Labyrinth's 'In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye' - Album Review

Despite not being as involved with the Italian power metal scene as I probably should be, there are certain bands which have come out of Italy over the years that I really like. Most power and symphonic metal fans will certainly be aware of Rhapsody and all of its spin-offs/rebrands, and they are easily the kings of the Italian power metal scene, but I think it is fair to say that Labyrinth are not far behind. They may have never reached the commercial heights and international recognition that Rhapsody did, but in terms of the quality of their output I think that Labyrinth are similarly important - and they are well-respected in the power and progressive metal scenes as a result of their bombastic, melodic, and, at times, complex songwriting. There is a link, too, as long-time Rhapsody frontman Fabio Lione sang on Labyrinth's 1996 debut album No Limits - but was replaced the following year by Roberto Tiranti who has been the definitive face of Labyrinth ever since. 1998's Return to Heaven Denied is often seen as a real classic of the 1990s power metal scene - and 2000's Sons of Thunder which followed is another strong effort. The departure of guitarist Olaf Thörsen in 2002 so that he could focus on his other band Vision Divine led to a change of direction - and the next three albums saw the band take on a much tougher, more progressive sound. Italian power metal is often characterised by a somewhat romantic overall approach, with sweeping melodies, plenty of acoustic guitar interludes, and heartfelt ballads - but the band's mid-2000s output generally eschewed such for a riffier and crunchier sound. Thörsen returned in 2009, teaming up again with fellow guitarist Andrea Cantarelli, and Labyrinth returned to their classic sound - releasing Return to Heaven Denied - Part II: A Midnight Autumn's Dream in 2010. Following a few quiet years, during which time Tiranti was briefly out of the band, Labyrinth signed to Frontiers Records - and their current era got underway proper. With a new line-up built around Tiranti, Thörsen, and Cantarelli, the band released Architecture of a God (which I reviewed here) in 2017 and Welcome to the Absurd Circus (which I also reviewed here) in 2021. Whilst perhaps neither were as deliberate a hark back to the past as the 2010 release had been, both of the Frontiers-era albums had plenty of hallmarks of the band's classic sound - albeit with a bit of a heavier edge at times. Both are albums I listened to a lot when they were released, and reviewed positively, so when the news was released last year that a new Labyrinth album, the band's tenth overall, would be released in January 2025 I was happy to jump back aboard the train. I had not listened to the band much since Welcome to the Absurd Circus, so it has been great to reacquaint myself with Labyrinth over the past couple of weeks with In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye, the new album. Sound-wise, it is not all that different from the last two - but the arrangements are perhaps a little more straightforward. It feels less progressive, but it is still heavier overall than the band's classic work - despite plenty of classic Italian power metal tropes throughout.

It is the band's second album with the current line-up, too, with everyone from Welcome to the Absurd Circus returning. The lack of any kind of build up showcases the album's overall heaviness, and Welcome Twilight gets underway with a bit of a drum barrage - over which a mid-paced riff that could easily sit on a thrash album is soon added, before Oleg Smirnoff lays down a warm keyboard melody. The mixture of classic synth leads, smooth vocals, and crunchy riffs is a big part of this album - and Welcome Twilight is very much typical of the album's wider feel. Keyboard and guitar shredding fills the latter part of the song's intro, before drummer Matt Peruzzi starts to lay into his double bass drums and the first verse gets underway. The rest of the song is generally fast-paced, with both the verses and the chorus feeling high-octane in that classic power metal fashion. Tiranti sings in his typically theatrical manner, though, adding some smoothness to the fast-paced riffing beneath him. He sounds as good as ever here. He perhaps does not go for as many high notes as he used to, but this romantic tone and sense of melody remains - and the song's chorus is packed with classic power metal hooks despite the fast pace. Not everything here is as fast, but this opening song is very much a classic power metal rager - and this is build on later with plenty of shredding guitar soloing by Thörsen and Cantarelli. Latin lyrics sung in a choral fashion later add some symphonic metal flair - but this moment is fleeting and the overall tone does not shift that significantly. Accept the Changes is somewhat similar - opening with a strident mid-paced riff and some shredded guitar leads, all while some dense keyboards add plenty of depth. This track is not as consistently fast as the opening cut, though, but there remains plenty of fast double bass playing early on - and the verses are similarly speedy. Some of the riffing early on feels a bit groovier than Labyrinth's core sound, which reminds me somewhat of their mid-2000s albums, but the track is much more dynamic overall - with slower sections which are filled with acoustic guitars, floaty keyboards, and Tiranti's romantic approach to singing. The chorus is fast, too, but the strong keyboard presence strips away some of the heaviness and there are plenty of sweet vocal harmonies - which build on the more acoustic-based pre-chorus. There is a lot of the band's classic sound here, then, despite some groovier riffing - and Tiranti really comes into his own with some smooth vocal melodies and the occasional high-pitched scream. Out of Place opens in a much slower manner, with acoustic guitar arpeggios and aching guitar leads - over which Tiranti soon starts to sing. Slower song openings like this are a real staple of the Italian power metal scene - and following two faster tracks something a bit more slow-burning is welcome. There is still plenty of crunch, with the chorus morphing the song into a mid-paced track with a strident guitar backing and heroic vocals - but generally the song feels a bit more power ballad-esque with a more atmospheric approach thanks to the acoustic guitars and synth backing. Songs like this always bring the best out of Tiranti as he gets plenty of space in the mix to showcase his warmth - whilst the chorus is still powerful. An emotional guitar solo is later included, too, which caps things off nicely.

At the Rainbow's End returns to the faster pace of the opening couple of songs, but the warmth of the previous song is also retained. The riffing does not feel as furious overall, with the slight thrash and groove elements reduced, and a more traditional power metal sound is instead established. There is a lot more keyboard in the mix this time, which likely helps with this aim. There is always a synth backing throughout this album, but there are keyboard leads and melodies this time - with the verses feeling bulked out with some flashy keyboard runs and the chorus backed by strong synths. The chorus is one of the smoothest and hookiest on the album overall in my opinion - and there is a great bridge section later on which reintroduces some of the acoustic guitars from the previous song, before launching into a precise and melodic guitar solo. It is a song which is very typical of the band's classic sound, then, and it could have sat nicely on any of their 1990s albums. The Right Side of This World is somewhat similar overall, although there is something of a classic rock strut throughout which helps to set it apart. The main guitar hook is very much classic power metal in sound - but the riffing here feels a bit more 1970s inspired. Peruzzi's drumming is a bit more restrained here, with less reliance on his double bass drums and more straightforward beats to match the rhythm guitars - despite plenty of lengthy and busy fills. The relatively simpler arrangement allows Nik Mazzucconi's bass playing to feel a bit more prominent, too, and his rumble underpins the crunch of the while track - whilst the Smirnoff provides plenty of counter-melodies with his string patches, particularly during the chorus. The more straight ahead arrangement allows for plenty of space in the mix for Tiranti's vocals, too, and he soars during the chorus - whilst the two guitarists trade leads during the later solo section. The Healing slows things down again, opening with acoustic guitars and a strange percussive loop - before a soaring guitar lead kicks in and a memorable intro section is filled with emotional playing. There are similarities here with Out of Place and the song feels like another power ballad at times - although there is perhaps a little more weight here, with the chorus feeling a little bigger and the presence of plenty of guitar leads is welcome. The verses are more acoustic-based, though, with some busy bass playing to add depth, so the song is another strong representation of that classic Italian sound. There is a bit of a heavier instrumental section later on - but even that does not meet the thrashy heights of parts of the album. Heading for Nowhere does return to a much heavier sound, though, despite some flashy synths, and parts of this song are the heaviest the album have sounded up to this point. There is a fast, thrashy riff early on which sounds like early Megadeth, which sees Peruzzi going all out, but the song is not consistently such - as the verses feel a bit more restrained before things speed up again for a faster chorus which is filled with flashy synth additions. The contrasts between all of the different sections help to create a dynamic and interesting song - which seems to take little bits from each era of the band. I really like the heavier riffing here, but the smoother chorus and Smirnoff's busy lead playing throughout is classic Labyrinth - so the song is a real highlight for me.

Mass Distraction reins in some of the speed of the previous track, with the band instead going for more of a mid-paced, strident power metal sound. The drumming is less busy here, but the verses are packed with more complex bass playing to keep the arrangement interesting. Like The Right Side of This World, there is something of a classic rock feel to some of the riffing and grooves - whilst some of the short bursts of double bass drumming utilised feel like double bass rolls from the early 1980s. The song has a real old-school feel, then, despite plenty of crunch remaining. The chorus is very melodic, packed with plenty of Tiranti's usual feel, but there is perhaps something of an AOR bent to some of the melodies which help to set the song apart. The overall feel is not hugely different - but the chorus certainly feels more blatant than is sometimes the case for Labyrinth. It is one that sticks in the brain, then, and there is plenty of prominent keyboard playing throughout to help add to this overtly melodic sound. The album's penultimate song, To the Son I Never Had, is another which slows things down somewhat. The acoustic guitars remain and the opening guitar lead really soars in a manner similar to many of the band's best slower tracks of the past. It is the third power ballad-esque track on the album and like the previous two there is plenty of emotional weight throughout. Tiranti really delivers the lyrics with passion here - and that has always been one of Labyrinth's big selling points. It is quite typical in the Italian power metal scene, but Labyrinth have always been the best at creating these emotional vibes in their slower songs - with the romantic acoustic guitars and delicate piano melodies sitting nicely alongside heavier guitars and massive vocal hooks. There are riffier moments here, and an instrumental section later on feels a little more symphonic thanks to some dramatic keyboards - but this soon gives way to a great guitar solo which plays around with some of the vocal melodies to really add to the song's emotional weight. It helps that the chorus here is another winner and the song is another overall highlight for me. The album then comes to a close with Inhuman Race, a track opens with quite a lengthy instrumental section - setting the scene with crunchy riffs and quite lengthy keyboard and solos. The song is not as heavy as some of the tracks here, but it is certainly quite a potent one - with Dream Theater-esque riffing at times during the lengthy intro and a snappy verse which has an urgency to it and plenty of double bass drumming. There is something pretty heroic about the whole thing, too. Tiranti's vocal melodies generally feel pretty anthemic, particularly during the chorus, and the headbanging riffing just gives the song a hooky feel which is a bit different from the band's usual approach to such. It is a bombastic track, then, with lots of additional keyboard melodies - and towards the end there is some spoken word relating to the war in Ukraine which further sets the song apart from Labyrinth's usual themes. The tougher yet melodic song ends the album on a high, though, and, overall, the quality here is high. Labyrinth might not be one of the biggest bands but the quality of their output is high - and In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye is no different. It is a great addition to the band's canon and it mixes elements of all of their eras together nicely whilst maintaining a classic Italian sheen throughout. Memorable songwriting and fiery solos are what the album offers - and all power metal fans should check it out.

The album was released on 24th January 2025 via Frontiers Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Welcome Twilight.