I only have Trinity, and some samples of previous releases ..

I have to admit that Trinity is really a great work .. I liked both female & male vocals .. and there were some killer songs like : Passing Dead End, The Poem & Flow This Desert ...

Still some other songs sounds cheesy .. all in all the album is interesting to me

I finally got a chance to see Visions Of Atlantis live last week, as the main support for Epica I don't care for anything by VoA before "Trinity" and before Melissa joined, and I really was impressed that VoA not only has a great stage presence, they sound so much better live than on CD! Lots of vocal dynamics between the two singers, and a genuine energy that you could feel.... If only they could recapture it on the CD, they would be much more respected than their status is now.

I don't particularly agree with the Nightwish comparisons, especially after seeing them live. This band is not aiming for an epic approach, but instead is best when they are uptempo and uncomplicated. Even their "sad" songs come off as pleasant live "Through My Eyes" and "My Dark Side Home" were my choices for their best songs live. "Through My Eyes" especially really comes alive on stage, whereas on the CD it sounds flat. Maybe the band just needs someone else to do the mixing on their next CD, who knows. All I know is that I can't wait to see them again - or for a live video Melissa is quite possibly the most down-to-earth metal singer I've had the chance to meet, the band is lucky to have her in it...

I'd like to see them live as well....I believe that they may sound much better in live than on CD because of Mel...she's indeed very charming on stage and I think that namely there the full capacity of her voice can be heard at its full range....

i cant stop listen Cast Away album at the time

Too bad they are having some major dilemma issues at the moment with their vocalist and lead guitarist, well ex. But, I was listening to Lunatica the other night and have come to the conclusion that Alex is much faster and fuller than their keyboardist, but he still plays very intense key lines.

Visions Of Atlantis played two gigs recently with yet another new female singer. Internet gossip on last.fm and youtube identified her as Maxi Nil from Greece. A short statement is available on Maxi Nil's myspace.. Pictures of the gig in Wien as support of Tarja are available here. This singer indeed doesn't look a lot like Joanna Nieniewska who was presented officially as the new singer earlier this year. The band so far hasn't ventured a comment.

I tried to get this in the Metalstorm news section, but so far to no avail. Since now there is a bit more evidence with the pictures and a comment on youtube from allegedly the artist herself, I thought maybe somebody might be interested here in the forum.

My personal impression is, that this is a fruitful development and if she stays with this band I'll be happy to pay them a visit as soon as it is logistically feasable for me.

And I'd like to persuade people who only want to enlighten us that this planet has seen already enough honeysweet cheesy softpower-metal bands and an all male post-doom thrash-prog formation would be a lot more appropriate for our entertainment to refrain from commenting. We, the cheese lovers, are already perfectly aware of this.

Written by albatros on 26.07.2009 at 20:23

Visions Of Atlantis played two gigs recently with yet another new female singer. Internet gossip on last.fm and youtube identified her as Maxi Nil from Greece. A short statement is available on Maxi Nil's myspace.. Pictures of the gig in Wien as support of Tarja are available here. This singer indeed doesn't look a lot like Joanna Nieniewska who was presented officially as the new singer earlier this year. The band so far hasn't ventured a comment.

Seems indeed to be Maxi Nil....I haven't heard the previous work by her but I am quite glad that she is going to take the place of Melissa Ferlaak....I somehow didn't trust that this 20-year-old Joanna could in any ways well replace a professional singer and vocal coach such as Melissa.... At the same time Maxi seems to have a very powerful (matriarchal) and stately stage presence, I think this is what the band is going to need to make themselves as prominent as possible...

If this is true I kinda pity Joanna... I mean she's young and all sorts, but you promise her a place and make it all big by making it public, then replacing her just like that... Would be a real big hit to her

Written by Ag Fox on 26.07.2009 at 22:19

If this is true I kinda pity Joanna... I mean she's young and all sorts, but you promise her a place and make it all big by making it public, then replacing her just like that... Would be a real big hit to her

True indeed....I hope she'll have the opportunities to prove herself soon with some other band...VoA didn't even give any gigs with her nor did they record any material (apparently)...but it all should be good for something....
I somehow think she wouldn't have suited the group anyway so all she needs is a fresh start with a fresh band....

I agree with both of you.

@ silver_foxy : One visitor of the Metalcamp 2009 stated that he thinks he saw Joanna wander around backstage, so to me it looks like at least the band wants to make the transition to another singer in friendship with her.

I read from a Spanish language source a sentence "Things did not work between them..." regarding Joanna and the band so...mayb indeed there was no chemistry or smth....

Another singer again? how many there was already? three? four?

Written by Ellrohir on 27.07.2009 at 02:16

Another singer again? how many there was already? three? four?

Maxi is the third vocalist following Nicole Bogner and Melissa Ferlaak...if to count the mysterious Joanna who hasn't made any appearance so far, Maxi would appear to be the fourth in line....
They still won't beat Sirenia who have had a new female vocalist for every release so far, five to be honest.....(two of them being in the band at the same time...)

I just think this is bad for a band...left no trace sounding different every year...

Written by Ellrohir on 27.07.2009 at 14:40

I just think this is bad for a band...left no trace sounding different every year...

Not necessarily...if their albums are musically outstanding then there's no big difference who sings the texts....and in some cases when the singers are bright personalities then they may add something new every time...also...the fuss about switching singers may also trigger extra attention...people want to know how they sounded before and start comparing the new singer with the old one(s)...

Written by Ernis on 27.07.2009 at 14:56

if their albums are musically outstanding

but i would say this will be problem by VoA...i like to listen to them but i really find nothing special in their music...actually they are really quite copying NW stuff imo...

Written by Ellrohir on 27.07.2009 at 14:58

Written by Ernis on 27.07.2009 at 14:56

if their albums are musically outstanding

but i would say this will be problem by VoA...i like to listen to them but i really find nothing special in their music...actually they are really quite copying NW stuff imo...

Unfortunately you're right here.....Even Melissa couldn't help make them more bombastic as I hoped...there just is something that is not there in VoA's songs...I don't know what but it's missing and it should be there...

I find really good their "Cast Away" album...but since then they are just changing singers and i think Trinity is much worse (though better ranked here)

Yeh, "Cast Away" is better than their first album...maybe you're right and it is also better than "Trinity"...the trump of "Trinity" for me is that Melissa Ferlaak sings there, I always loved her with Aesma Daeva and she did a good job with VoA as well....

All this talk about the band's releases and which one is better has made me curious again to listen to their debut, which I've never come across. I still will never like "Cast Away" but some of the reviews, including on our own MS, suggest that the first one is a bit different, so I'll have to find it when I get the chance. I'm not so disappointed about the sudden chance to a fourth singer - to me a band needs to do what it must to play the music the best way it can. It looks like from the pictures that Maxi has a great stage presence, which is crucial for this band IMO. They are much better live than they are on CD.

So finally the band have brought themselves to compile a coherent statement about the vocalist matter, which has been published on their myspace. (possibly also to take a stand against some less flattering comments on last.fm)

Indeed Joanna has been relieved from her singing duties, according to the band for health reasons, but as a friend of the band she might serve as roadie in the future, whereas Maxi Nil is in as new vocalist, and so everybody is happy.

I really hope they continue to create and play music, as I'm sure the fusion of the band's typical Austrian cordiality and their new singers Greek influence has great potential to spawn something really special and precious.

Thank God...seems that all in all they got the best possible outcome....I am very sorry that Joanna has problems with health but nevertheless it's good that she still will continue as a touring member....hope to see her as well as a supporting vocalist for instance...we have good bands with female duets on stage such as Epica and Therion....

Still... i think from becoming front woman to a mere roadie is almost like a freefall
maybe she could do some instruments?

Written by Ag Fox on 30.07.2009 at 19:21

Still... i think from becoming front woman to a mere roadie is almost like a freefall
maybe she could do some instruments?

Well...if it's health and a full show could threaten her, then she can't put herself under that pressure....Simone Simmons was also forced to quit Epica during their touring because of her illness and Amanda Somerville took the position of the lead female singer for the entire period.....

Yeah, but you can't really compare these two cases, because Simone ultimately is still the front woman of the band after the tour but obviously Joanna doesn't seem fit enough to regain her position (and I somehow also think it's not as simple as health problems as official statements are usually a bit fudged anyway)

Written by Ag Fox on 31.07.2009 at 01:35

Yeah, but you can't really compare these two cases, because Simone ultimately is still the front woman of the band after the tour but obviously Joanna doesn't seem fit enough to regain her position (and I somehow also think it's not as simple as health problems as official statements are usually a bit fudged anyway)

嗯....可是...谁知道? Who know's anyway....what's important is that if to believe the group, they found the best possible solution....I wish the best for all of them, for the band and for Joanna and Maxi....

Dunno... as you said earlier, dual vocals would be nice though (coronatus anyone?), which i think would be an even better solution XP

Written by Ag Fox on 31.07.2009 at 22:35

Dunno... as you said earlier, dual vocals would be nice though (coronatus anyone?), which i think would be an even better solution XP

Mayb one day....one day....we can hope....

Send Me A Light!

Written by RyanH on 11.09.2009 at 09:15

Send Me A Light!

with a pleasure...but you'll need to left here your address first