• It would have been all the rage fifteen years ago - A review of Visions of Atlantis' The Deep & The Drak

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

    I have often come across the name Visions of Atlantis but never bothered to check out a record so far. If I had to describe the band's style briefly, I would say it's the type of female-fronted power metal with symphonic elements that was all the rage among teenagers one and a half decades ago when bands like Evanescence, Nightwish and Within Temptation hit the charts. 

    In its calmer and more experimental tracks with Irish folk instruments as in ''Ritual Night'', the band recalls Austrian progressive power metal band Edenbridge while the more traditional tracks like the dynamic duet between clean male and female vocals in ''Return to Lemuria'' make me think of Nightwish and a smooth ballad like ''The Last Home'' in particular could also come from an Anette Olzon solo album. Visions of Atlantis offers quite melodic and up-lifting symphonic power metal that should appeal to younger audiences who are starting to discover metal music.

    What the band offers isn't bad at all and quite entertaining over the course of compact forty-one minutes. However, the band fails to stand out among its colleagues which applies to the group's style in general and to the songwriting of this output in particular. The folk-ridden ''Ritual Night'' has a few memorable moments but the rest is just typical genre music by the numbers. The most impressive element about this album might as well be the gorgeous cover artwork.

    In the end, I would recommend Visions of Atlantis' The Deep & The Dark to those who still like melodic female-fronted power metal with symphonic elements and to younger audiences who are about to discover metal music because this type of music is quite accessible, harmonious and smooth.

    Final rating: 70%

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