RIP Nicole Bogner

This morning via Facebook, I found out that Visions of Atlantis's first singer, Nicole Bogner, passed away at the young age of 27.  The official band statement said that she had been "fighting a severe disease over a long period of time."

Since Nicole's departure from VoA in 2005, I wondered where her path had taken her.  She was the vox that initially got me into the band, and I hoped she would continue her career in metal somehow, somewhere.  I thought her voice was gorgeous and hoped to hear her sing again.  But for years, nothing was heard of her at all.  Until today.

My thoughts go out to Nicole's loved ones and the Visions of Atlantis family.  Nicole was an enormous talent and she will be greatly missed.

CD Review: Visions of Atlantis's "Maria Magdalena"

I love how some bands save their best material for EPs.  Leaves' Eyes does this all the time, with the exception of Melusine, which was pretty bad compared to gems like their Legend Land EP and their Elegy EP.  From a marketing standpoint, these EPs make total sense, and it makes sense to keep some little surprises back from the fans so they'll buy more stuff.

Maria Magdalena, released Oct. 21, is VoA's first EP, and I have to say, though I liked Delta well enough (review here), I on the whole like this EP a lot more.

It starts off with the cover of a song I'd never heard before, "Maria Magdalena", originally performed by German pop artist Sandra.  You can listen to the original here.  It's very typical 80s pop and it kind of makes me cringe when I listen to it.  The VoA version, which you can listen to here, is a much more updated, modern version and it rocks.

Also included on this EP are a few new songs, the faster "Change of Tides" and "Distant Shores" and the slower, ballad-like follow up to "The Poem" from 2007's Trinity, entitled "Beyond Horizon - The Poem Part II."  This latter song is great, mainly because it shows of Mario Plank's sensitive side.  In fact, one of the things I liked most about this EP overall is that Mario uses his clean vocals and leaves his growlier voice at home for a while.  In "Beyond Horizon" he sounds amazing and emotional like he never has before.

The other song on this 6-track release that I enjoyed a lot was a remake of "Last Shut of Your Eyes", which originally appeared on VoA's 2004 release, Castaway, back when Nicole Bogner was still lead singer. (Oh, Nicole, where are you now?  You were so awesome!)  This newer version of course features current VoA female lead Maxi Nil, who is an excellent singer.  She really shines on this EP, and when listening to this song in particular, I got a sense of nostalgia.  This is a song that originally got me into the band, yet I hadn't heard it in ages.  Hearing "Last Shut of Your Eye" has inspired me to go back through VoA's discography and revisit my old favourites because it's just been plain too long.

This is definitely an EP worth listening to if you're a VoA fan, as I am, and if you're looking to get into the "new" VoA.  Though Delta is certainly a worthwhile listen, Maria Magdalena doesn't have a single weak or filler song on it, so I definitely recommend it.  Horns up! \m/

Visions Of Atlantis parted ways with bassist

Today, Visions Of Atlantis announced: "After some crucial internal differences, Mario Lochert (bass) is no longer a member of Visions Of Atlantis. For the upcoming shows we`re already working with new session-members who will take over this position for now as the band is currently not looking for a new fixed bass player!
We're looking forward to meeting you all at the next shows, rock on!"

CD Review: "Delta" by Visions of Atlantis

Today, Visions of Atlantis released it's fourth studio album, their first CD with new vocalist Maxi Nil, who hails from Greece. I've always liked VoA and was a particular fan of their first singer, Nicole Bogner. But times change, and their second singer, Melissa Ferlaak, previously of Aesma Daeva, left the band back in 2008 after the 2007 release of VoA's third album, Trinity.

The samples I'd heard of Delta had sounded really promising, even though VoA seemed to be taking a different route with their female lead, following the kind of disturbing trend of abandoning classical vocals for a more rock style. When the band released a lengthier sample of Delta's first single, "New Dawn", I thought Maxi sounded really good and strong, so I was optimistic.

The short story is this: I got hold of the album this morning and have listened to it four times, twice at the gym. This album is great, probably my favourite VoA album to date, and I can also say that it's a great work-out companion for boring cardio days.

The album starts out fast, symphonic, and driving, with great guitar work, great harmonies, and a generally great vibe. Male lead vocalist Mario Plank sounds edgier and stronger, and Maxi impresses by sounding like she completely belongs in the world of VoA, her style and tone matching very well with Mario's. I think they compliment each other very well, and that's one thing I enjoy about this album over all. There seems to be a chemistry between them that really comes through.

Maxi seems to have a versatile voice with quite a bit of range, which becomes apparent in the second track, "Memento." In my opinion it's the best track on the album. Clocking in at well over 6:30 minutes in length with several distinct sections to the whole song, I think this is VoA's most progressive song in four albums.

Other notable songs are "Twist of Fate," the ballad "Reflection" and the radio-friendly but catchy and totally listenable "New Dawn." There is also an instrumental piece called "Sonar." I think the complexity of the music has increased since the last album, and I enjoyed VoA's amazing vocal harmonies, something that was always their strength.

I am not missing the classical vocal style. I think Maxi suits this music very well and she is really able to pull off the emotion, sensitivity, and power this genre requires. I was impressed.

Delta delivers from beginning to end. It's strong from intro to outro. It's fantastic symphonic power metal and I think it's a huge step forward for VoA. Great going guys and horns up! \m/

Here is "New Dawn" for you to listen to.

Visions of Atlantis: Delta Trailer Released

I just found this on Facebook, released by VoA's record company, Napalm. The music sounds really good, and I like Maxi's voice. Still, I wonder, why did they go with a non-classical vocalist this time? This seems to be a trend amongst some of my long-time favourite bands. But if it works, it works. As long as it does work. From what I've heard of Delta so far, it seems to work. Very much looking forward hearing the whole album, which is released in Europe Feb. 25.

Ballads Away: Return to You

Here is an underrated metal ballad I can't get enough of. This is Visions of Atlantis's "Return to You" sung by former vocalist Melissa Ferlaak, who I believe also wrote the song as a tribute to her father who passed away. It's a gorgeous song, powerfully and emotionally sung.

Enjoy!



And while we're on the topic of VoA, the band now has a four-minute teaser of their upcoming CD release, Delta, up on their MySpace page, here.

Visions of Atlantis Update

Excellent! Austrian symphonic metal outfit, Visions of Atlantis, with their new Greek vocalist Maxi Nil, have announced a release date and album information at last. Their new CD, entitled Delta, is to be released February 25, 2011. You can read more details here.

Very much looking forward to this one!