DippoMagoo It’s always exciting to see a band that had long been solid but nowhere close to the top tier in their respective genre, finally break through and release a masterpiece. I was never expecting to be able to say this about Austrian symphonic metal band Visions of Atlantis, a band I have long been a fan of but never been blown away by, but finally, it has happened! Their first two albums left a lot to be desired, to say the least, but with the likes of Trinity, Delta, and Ethera, the band showed themselves to be just a step off from being something special, with a mix of lackluster male vocals and inconsistent songwriting being the two issues holding them back. The band has gone through many line up changes over the years, but it seems no matter who the musicians or female vocalists were, everything mostly sounded solid, and yet their full-length albums up until now had all failed to reach their full potential. With their sixth full-length album, The Dark & the Deep set for release later this week, the band has finally upped their game and delivered not only their best release to date but an early contender for best symphonic metal album of the year.

Going into the album, the band went through their biggest lineup change yet, with only original drummer Thomas Caser remaining from their previous lineup, while both singers, the bassist, and guitarist were all changed. Yet somehow, The Dark & the Deep still very much delivers everything fans of the band would expect, while also managing to be a far more consistent and enjoyable release throughout, with by far their best songwriting to date. Stylistically, listeners can expect some very melodic symphonic metal, with a heavy emphasis on vocal melodies, allowing for two clean vocalists throughout, which has always been a Visions of Atlantis staple. There’s a ton of variety in the songwriting, with the expected mid-paced and super catchy symphonic tracks being present, as usual, but there’s also quite a good amount of speedy power metal tracks, as well as a couple ballads. While this isn’t a particularly heavy album, the guitar work is very solid, with some great melodic leads throughout, as well as some very nice solos and a few really good riffs on some of the heavier tracks, especially the more power metal oriented songs. The songs are all excellent, and everything flows perfectly, unlike on some symphonic albums I’ve reviewed in the past, which have occasionally dragged at times.

Obviously, the most important aspect of the album is the vocals, an area where I’ve always somewhat struggled with Visions of Atlantis. I was not a big fan of previous male vocalist Mario Plank, but with him out of the picture, Dragony vocalist Siegfried Samer has stepped in and he does an excellent job. While he clearly plays second fiddle on some of the tracks, he has a very strong, somewhat theatrical voice which fits in great with the music, and he does an excellent job of carrying the melodies while adding a classic power metal feel to the vocals. His counterpart and the main vocalist throughout most of the album is Clémentine Delauney, who has been very active in recent years, from her one album tenure with Serenity to being in the all-female band Exit Eden. Out of everything she’s done, though, this album does the best job of showcasing her talents, as she’s given a ton of space to work with, and she’s able to show much more of her range than ever before. She has a very soft and pleasant voice which carries melody very well, and at times she sings more normally, while at other times she does some pretty epic operatic vocals, and occasionally she even does some more powerful, rock style vocals, and she sounds excellent no matter which style she uses. With Visions of Atlantis always being a band centered around dual vocalists, it’s important that both singers do their job well, and this album is the first time where I can confidently say that has happened, which makes a huge difference.

Songwriting is the biggest area where the band has frustrated me in the past, as all of their past albums have had a mix of great songs, mediocre songs and occasionally some downright terrible songs. Thankfully, that isn’t the case on The Deep & the Dark, as everything here is excellent, and there’s enough variety here that all fans should be happy with the album. Up first is the title track, which opens with a nice symphonic intro, before quickly picking up the pace. The main riff is quite nice, though overall it’s a fairly light and upbeat track, with slight power metal elements. Keyboards and symphonic elements dominate the track, while the guitar work is solid throughout, and Siegfried is mostly relegated to backing vocals, while Clémentine leads the way and instantly impresses, with some very smooth, yet powerful vocals. The chorus is melodic and super catchy, making the song an instant favorite, while the melodic guitar solo, later on, is also quite good. Overall, it’s a very fun opening track and a great way to start the album.

After that comes the first single, “Return to Lemuria”, which is one of the most power metal oriented tracks on the album. Following a nice symphonic opening, the track quickly introduces some excellent keyboard melodies and a great main riff, before fully speeding up during the verses, where we get out first real taste of Siegfried’s vocals, as he and Clémentine split vocal duties throughout the track, and sound excellent together, with the male vocals adding a bit of theatricality, while the operatic female vocals are as smooth and beautiful as always. The guitar solo in the second half is excellent, and overall it’s one of the fastest paced, catchiest and overall most enjoyable tracks on the album, with the chorus, in particular, standing out in a positive way. Continuing with the speedier songs, next is “The Silent Mutiny”, another very fast paced track with slightly heavier guitar riffs throughout, and it has a very classic power metal feel to it, with Siegfried again adding to the power metal feel whenever he sings, while Clémentine leads the way and is excellent, as always. It has another catchy chorus, more great symphonic elements, and a great solo, and overall it’s another great track. Perhaps the heaviest track on the album is “The Grand Illusion”, which has some very thick and heavy guitar riffs, and Siegfried sings a bit deeper than usual, while Clémentine uses some of her most epic operatic vocals throughout the super speedy and addictive chorus. It’s another very fast paced track, which is once again very catchy and has some great instrumental work throughout. The last really the fast paced song is “Words of War”, which opens up with some great keyboard melodies, before speeding up and turning into another heavier track. It has perhaps the catchiest chorus on the album, as well as more fantastic vocals from both singers, and it has another excellent solo. It’s the shortest track on the album, but also my favorite, as it’s simply so addictive and so catchy, I can’t help but love it.

On the slower side, “Ritual Night” is a nice mid-paced symphonic track with beautiful folk melodies thrown in from time to time, as well as some nice melodic guitar leads throughout, while Clémentine dominates the vocals, singing calmly and very smoothly. The chorus is another standout, and it’s definitely another great track overall. Another track with some very slight oriental influence is “Book of Nature”, another mid-paced track which has a slight kick to its guitar riffs, and both vocalists are on full display here, delivering another excellent chorus, which is one of the best on the album. It’s the longest track on the album and has some of the best instrumental work out of all the songs, making it yet another highlight. The first of two ballads Is “The Last Home”, a very nice piano ballad, which serves as a great showcase for Clémentine, who mostly uses a lower register, though she delivers some powerful vocals during the chorus, and it’s another great track overall. In between two of the heavier songs on the album is the lighter “Dead Reckoning”, a more relaxed and mid-paced keyboard driven track, which is again dominated by excellent vocals from both singers, and it has another great chorus where the pace picks up a bit, as well as bursts of great guitar riffs, and another great solo in the second half. Lastly, we have the closing ballad “Prayer to the Lost”, another piano ballad where Clémentine takes lead and sings softly but very beautifully. The chorus is excellent and gets better as the track goes on, and the guitar solo in the second half is very beautiful. Overall, it’s a great track and a very nice way to end the album.

I was excited about The Deep & the Dark when I saw who the two singers were, but I would never have expected it to turn out as well as it did! Visions of Atlantis have finally reached their full potential, delivering by far their best album to date, with a nice mix of folk-tinged symphonic metal and power metal, and this is an album I’d recommend for any longtime fan of the band, as well as any symphonic or power metal fans who enjoy dual leading vocals, as it can’t be done much better than this!

originally written for myglobalmind.com: https://myglobalmind.com/2018/02/16/visions-atlantis-deep-dark-review/