Visions of Atlantis – Wanderers
Album Review By Rainer Kerber
It goes very fast in the Austrian symphonic metal pioneers Visions of Atlantis. The band around drummer and founding member Thomas Caser has released in February last year, the sixth studio album “The Deep & The Dark”. After the huge lineup change a few years earlier, which was quasi album number one in the third creative period of the band. One and a half years later, the successor “Wanderers” appeared. After singer Siegfried Samer left the band for personal reasons last year, now Michele Guaitoli (among others Temperance, Overtures) is the male vocal partner of Chanteuse Clémentine Delauney. Otherwise, the mastermind could build on a stable lineup. Of course, I was interested in how the band has developed.
The album starts with piano sounds. But then “Release My Symphony” becomes the typical symphonic metal mid-tempo song. The drums set the rhythm (Thomas Caser). The singing of Clémentine Delauney convinces as usual. And the new male voice (Michele Guaitoli) fits perfectly. Add to that the inevitable orchestral samples. Christian Douscha plays the first of many excellent guitar solos. Unobtrusive, but essential for the powerful sound the bass player Herbert Glos is working. And the opener ends with a piano outro. Then, Visions of Atlantis surprise with Celtic-folk quotes. Rhythmic riffing marks “Heroes Of The Dawn”. For me, that’s the best song on the album. This was followed by the first (power) ballad – “Nothing Lasts Forever”. After a quiet start, where Clemi lets her enchanting voice sound with a piano accompaniment, the rhythm section starts powerfully. This is followed by other typical Symphonic Metal songs, all of which have earwig potential. For example, “A Journey To Remember” and “To The Universe” feature great sing-along choruses. Two more ballads are on the album, where the singer is (almost) accompanied by the piano (“Into The Light”, “Wanderers”). Occasionally, discreetly used strings can be heard. After the heavier and hymnic mid-tempo song “The Silent Scream” follows the oriental-inspired “The Siren & The Sailor”. The Double Bass attack driven “At the End Of The World” seems to be the end of the official part of the album. At least the two following songs were not mentioned in any of the reviews I read. “Bring The Storm” is played a lot harder and thus a bit untypical. Finally, there is a cover of the Dutch trance DJ Armin van Buuren. I listened to the original. Had there not Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) sung, I would have stopped immediately. Since I like the version of Visions of Atlantis much more.
Big orchestra, hard riffs, melodic guitars, beautiful melodies and a convincing vocal duo – Symphonic Metal heart what more do you want. You could think so. But the album also shows the whole tragedy of this genre in the current era. There is hardly any further development. Sure, the musicians deliver very well. Powerful bass, filigree guitar solos and the band boss often do heavy work behind the battery. But the band was too safe for my taste. Certainly, Visions of Atlantis want to build on the great early works of the last decade. However, this succeeds only partially. Nonetheless, Wanderers is a very good album where other bands have to compete.
Visions Of Atlantis – A Journey To Remember: https://youtu.be/9XpKh3v7Oec
Lineup:
Thomas Caser – Drums
Clémentine Delauney – Vocals
Herbert Glos – Bass
Christian Douscha – Guitars
Michele Guaitoli – Vocals
Label: Napalm Records
Out: August 30th, 2019
Playing time: 55:43
Track list:
- Release My Symphony
- Heroes Of The Dawn
- Nothing Lasts Forever
- A Journey To Remember
- A Life Of Our Own
- To The Universe
- Into The Light
- The Silent Scream
- The Siren & The Sailor
- Wanderers
- At the End Of The World
- Bring The Storm
- In And Out Of Love (Armin van Buuren cover)
Rating : 8.5/10
MHF Magazine/Rainer Kerber
