No sparkly bits
I struggled with this a bit at first until I started down the analogy path; nothing makes a writer's life easier than a good analogy or even, as in my case, a mediocre one.
Think of your favourite film, straight away there will be certain bits that stick out in your mind, whether it's Light Sabres in Star Wars, Indiana Jones shooting the sword guy or the bit in Jaws when the head rolls out of the boat. Whatever your favourite film is, there will something that lifts that film above the other thousand or so films you've seen in your life.
These are the sparkly bits, shining moments that stick in your mind and when you experience them for the first time they dilate your pupils and quicken your pulse, but the best bit is they continue to do so the next time and the time after that.
What's my point? I'll make it at the end, that's another thing writers do, they work out how they're going to end long before they get there and then just steer you towards it.
Vanishing point are melodic metal from Australia, as soon as I saw the album cover I thought of Kamelot as it features a blindfolded violinist looking a bit goth and standing in the sea, it makes no sense at all and looks really cool so a winner there. They must have been gutted when Kamelots Ghost Opera came out with the same idea on the cover though.
Well they don't have Kamelots galloping style so I'll stop the comparison right here; they have a keyboard heavy sound with fine musicianship and I imagine they come over pretty heavy live, as it is the cd production takes a lot of the heaviness away but you can hear where it would have been so like I said they'll rock live. A lot of the songs would be right at home with the radio and television people as they're not going to ruffle any feathers, they're just consumable.
The songs are all well written and the production is good if a little on the toothless side, a bit more punch may have made this stick out more. I tried turning it up really loud which usually helps but this time it didn't, it was just the same but louder.
Now the point, there is nothing wrong with this album, it's well made in every way, good performances, songs and production. Hell it even has a good cover, so why have I only given it an eight? There are no sparkly bits. I had to keep bringing my attention back to this album as my thoughts would drift off, songs would run together and nothing stuck out to make you pay attention. It's like all the good films I've seen that never make it onto my favourite films list. Maybe a bit more power in the production would have helped and the odd over the top blinding guitar solo wouldn't have gone amiss.
Vanishing Point have produced a good solid album that doesn't demand anything of the listener. However I think it would have been better if it did.
http://www.vanishing-point.com.au/