Visions of Atlantis - The Deep & the Dark (2018)

With a completely revamped line-up since their last full-length release, today we have Austria’s Visions of Atlantis and their signature high-octane Melodic/Symphonic Power Metal. Unleashing “The Deep & the Dark”, the band’s first full-length release since 2013, fans of band will be completely blow away by the power and intensity behind the ten songs presented in this release.

Fronted by the highly talented Clémentine Delauney, the band sets sails in this very exciting journey with the energetic album titled track. The atmosphere is very well set with the symphonic elements as the musical playfulness kicks in full gear with incisive guitars and superbly catchy female vocals. The male Power Metal vocals are handled perfectly by Siegfried Samer, as he provides an excellent balance in his leads and duets with Clémentine, as we can quickly hear in the magical “Return to Lemuria”. This last track has a certain Sonata Arctica-esque magic that is driven initially by the Chris Kamper’s keyboards.

From the folky vibe on “Ritual Night” to the bombastic brilliance of “The Silent Mutiny” and “Book of Nature”, the band is certainly firing in all cylinders, crafting very engaging and dynamic songs. The band’s lone original member, Thomas Caser, did a great job in finding the right people for the job, allowing the band to sound as awesome as they did back in their earlier days. Evidence of this is how well all elements sound together in tracks like “Grand Illusion”, “Words of War” and “Dead Reckoning”, one of our favorite tracks from the band.

We also like a ballad thrown in the mix in these types of releases and “The Last Hope” perfectly scratches that itch with very dramatic and emotive vocal arrangements. Leaving us on a high note with the excellent “Prayer to the Lost”, we are left quite impressed with this release and very hopeful for the future activities of the band. “The Deep & the Dark” certainly puts the band back in the spotlight, so keep an eye out for them touring and promoting this release.

Label: Napalm Records

Release: February 16th, 2018

Genre: Melodic/Symphonic Power Metal

Country: Austria