VISION DIVINE was born in 1998, originally intended as Olaf Thorsen's
solo project (Labyrinth's guitarist at the time). Very soon he starts
collaborating again with Fabio Lione (lead singer of Labyrinth on their
first album "No Limits" and current frontman of Rhapsody) and the solo
project rapidly turns into a real band, its name being a combination of
"Vision" -old Labyrinth's monicker when Olaf created the band- and
"Divine" -the title intended for Olaf's solo album. The line-up got
completed with Mat Stancioiu (drums), Andrew Mc Pauls (keyboards) and
Andrea Tower Torricini (bass). In 1999 their first studio album,
self-titled "VISION DIVINE", is released and immediately becomes a huge
hit. In 2001 the band starts writing and recording the new album, called
"SEND ME AN ANGEL", to be released in January 2002. At the end of that
same year Olaf decides to leave Labyrinth to focus exclusively on VD and
stop any annoying rumor about VISION DIVINE being considered a mere
"side project". In three years VD release two albums, and thanks to good
sales results the band starts touring around the world. We'd like to
mention the great South American Tour in December 2000, where for the
1st time an italian Heavy Metal band got the chance to headline sold-out
concerts in Argentina , Chile, Brasil , Panama and Mexico. in order to
give the band a more consistent and definitive identity, Mat Stancioiu
and Andrew Mc Pauls leave VD to play exclusively with Labyrinth, and get
replaced by Oleg Smirnoff on the keyboards (ex Eldritch and Death SS)
and Matteo Amoroso on drums (ex Athena). In 2003 the band begins the
songwriting for the third forthcoming album, when unfortunately Fabio
Lione's career with Rhapsody ( now Rhapsody of Fire) and his duties in
VISION DIVINE enter in conflict due to a new contract he had to sign (
together with all the other Rhapsody's members) with the management
Magic Circle. After a few months, they mutually agree to split in a
friendly way,so to give VD the chance of continuing their career without
having to stop for a long therm. The new singer to be chosen is Michele
Luppi, a highly skilled and talented guy. Now it is finally possible to
complete the last songs needed, so the new concept album gets recorded
and entitled "STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS" , released in April 2004. With a
brand new line-up and renewed ambitions the band cancels any previous
deal and joins Scarlet Records for distribution on Italian territory,
King Records for Japan and Metal Blade for the rest of the world. Surely
now nobody can say that VISION DIVINE is a "side project" anymore.
During 2004, VD bring their last album in tour, and after a year since
the release of "STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS", in April 2005, due to the
persistent demand by their record labels and their fans, the
bandaccepted to record its first live DVD. Then, after almost three
months, "STAGE OF CONSCIOUSNESS" is released, featuring on DVD the
successful "STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS" played live in its entirety.
Meanwhile, Olaf starts working hard on a new record (a concept album
again) in collaboration with Oleg Smirnoff and Michele Luppi. In October
2005, as the live DVD gets released in Japan , the band flies to the
Land of the Rising Sun for two incredible shows in Osaka and Tokio. The
fourth release of VD, "The Perfect Machine" (out in Japan in October and
in the rest of the world in November 2005) defines the maturity of the
band. Again, another huge success, also thanks to the supervision and
production of Timo Tolkki (Stratovarious). There are some further
changes in the line-up, and the new members are Alessio Lucatti
(keyboards), Cristiano Bertocchi (ex-Labyrinth,bass) and Alessandro
Bissa(drums). This band, which is tested onstage on various italian and
international gigs, gives life to the fifth album: "The 25th Hour",the
ideal follow-up to the story started with SOC.Vision Divine and the
great production skills of Timo Tolkki take us to the disclosure of
Stream of Consciousness' pending plots, the first chapter of what we
could call the mystic trilogy of Vision Divine!
In the middle of 2008 Fabio Lione rejoins the band after almost 5 years,
and in 2009 Vision Divine are ready to release their 6th studio
album,titled "9 degrees west of the moon", under the melodic label
Frontiers Records: a complex and dark album, in which the bands states
once and for all its will to be free from any particular metal genre,
accentuating their many influences which vary from hard rock to Trash
metal, across progressive arrangements. At the moment the band is
preparing the new tour which will bring them,once again, all around the
world.
Discography:
2009: "9 Degrees West of the Moon"
2007: "The 25th Hour"
2005: "The Perfect Machine"
2005: "Stage Of Consciousness" DVD
2004: "Stream of Consciousness"
2002: "Send me an Angel"
1999: "Vision Divine"
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