menace oozing from ‘Fire’ scaring some listeners just a little bit. Stranger Vision has been mixing up the styles of metal all album long, jumping genres like a hurdler jumps hurdles! And they continue to do so with the symphonically tinged ‘Neverending Waves’. A gloriously crafted instrumental, ‘Neverending Waves’ is a delightful drive of heavy power metal.
Now for one of the most melodic and hard rocking songs on offer, ‘The Deep’ – featuring a guest vocal performance by Evergrey singer/guitarist Tom S. Englund – has an infectious head nodding, foot tapping, and smile-inducing swagger. The poise of ‘The Deep’ is incredible, maintaining the album’s insanely high infectious level – which began ages ago and hasn’t dipped once. And whoa – the pace and power of ‘The Thunder’ is magnificent, the band storming on with a furious flourish that is just beyond amazing. Stranger Vision has kept pushing the intensity to the surface, even during the album’s sole ballad, but for ‘The Thunder’ the band has broken through and let the intensity loose, to roam wildly as it basks in the glory of an outside atmosphere! Bringing the album to a close is the two-and-a-half minute serene prayer-like ‘Peace: The Mad Jester And The Fisher King’. Very mellow and dream-like, the band end their second album in a warm-down mood.
Overall, power metal thunder meets melodic heavy metal in an emphatic style, creating an infectious and highly addictive listening experience.
TRACKLIST
At The Gates
Wasteland
Handful Of Dust
The Road
Anthem For Doomed Youth
Desolate Sea
Under Your Spell
Fire
Neverending Waves
The Deep
The Thunder
Peace: The Mad Jester And The Fisher King
Stranger Vision: Facebook
Release Year: 2022
Label: Pride & Joy Music
Category: Album
Country: Italy
Reviewed by Iron Mathew for Frenzy Fire, and Metal-Roos.
