INFOS : webzine@femmemetalwebzine.net
Webzine dedicated to the metal band fronted by girls. We also like ambient,darkwave,rock & electronic music.
INFOS : webzine@femmemetalwebzine.net
Webzine dedicated to the metal band fronted by girls. We also like ambient,darkwave,rock & electronic music.
Label : Psychonaut Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
The Gathering is a band that has got all of the fans quite used to change, evolution from album to album and “Disclosure” makes no exception. After the atmospheric, liquid sounds in “Home”, the catchy, classy rock of “The West Pole” (and the introduction of new singer Silje Wergeland), the Dutch combo is back with an eerie, downtempo, psychedelic record that reminded me of Slowdive and all that music populating the lands of electronic/darkwave/ambient. Guitars have not been forgotten, but they have no a major role in the album. “Disclosure” is opened by “Paper Waves”, a mid-tempo in which electronic and rock mingle creating a lush sound and Silje’s vocals are soft, emotional, a bit melancholic, though not sad. The already known “Meltdown” follows. The opening always reminds me of Muse and alternative/indie rock in general. Male vocals appear (courtesy of ) and the song goes on til it becomes more uptempo and in it has that progressive feeling to it without sounding boring. Silje is fascinating in the bridge, only backed by electronica and a few instruments. And here you are one of my favourite: “Paralyzed” opened by strings and electronic plus sexy Silje. It is a slow, sweet ballad where synths cradle us as sea waves, soft, hypnotic, absolutely oustanding. “Heroes for Ghosts” was releases more than a year ago with a nice video, so most of us already knows the song by heart. It is a long piece where Silje’s vocals shine, especially in the chorus, the music is more an accompaniment, never too intrusive. “Gemini I” is maybe the rockiest of all the songs, the riffs recall those of older works such as “Nighttime Birds” as long as the overall atmosphere. A track that nostalgic fans will appreciate. Back to atmospheric sound in “Missing Season”, another slow song full of melancholic longing but with a pinch of hope. “I Can See Four Miles” is another beautiful highlight (well, the whole album is full of stars, these just stand out a little bit more). As “Paralyzed”, the song is eerie, embraces the listener til half when it becomes more rock, well more post-rock maybe, with strings in the background. The songs finishes after this long instrumental that is connected to “Gemini II”. Unlike part I, this second section is slow-paced, quiet with a strange final part where far away sounds echo, like pipes in the wind. What can I say more? The Gathering never made an album that was similar to the previous one, they always try different things and manage to stay interesting, never boring and catchy. Another masterpiece.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : AFM Records
Review by Tony Cannella
Fans of Progressive Power Metal rejoice! The new project from Virus IV guitarist Samuel Arkan is here and he is joined by an outstanding array of talented musicians for the debut of Epysode titled “Obsessions”. For 14-songs, totaling about an hour’s worth of music, the listener is drawn into a conceptual story (which sounds like it would make a killer movie) with each singer playing a role as the story unfolds throughout the album. After the opening intro of “File 4180-1” the next track “Silences of Dawn (Poetry)” is a beautiful minute-and-a-half piano peace featuring the vocals of Valentine and Dial frontwoman Liselotte Hegt as this segues into the majestic “First Blood”. This is a multi-faceted dramatic track featuring some cool interplay between all of the vocalists on the album, Kelly Sundown Carpenter (Beyond Twilight), Oddleif Stensland (Communic), Magali Luyten (Virus IV), Hegt and Rick Altzi (At Vance, Thunderstone) all turn in epic performances. From there the album moves forward with a lot of momentum on the equally awesome “Obsessions” featuring some more great vocal work performed by Carpenter and Luyten. “Invisible Nations” is next and features a melodic up-tempo atmosphere with Carpenter and Altzi once again taking the lead role in the vocal department. I must say, the chemistry between the two is breathtaking. This song also includes a pretty cool prog rock style keyboard section in the middle. The next track “Gemini Syndrome” – with Liselotte Hegt and Kelly Sundown taking the lead – is a beautiful piano dominated ballad that allows the listener to catch their breath before the crushing riff of “Fallen’s Portrait” should get those heads banging once again. Other highlights: “Season of Redemption”, “The Other Side”, “One Chance” , “Divine Whispers” but I could on. There is no doubt that Samuel Arkan from Virus IV is the creative force behind this project; he wrote the music, lyrics, story and produced, but he has also surrounded himself with some top-notch talent who also put their unique stamps on “Obsessions”. Doing a concept album on this grand a scale can be quite risky and the possibility exists that it could be viewed as hokey or cheesy, but thankfully Samuel Arkan and the rest of the stellar cast put a lot of care, effort and thought into Epysode. For a concept album this ambitious, “Obsessions” never comes off as overblown or overdone, it strikes the right balance between music and drama which is one of the best things about it.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Nikitin
Review by Vard Aman
Risha are one of the most unique and unconventional bands around. They have created a sound that is theirs alone and a style that has not been done before – or more accurately, a style which is a mixture of different styles that has not been tried before, most likely because those who might have thought about it before probably decided that such a mix wouldn’t work. If that is what they thought, they were wrong: it does work, and Risha proves it. Or maybe it was something only Risha could do. Risha got together recently and are made up of former members of a Russian Industrial/Gothic/Alternative band called Deform. The vocalist and bassist, Irina Lvova (aka Rishafox), is also a seasoned session musician having worked with the likes of Tracktor Bowling, Arkona and others, as well as playing cello for Vespercellos. Their sound is… well… take some powerful Rammstein like guitar riffing; incorporate many of the electronic elements and effects that are often found in Industrial music of that kind; add some solid drumming; throw in a some Rock, Metal, and a few other influences here and there into the mix; and then get the vocalist to sing a beautiful melodic traditional Slavic folk style over it and you’ll be beginning to get some kind of idea as to what Risha sounds like – Industrial Folk. Now, Folk and Metal have been crossed many times very successfully, but most Folk Metal is exactly that – a fusion of two styles into one. Risha is not like that; Risha keeps their very contrasting styles mostly separate from each other at the same time, in the same songs, and the overall sound they create not just still works, but works amazingly well. Let me try to describe it another way: strip most of the folk elements out of the music leaving only the heavy Industrial/Industrial Metal style and then strip most of the Industrial/Metal elements out of the vocals leaving only the folk style and you have Risha. And that’s about the best I can do to describe their sound – you’re just going to have to get this album and listen to it yourself. Risha’s unique blend of styles operates simultaneously, as I’ve already mentioned, but from song to song the formula they have invented doesn’t vary any more than most other bands vary theirs from song to song. With Risha, this is not a bad thing at all; they give the listener a good dose (and certainly a varied enough dose by normal standards) of what they are all about. The album starts off with the title track, “Лето” and builds up to the really strong tracks on the album: “Голубка”; “Птаха”; and the two main highlights for me, “Водица” and “Улетай на крыльях ветра” (Risha’s rendition of the piece from the famous “Polovtsian Dances” in Act II of the opera “Prince Igor” by Alexander Borodin). Then Risha begin to change things up a bit with “Манечка” being the most experimental song on the album, and “Дождик / Lullaby” featuring Lou Gevorkyan from Tracktor Bowling which is a quieter, more ballad-like song. The album ends with, “Калёда”, which serves as a good reminder and summary of what Risha is all about. At the end they’ve added two remixes as bonus material. “Leto” is an album anyone and everyone can enjoy, because of Risha’s unique blend and the way they have put it to use. It’s heavy and quiet at the same time (yep, that is possible – listen and you’ll hear for yourself); rhythmic and melodic; you can turn it up loud and go wild to its energy; or you can concentrate closely on its intricacy; or you can put it on in the background and relax. It is a unique debut album from a unique band. I’ll be looking forward to their next release with great interest…
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Sound Age Productions
Review by Vard Aman
Rarog (the band) formed in 2004 in Moscow (although Shmel’ had been writing material for some time already), released their debut album “Az Boga Vedayu!” in 2006 and then went a little quiet for a while, mainly due to a series of line up changes (Shmel’ also played bass for Kalevala from 2007-2011). Now they’re back with 2 albums in quick succession, “Vzoidi Solntse” in 2011 and now this one, “Syny Sokola”; and they’re doing very well for themselves. Rarog play Slavic Folk/Pagan Metal – a unique subgenre of Folk/Pagan Metal that has gradually left its native lands and is now growing ever more popular in the Metal world abroad, thanks largely to its most iconic band, Arkona. For Rarog, comparisons with Arkona are inevitable but not entirely justified; they may both share the same musical roots, but both bands have their own unique distinctive sounds. Still, fans of Arkona are likely to enjoy Rarog too, and for those who have not yet been introduced to the subgenre of Slavic Folk/Pagan Metal, Rarog are as good an introduction to it as any. Rarog are also more versatile and progressive than many of the other bands in their subgenre, and this should make them more easily accessible to fans of other subgenres. Their musical style moves with ease from the typical Slavic folk progressions to a fast Pagan/Black Metal style with furious blast beats, to a slow melodic Doom Metal style without ever losing their distinctive sound. Like most Slavic Folk/Pagan Metal, Rarog makes use of several different traditional Slavic musical instruments to compliment their sound; and in Rarog’s case, a few non-traditional ones as well, like violins and cello.
Their lyrical topics cover ancient Slavic myths and legends, the history of the Slavs and Slavic Paganism before the Christian invasion in what was then Rus. Since 2010 Rarog has been fronted by Aleksandra Sidorova (also a member of Moscow’s Silver Voice choir), and it is her voice that gives Rarog its real edge – she is the beautiful Siren-like call of the Firebird (if I may mix up legends slightly). She is capable of many different vocal styles; the two that are most prevalent on this album are her Slavic folk style and her academic/operatic style. She excels at both; but what really makes Aleksandra an exceptional singer is the uniqueness of her voice and the emotion she is capable of generating. At times, her voice takes on an almost innocent childlike quality, at other times it is more plaintive, sometimes even desperately so - she can bring her voice to just about breaking yet stops just short, without ever losing her vocal control. It is haunting indeed. Few academic/operatic singers are capable of generating such emotion… or maybe it’s just that they don’t try, maybe they are concentrating so much on vocal control and projection that they end up forfeiting the emotion and become effectively singing machines. Aleksandra proves that an academic/operatic singer can have both total control and convey powerful emotion at the same time; and it is very, very effective! While I’m at it: if you want to hear how operatic vibrato can be used in such a way that it leaves the listener with gooseflesh and a lump in the throat (as opposed to making the cat go AWOL), listen to how Aleksandra uses it at around the 1:00 mark in “Serdechnaya”. Seriously, wow!
Male vocals, both clean and growls (and battle cries), are provided by Shmel’; and he is also very good at what he does. The production is clear, similar to the previous album, but the songwriting on “Сыны Сокола” is better and it is a more mature album overall – Rarog is a band that is continuing to improve. Highlights from the album there are aplenty: “Syn Sokola”, the first track is brutal and fast, with some beautiful violin melodies; “Ognenniy Mech” is a heavy Folk Metal song; “Rogneda” has a slow tempo in which Aleksandra’s versatility and range of styles comes to the fore; “Perunova Ren” is fast and furious, good to have in the heat of battle (with a slight breather in the middle); “Veschiy Sokol” has a climatic feel to it as does the final (Rarog) track “Serdtse Voevody”, which is a slow and powerful track where Shmel’ gets to show his own versatility as well. But out of all the highlights on this album the biggest one is the third track, “Serdechnaya” – easily one of my candidates for song of the decade so far. It is a slow and powerful song with amazing melodies and harmonies, and features one of the best and most unique singers around delivering a performance of note! The album ends with “Krov Nashih Vragov”, which is a Russian cover (in Russian) of “Blood of My Enemies” by Manowar.
Rarog make the song their own while staying true to the original. Lyrically, the gist of it is the same. Norsemen (Varyags) had a large influence on Rus up to the tenth century CE prior to the Christian invasion and occupied much of the Northern Rus states, so the Norse mythology that makes up the background to the lyrics of “Blood of My Enemies” is not really that out of place. How well the Varyags and the Eastern Slavs got along at the time (people being people) I do not know, that’s a question for some genuine historians (and not a CD reviewer), but one thing that is known well enough is that what came next for both Slavic and Nordic Paganism was not exactly pleasant. But the legends and the cultural knowledge have survived and Rarog (and others) are here to tell you about them; and if you do not understand what they’re singing about, no worries, just turn up the volume and admire the awesome power of the Firebird, and melt to its hauntingly beautiful call.
Rating - 90/100
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Independent Release
Review by Vard Aman
Wizardmask is a recently formed band from Novosibirsk in South Western Siberia, made up of some very accomplished and professional musicians indeed.“Carnival of Illusions” is their debut album, and it is available from their website for free download (though they would be grateful if you gave them something for it; they have certainly earned it). Wizardmask play Dramatic Metal, which is Metal which includes a lot of dramatic elements (I mentioned it when I reviewed Blackthorn) and is not something that is very easy to describe. In the case of Wizardmask the closest I can come to describing what they play is very technical Progressive Symphonic Metal. The songwriting is very detailed and very intricate and very well executed by Wizardmask. Fronting the big symphonic orchestration, the heavy guitars and the technical brilliance of the band is vocalist, Svetlana Sokolova. She has immaculate vocal control and is extremely versatile and expressive – all necessities for Dramatic Metal of this kind, and she suits the role perfectly! “Carnival of Illusions” consists of 9 tracks but because of the technical nature of the music it takes a few listens to get into – there is too much to take in listening to the entire album in one go for the first time.
The result is that after the first listen, I found myself greatly impressed by what I’d heard, but remembered nothing specific at all. Several listens later, I am still greatly impressed by all the technical intricacies of the music (even more so after several listens), but now I have several of the songs firmly stuck in my head. At first listen everything seems to merge because of the way the album and the concept flows, but after several listens the songs begin to stand out well from each other. It’s a bit like looking at a car engine for the first time… OK, let’s rather use a somewhat more appropriate theme: it’s a bit like visiting a Trade Fair in the Forgotten Realms for the first time – you only remember a few things, like where the ale tent is, but after wandering around for some time you soon get to know where everything else is: the stores selling clothes, books, weapons, spells, potions, etc; and the secret entrance to the mage’s dark tower. That is what the music of Wizardmask is like: the more you listen to it, the more you will discover, the better you will get to know it, and the more you will like it and the more you will want to listen to it again. Several songs from “Carnival of Illusions” stand out for me as highlights, although all of the songs are good. They are “Gromoverzhets”; “Sumrachniy Mir”; “Koroleva L’da”; “Karnaval” and “Bashnya”. “Gromoverzhets” is a fast, heavy and powerful track interlaced with beautiful vocal melodies; while “Koroleva L’da” and “Karnaval” are slower, also with amazing vocal melodies. “Bashnya” has everything. The production is top quality – everything has ample space in the mix and all the instruments are crystal clear. “Carnival of Illusions” is the cumulative result of a great effort by a very talented and professional group of people who know what they want to do and know how to do it. That said I can understand how “Carnival of Illusions” might not appeal to everyone, especially after only one listen – this is not a band that uses the “less is more” philosophy. But for fans of the “more is more” philosophy, you need look no further than this – everything you could possible want can be found right here, at the Carnival of Illusions!
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Napalm Records
Review by Tony Cannella
With 2011 just underway, one of the most highly anticipated Femme Metal albums is “Doombound” by Finland’s Battlelore. This epic, fantasy metal band set the bar incredibly high on their previous releases, so with “Doombound” there is a lot to live up to. On “Doombound”, Battlelore has returned to their main source of inspiration, that being J.R.R. Tolkein. “Doombound” is Battlelore’s first full fledged concept album and is based on the story “The Children of Húrin” by Mr.Tolkien. The pounding, melodicism of the opener, “Bloodstained” begins this epic journey as the unmistakable duel male/female vocals provided by Kaisa Jouhki and Tomi Mykkänen are present to enhance this strong opening number. “Iron of Death” is next and picks up the tempo a bit. “Bow and Helm” is a powerful piece that showcases Battlelore at their best. “Enchanted” is a beautifully, melodic mid-tempo piece which sees Kaisa handling the bulk of the vocals while Tomi joins in at various points to Inject his forceful style. This was my favorite song.The aggression gets picked up a notch on the next track “Kärmessurma”. Other highlights include: “Olden Gods”, “Men as Wolves” and the 8-minute “Doombound”. “Doombound” continues Battlelore’s metal journey through Middle-Earth and it is a worthy edition to this great bands catalog of music. This CD is also available in a limited edition Digi-Pack which also comes with a bonus DVD featuring some live footage, video clips and behind the scenes stuff. “Doombound” is vintage Battlelore, which should please their growing fan base.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Neurodisc Records
Review by Luisa Mercier
After falling in love with their latest release, “Labyrinthine Heart”, I decided to listen carefully to their previous one, “The Dawnseeker”. First of all, let me spend a word or maybe more on the graphic artwork. It is something so beautifully crafted, never seen such an amazing design for a CD. The content is amazing as well. If I should compare the two albums. I’d say that this is more introspective, more emotional and relaxing, while “Labyrinthine Heart” is enriched with some lively moments. This morning my emotional standpoint is such I could write easily about this piece of art. It starts with “Eurydice”, apparently inspired to the Greek myth. Soft, delicate, caresses your ears and your soul. Also the video is one of the most well shot I have ever watched. An Eastern ethnic feeling introduces “Desires of Ages”. The orchestrations and the drums are thick on the usual lush background which provides the perfect environment for the lovely female vocals. “You Did a Good Thing” is maybe the only sad song in the Sleepthief’s discography. The others are quite melanchonic, nostalgic, but always with a sparkle of hope. This one is just sad. It moves me a lot. You did a good thing, you did, it’s a past tense. You tried to save her, it didn’t work, you have not to regret. That’s the message I get every time. ”Just Say It” is slightly more upbeat and electronic than the previous ones. The chorus is memorable, it’s one of those moments which made me love Sleepthief, one of those things which raise your soul. Cover song time. The chosen one is “The Chaffeur”, originally by Duran Duran. I already listened to other bands covering this song (the Italian The LoveCrave for example) but this is the best by far. It’s a nice pop-rock arrangement with electronic background which shows the range of styles Sleepthief can play. Love Kirsty Hawkshaw’s vocals in the and how they blend with the more upbeat music. Following we find “Tenuous”, a gentler ballad, with vastly reaching orchestral-style arrangements. Listen for her soaring harmony layers throughout. Tension builds in the verse and is perfectly released in the lush chorus. Once again, the video shot for this song is really worth watching. One of my favourite is “Sublunar (Sweet Angel)”. It starts with a suspicious pace, soaring afterwards, sweetly coming to the beautiful “Hush, hush, hush”. I love how the different vocal layers are mixed, it gives an heavenly feeling. “Nightjar” is a dark, brooding and bluesy ballad, perfectly suited for the singer’s distinctive voice. Strings, percussion and electronics blend perfectly against the solo vocal line. I am still asking myself if “Fire from Heaven” refers again to Greek Mythology, to Prometheus to be precise who stole fire from Olympus. It’s quite clear that Justin Elswick has a thing for Ancient Greece. The song is a mid paced one with an ironic atmosphere, which makes it unique. “The Metro” is another cover song. Maybe this is the most club oriented track, with its upbeat and danceable aura. “Kiss to Savor” is maybe the most stunning song on this album. Featuring the vocals of Jody Quine, is lushous, sensual, sexy, perfect for romantic or something more moment. Harmony layers echo while the melody built alongside is powerfully delivered. Afterthoughts is a rhythmic and Celtic influenced number, most reminiscent of Enya’s music in many ways. The voice is crystalline throughout—in lead and lush, multi-tracked harmony—layers. The verse is delivered very delicately against light electronics. The chorus is rich, rhythmic and layered with vocals coming at the listener from every direction. A masterpiece. “Entre Ciel et Mer”, the closer of the album, is the French version of “You Did a Good Thing”. Don’t’ know if it’s the language, but it sounds more hopeful like looking outside the window in a sunny day although having pain in the heart. I recommend to listen both of the Sleepthief albums, they have always something to offer to your heart and soul.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Sony Music/Roadrunner Records
Review by Tony Cannella
It’s finally here! The long awaited, much anticipated new album from Dutch Symphonic Rock Legends Within Temptation called “The Unforgiving”. This album explores new ground, as it is their first full-blown concept album, based around the comic book by Steve O’Connell (BloodRayne & Dark 48). 12-songs and 55-minutes worth music is supplied on “The Unforgiving”. The CD kicks off with the narrative intro, “Why Not Me”, which sets the stage for the concept and it quickly leads into the bombastic opener “Shot in the Dark”, which is a classic Within Temptation style song and gets “The Unforgiving” started on the perfect note. “In the Middle of the Night” is as strong a song that can be heard on “The Unforgiving”. “Faster” is the first video track and was a solid choice. Other highlights include: “Fire and Ice”, the up-tempo “Iron”, “Where Is the Edge”, “A Demon’s Fate” and “Stairway to the Skies”. With “The Unforgiving” Within Temptation has not tried to re-invent the wheel, yet the band continues to challenge themselves both musically and lyrically. Sharon Den Adel is singing better than she ever has and the band is equally as ferocious throughout the entire CD. “The Unforgiving” is a true Within Temptation album that fits in nicely with the rest of their catalogue. This is an excellent album from this iconic band.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Brennus Music
Review by Tony Cannella
France’s Symphonic Power Metal maestros Wildpath return with their 3rd round of inspired, classical tinged symphony laced metal with “Underneath”. While “Nyx Secrets” and “Non Omnis Moriar” were both solid in their own right, “Underneath” has the potential to land Wildpath in the upper echelon of symphonic metal. The orchestral intro “Seeds of a Dream” segues into the powerful, up-tempo, melodicism of “Unearthed”. This song has a great big chorus featuring a choir that really adds a lot to the song. Right away it is apparent that Wildpath has something cool to offer. Next up is “Dive” which starts off orchestral before breaking into some serious speed riffing and the strong operatic vocals of Marjolaine Bernard come in. The next song “Reviver” is a bit of a change of pace from the other material and has a bit of a jazzy vibe, showing that Wildpath are not bound by restrictions. Other highlights include: “The Craft”, “Anchored”, “Buried Moon”, “Frozen” and the 7-minute instrumental “Underneath”. The whole “Underneath” album takes the listener on a surreal journey whilst playing with different nuances, tempos and styles, yet also managing to produce a coherent metal masterpiece. Disc 2 features orchestral versions of “Underneath”, similar to what Nightwish did on “Dark Passion Play”. These are interesting, alternate versions of some already great music. Wildpath has continued to grow and progress from album-to-album and “Underneath” is no exception. Far be it for me to say that this is their best album, since everyone will have their own opinions on the matter, but this just may be. Of course comparisons are sure to be made to Nightwish (particularly the “Century Child” and “Once” eras), and there are some similarities, but Wildpath continues to break out of the mold and walk their own… um, path.
Rating - 90/100
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Label : Napalm Records
Review by Disgraced & Tony Cannella
This year 2011 marks also the return of Austrian symphonic metal lovers Visions of Atlantis with their new album “Delta”, after their beloved, previous opus “Trinity” which dates back to 2007. Two new important changes in the line-up must be immediately noted, since they had been those most responsible for the trademarks you could recognize on “Trinity”: ex-vocalist Melissa Ferlaak (renowned for her previous experience in Aesma Daeva, now in Echoterra) and ex-guitarist Wolfgang “Wops” Koch got married and moved to the United States, not without raising polemics among fans and ex-bandmembers. Being Melissa Ferlaak one of the best opera singers adopted by heavy metal (she owns real degrees in classical studies which are pretty clear in her vocal deiverance but nonetheless she doesn’t sound like a mere opera freak stolen from the theatre) many fans were suspicious about the possible replacement, while it should be noted that Koch contributed a lot to Visions of Atlantis slight change to a more symphonic edge, leaving apart their more power-ish sides. So, in 2009 the band recruited Joanna Nieniewska (ex-Illuminata and girlfriend of one of the guys) as new vocalist but unfortunately the search wasn’t over because after few months Nieniewska had to leave due to health problems. That lead the band to the cradle of the Mediterranean Sea and classic culture, where they found the Greek singer Maxi Nil, who had previously worked with Elysion and with Moonspell as a live session member (as well as with On Thorns I Lay for a still unreleased album). Then old guitarist Werner Fiedler, who had left in 2005, came on board again and the band saw a last change when Mario Lochert replaced Michael Koren on bass in 2010. Finally the band was ready to enter the studio! And the result is now here in our hands. First of all and first thing that I think would come into everyone’s mind when listening to “Delta” is that they somehow brought back some of their power metal infleunces they had mostly on their debut “Eternal Endless Infinity”. I also think that is the most important feature we find here, since it allows the band to keep their distance from the huge cauldron of symphonic and orchestral acts out there - be it clear that the symphonic elements are all still here but in my opinion there’s an overall power metal flavour, thanks also to the perfect, crystalline production which allows you to catch also some retro feeling in the melodies. And don’t worry: although some solutions they adopted might me compared with what Nightwish did on their “Century Child” album, we aren’t in danger of embarassing “similar” moments as it happened on their debut (the band itself admitted it was hugely inspired, so to say, by the Finnish band). The album alternates catchier and heavier tracks one after the other and I must say that generally speaking the songs seem to have more personality than those on “Trinity”: first single “New Dawn” (which they also shot a video for) starts with a fast and epic approach by Maxi who is then quickly joined by her male counterpart Mario for a very catchy chorus that anyway doesn’t let the song lose its heaviness. Second song “Memento” deserves a special mention since I think it’s one of the best ones of this record: epic, fast, symphonic, with changes in tempo and atmosphere…The melodic ouverture from 4:50 on will simply make you melt down thanks to some very inspired vocal lines by the Greek! No wonder this song is among those new ones they chose to play during the latest tour together with Vexillum and the immortal Rhapsody of Fire. Also male singer Mario Plank reserves some memorable moments for himself, such as in the evocative “Conquest of Others” where he also lets out some more extreme shouts. Even though he has never been - and probably is not - an oustanding singer, that doesn’t mean he can’t be a good one, which actually is. Also his English pronunciation, which many had to complain about in the past, got better and better. Guitars pla of course an important role here, driving the melodies on songs like the hard opener “Black River Delta”, “New Dawn”, “Where Daylight Fails” or “Elegy of Existence” so those fond of guitar solos won’t lack their daily bread here, as ong as they don’t expect long, highly technical heavy metal solos of course. ;) Obviously such a record cannot miss its melodic ballad, which here takes place at number 8 with “Reflection”. Sadly I must say that “Reflection” fails in becoming the usually haunting, siren-like tune we might expect due to a too poor melody and a vocal interpretation by Maxi that falls rapidly into mediocrity. I had the pleasure to attend one of the first gigs with this line-up (minus Lochert on bass) at the 2009 Metalcamp in Tolmin, Slovenia and although the clear inexperience with the material live-wise Maxi did an oustanding job, granting new life to some songs like “Seven Seas” for example, showing she could easily handle both “normal” and classical-like vocals; so, be sure they made a good strike hiring her! Just, this song doesn’t go anywhere and leaves you quite indifferent, ending up as a filler. Final track, after the interlude “Sonar” is the epic “Gravitate towards Fatality”, which just features all the elements found before, good blended together and another, impressive demonstration of how good Mario’s and Maxi’s voices go together - a feature I have forgotten to say before. Only negative note is the very end of the song, which comes quite suddenly while I think such tracks need a more “fading” ending to let the listener dream along the epicness they express. I really hope Visions of Atlantis will continue on this road (perhaps regaining more and more power elements) and that they won’t be far from the scenes for a too long time now as I’m very willing to see what they’ll bring forth next. As for now, very good guys!
Rating - 73/100
It is hard to believe that it has been four years since the Austrian Symphonic Metal band Visions of Atlantis released their great “Trinity” album. Now, after some line-up changes, which have been well, documented the band return with their new singer in Greece’s Maxi Nil and their long awaited, eagerly anticipated 4th album “Delta”. Of course for fans of the band, it was sad to see Melissa Ferlaak depart the band after her awesome performance on “Trinity”, but on “Delta” Maxi Nil does a great job in making her transition seamless. “Delta” features 10-songs and 43-minutes worth of music and Visions of Atlantis’s Symphonic Metal Sound remains intact. The up-tempo, bouncy opening track “Black River Delta” starts things off and is a fine introduction for Maxi. Of course the clean vocals of Mario Plank are present as well as the two vocalist trade off, which is something that VoA has been known for. The next track “Memento” quickly became my favorite. It starts off slow, dark and moody before the tempo picks up and displays a groove running through the song that is just so damn infectious and inspiring. Also, Maxi turns in an outstanding vocal performance on this one. Her style is not as operatic as Melissa Ferlaak’s (of course comparisons are inevitable), but she can go there if needed to like on “Memento”. “New Dawn” is a fast paced track that features a great chorus that will be stuck in your head long after you’ve heard it for the first time. One of the heavier tracks is “Conquest of Others” which sees Mario handling the majority of the vocals on this one with Maxi lending support on the chorus. On the ballad “Reflection”, Maxi is given the chance to shine. Other highlights include, but are not limited to: “Twist of Fate”, “Elegy of Existence” and the closer “Gravitate towards Fatality”. I am not prepared to say I like “Delta” better than “Trinity” (my favorite VoA album) but it is certainly a worthy follow up and one that I would imagine that their fan base should be quite pleased with. After 4-albums and 3 female singers, here is hoping that Maxi Nil will stick and the band will continue to churn out great music for years to come. I can’t tell you how excited I am to have Visions of Atlantis back and with “Delta” they have made a triumphant return.
Rating - 90/100
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