Review by: Simon Milburn - Metal Forge Webzine - 2006

West Australian metal act produce top notch debut

Guitarist Grant Burns and vocalist Jack Wolski are the brains behind Vespers Descent. Starting out as a four piece in mid 2001 with bassist Andrew Doepel and drummer Mark Boeijin on board, things were soon underway with their first demo and numerous local shows under their belt as they landed a couple of high profile support slots opening for Mayhem and Opeth in 2003. Their first official release, an EP titled Three Faces Of Eve, received praise around the country as the now five piece (thanks to the addition of guitarist Shannon Over) continued touring before the band parted ways with Doepel and recruited Pathogen bassist Dave Sandstrom. The band bunkered down in Sovereign Studios with Pathogen guitarist Aidan Barton behind the desk in early 2005 to record their debut effort Visions In Verse.

There are strong vibes along the lines of Dark Tranquillity that appear on Visions In Verse and they start with the opening track Dissent. It's a solid slab of Swedish inspired melodic death metal that also shows traces of Soilwork as well. But as the album progresses to Cardinal Red and Plains Of Azure Light, the Soilwork-isms diminish and the melody and dynamics a-la Dark Tranquillity come to the surface a little more to give these songs even more character as they are belted out with biting gravel-munching vocals that blur the lines somewhere between Carcass' Jeff Walker and Dark Tranquillity's Mikael Stanne. Measures Of Control doesn't stack up as strongly after the melodic guitar parts and soft acoustic midsection of Beyond The Pale.

Wedged in the middle of three strong flowing tracks, the beautiful acoustic sounds of Casa de Meurte provides the perfect interlude between the strong melodic death metal vibe of A Quantum Prayer and All That Remains and their perfect balance of aggression and melody. The clean vocals throughout the sombre chorus of Stranglehold show a different side to Wolski's vocal ability before both Severed and The Cleansing deliver more Swedish influenced melodic death metal with the odd Carcass flavour here and there. It should come of no surprise to see a Carcass cover pop up and Vespers Descent pull off a blistering cover of This Mortal Coil (which originally featured on Carcass' 1993 Heartwork album) that is crushingly true to the original to close out the album.

Vespers Descent has put together an absolute winner with Visions In Verse. From beginning to end (excluding the Carcass cover), the eleven original tracks deliver a quality helping of melodic death metal with the odd thrash and death metal overtones. The Carcass cover is a bonus! This one is a must for fans of melodic death metal as this one is sure to be a firm step in Vespers Descent's rise to the forefront of Australia's thriving metal scene.

Review source: Vespers Descent - Vision In Verse Review

Review by: Pyro - Pyromusic Webzine - 2006

*grin* I am impressed. Utterly. 2003 saw the release of the 24-minute, 5-track 'Three Faces Of Eve' EP, on which a band going by the name of Vespers Descent gleamed with potential and promise, while delivering a very solid, just-shy-of-great selection of memorable Melodic Death Metal cuts. 'Visions In Verse', at twice the length, and tenfold the quality, Vespers Descent have stepped it up on all fronts, delivering a devastating debut.

I'm quick to tire of most Melodic Death Metal these day. In fact, I've been brushing it off for a number of years. Not by any fault of the bands playing said style, simply due to an oversaturation of the genre. It's hard to ignore and impossible to avoid. In order to really grab me, a band needs to have an edge, something to elevate them above he sea of other, similar sounding outfits. Vespers Descent are one of the small handful of bands with that defining ascendancy in their sound. The vivid fluency and overall tightness of the album can't hurt either. 'Dissent' provides the first taste of Vespers Descent, opening 'Visions In Verse' with concise dual melodic riffs, thumping drums and a galloping sense of grandeur. Later in the piece we're treated to huge, crunching riffs and a soaring solo which really define the track. 'Cardinal Red' ensues, with a frenetic and sinister atmosphere before an early highlight, 'Plains Of Azure Light'. Commencing with 15 seconds of blackened riffs, thereafter consumed by thick melody and gritty vocals, the thrash-paced offering lulls just past the halfway mark and with the assistance of pounding drums and absent vocals, builds up to another awesome solo which is thickened by backing rhythm guitar. Carcass fans will be quick to spot 'This Mortal Coil' rounding the album off, adding further value to the album is the inclusion of a video for 'Cardinal Red'.

You should have the general picture by now so I will simply summarise and elaborate. Take one part Melodic Death Metal,one part originality, a splash of Black Metal (primarily in vocal deliver), a touch of Thrash, add tight production, great musicianship, pungent axe-work, strong songwriting and variety and you have 'Visions In Verse'. The vastly refined and improved updates of the early incarnations of material that appeared on 'Three Faces Of Eve' are testament to the leaps and bounds taken by the bands these last couple of years. 'Visions In Verse' is as excellent as it is refreshing. I can't recommend it highly enough for Melodic Death Metal fans.If the trend of improvement continues with their next full length, look out.

Review source: Vespers Descent - Vision In Verse Review

Review by: Adam L. - Deadtide Webzine - 2006

Vespers Descent are a Swedish melodic death metal band from Australia. (Yup, you read that correctly) After touring in support of metal greats such as Mayhem and Opeth, this, their debut fell-length album, puts them squarely in my play rotation with them. Vespers Descent plays an excellent strain of the melodic death metal virus that sounds remarkably like a cross between "Genesis"-era Rotting Christ and "A Predator's Portrait"-era Soilwork, with more than a touch of Omnium Gatherum thrown in.

Vocalist Jack Wolski dispenses his well-crafted lyrics through a remarkably Sakis(Rotting Christ)-like throaty rasp, perfectly accentuating the beautiful dual melodic guitar charge of Shannon Over and Grant Burns. Dave Sandstrom's bass is not lost in the mix, as can be the tendency in guitar-centered bands; instead it gives the guitars a stage on which to work, and it takes the lead in more than one place. Mark Boejin's drums fit the music like a glove, accentuating the mix with copious amounts of double-bass where need be, while not delving into the world of blastbeats. Combine all of this with crystal-clear production and thought-provoking lyrics, and Vespers Descent are definnitely an up-and-coming band in the melodic death scene.

On their site, Vespers Descent hail themselves as "Western Australia's greatest melodic death metal band," and I am inclined to agree. In fact, I'd probably put them in the top 15 melodic death bands in the world, so if you're a fan of melodic death, you will like Vespers Descent, probably enough to buy their album. If not, go to their official website and download some of their songs, they may surprise you.

STANDOUT TRACKS - A Quantum Prayer

Review source: Vespers Descent - Vision In Verse Review