Old Routes – New Waters

EP’s are currently the hit. The bands want to sweeten their fans while waiting for the next album. It is usually that one or two new songs, additional re-recordings of old hits, some live material or even a couple of cover versions are on it. Visions Of Atlantis will publish an EP these days. In the song selection, however, the band went other ways. After almost complete line-up changes in 2013, the Austrians want to prove that they are going back to their roots.

For the EP “Old Routes – New Waters” five songs from the first three studio albums of  the band were re-recorded. With the original line-up on the instruments and the new singers Clémentine Delauney and Siegfried Samer. I was able to convince the live qualities of the new vocal duo on the FemMe II 2015 in Eindhoven.  Of course I wanted to hear how well Visions Of Atlantis implementation has succeeded in studio now. For that I have searched for the originals on my MP3 player. Fortunately I own the complete back catalogue except the 2000 demo “Morning In Atlantis”. So I’ve put together a playlist and heard all ten songs in heavy rotation.

Singer Clémentine Delaunay is stepping into the large shoes of Nicole Bogner and Melissa Ferlaak. Of course, she can’t make us forget them, too extraordinary have been the voices of Nicole and Melissa. Clémi masters this difficult task with flying colors! With her voice leading of bell-like soprano she shapes the songs in their own unique touch. Also, singer Siegfried Samer can convince me fully. I also think that the new instrumentation is damn close to the original.

With “Old Routes – New Waters” Visions Of Atlantis bring to the table a true appetizer. The spirit of the first three albums is back. The title is therefore also at the same time the message of this publication.  As a fan, I am already very excited for this first studio album of the new/old symphonic metallers. We can only hope that they can connect to the quality of the early days when writing new songs.

Lineup:
Clementine Delauney – Gesang
Siegfried Samer – Gesang
Werner Fiedler – Gitarren
Chris Kamper – Keyboards
Mike Koren – Bass
Tom Caser – Schlagzeug

Label: Napalm Records
Out: 29.04.2016
Duration: 26:21

Tracklist:

• Lovebearing Storm (Eternal Endless Infinity – 2002)
• Lost (Cast Away – 2005)
• Winternight (Cast Away – 2005)
• Seven Seas (Trinity – 2005)
• Last Shut Of Your Eyes (Cast Away – 2007)

Release date: 29-04-2016
Reviewer: Rainer Kerber
Score: