LABYRINTH – In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye

RELEASE YEAR: 2025
BAND URL: https://www.facebook.com/labyrinthitaly

Truth be told, I was never really a huge fan of this Italian progressive power metal outfit as I found many of their earlier discs somewhat lacking in substance and longevity, or at least that is how it was for several years from my perspective. Having said that, their 2021 opus titled Welcome to the Absurd Circus did the trick for me as it contained plenty of great ideas and suitably lofty songs. Since then, I have been looking forward to some new material by these talented gentlemen, and I am pleased to report that In the Vanishing Echoes of Goodbye is generally a rather robust and enjoyable slice of epic heavy metal that is cleverly crafted and deftly executed.

Filled to the brim with galloping riffs, Maiden-esque solos, and soaring vocals, the opening track titled “Welcome Twilight” immediately lets you know that we have ventured into the prog-esque land of Labyrinth. There is a strong melodic flair to the varied material that sets this output apart from its predecessors, and it is interesting to note and experience how it balances fierce aggression and subtle melancholy so splendidly throughout. The record is occasionally over the top and oftentimes packed to the rafters with drama but it neither feels outright pompous nor annoyingly pretentious, and its sonic grandeur has a certain charm and appeal to this scribe. “To the Son I Never Had” and “Out of Place” are meandering exercises that lack passion and offer little to appreciate in that they fail to stir the senses, and the closer “Inhuman Race” is not the fitting climactic ending that the disc calls for, but the rest of the album is colorfully propulsive and entertaining. Highlights include “Accept the Changes,” “The Right Side of the World,” “The Healing,” and the instantly accessible “Mass Distraction.”