Originally written by Erik Thomas
So while my esteemed colleagues are reviewing the likes of the excellent Epoch of Unlight and the blistering Blood Red Throne, I get to bring you Visions of Atlantis, yet more of Napalm’s icky, gooey Goth metal clinging for dear life to the well worn and crowded coat tails of Lacuna Coil.
Like previously reviewed and mediocre Goth offering Darkwell, Vision of Atlantis hail from Austria, and have supped deeply of the Goth metal grail and carved their pieces out from the tear drenched puzzle of so many other bands; soaring female operatics, heavy handed orchestration, a piecemeal male vocal counterpart, lush production values and undeniably catchy song writing. Visions of Atlantis are far less darkly dramatic than Darkwell, being peppier, pop based and more commercially viable even with Nicole Bogner’s more Germanic operatic vocal range.
As expected, there’s the usual number of foot-tapping morose anthems of loss and love, that you find yourself imitating in a terribly pitched soprano voice in the shower (or is that just me?), “Lost” and “Realm of Fantasy” (pronounced ‘Reelm’ by Ms. Bogner and Mr. Mario Plank), lost being this album’s particularly embarrassing sing-along numbers.
The synths on the album are far more upfront and song directing than most Goth metal, approaching Bal-Sagoth or Italian power metal-like pomp for some segments (“Cast Away”, “Realm of Fantasy”, “Lemuria”), but lacking the backing punch of driving guitars or galloping percussion. Mario Plank is pretty non committal as the strained male voice, and adds nothing to Ms. Bogner’s overbearing grandiose tones, instead being rather wet sounding when delivering one of the album’s two willowy, piano (adorned with candles no doubt) laced ballads (although realistically, isn’t every track on a Goth metal album a ballad) “Last Shut Your Eyes”. The other tear jerker, “Wintersun” is far more effective as Ms. Bogner croons with emotion aplomb, but the song is as cookie cutter as it gets.
Yet another lackluster if proficient entry into the over crowded Euro-Goth genre that seems to be spreading like the Bubonic plague of the Dark Ages, except without the pus filled sores. Instead, this slow form of agonizing, clichéd overkill is wiping out Metal’s testosterone rather than piling up corpses by the millions.
….Must listen…..to…..Nasum………
