VISIONS OF ATLANTIS — Eternal Endless Infinity (review)

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS — Eternal Endless Infinity album cover

Album · 2002 · Symphonic Metal

2.5/5 · 2023-10-15
lukretion

Vision of Atlantis’ debut album Eternal Endless Infinity firmly belongs to the symphonic power metal subgenre that Nightwish popularized in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Closer to home, fellow Austrian band Edenbridge are another reference for the six-piece formation from Bruck an der Mur. As per the genre’s aesthetics, the line-up is comprised of two vocalists, one male (Christian Stani) and one female (Nicole Bogner), and a keyboard player (Chris Kamper), in addition to the standard metal/rock instrumentation (guitars: Werner Fiedler, bass: Mike Koren, drums: Thomas Caser).

If you are familiar with the genre, you won’t find many surprises in Eternal Endless Infinity. The formula the band follows throughout the LP’s ten tracks is tried and true. A tight double-bass drumming dictates a fast tempo in most songs, which the guitars and bass follow diligently by providing a satisfying low-end chugginess to the music. Chris Kamper’s symphonic flourish are very prominent and very very good, spanning a wide range of timbres and styles, from classical orchestration to electronic effects (“Eclipse”). Folk influences are occasionally blended into the music, too. Instrumentally, the album’s ten songs offer top-notch material, showcasing the four musicians’ technical proficiency (listen to Thomas Caser’s high-speed drum fills), but also their taste and skills in writing and arranging the songs.

However, two things hold this album back. First and foremost, the production is terrible. To put it bluntly, the sound quality is closer to that of a demo than a professional studio album. The guitars sound raw and at the same time lack presence. The bass is inaudible. The drums sound poor as well, flat and lifeless. Meanwhile, the vocals seem to have been recorded with the singers placed two meters away from the mic: their voices often struggle to emerge from the background and at times completely disappear behind the other instruments (are those muffled noises in “Lords of the Sea” and “The Quest” supposed to be growls?). Talking about vocals, this is the other main drawback of the record. Granted, they have not been recorded very well, but it is also clear that the two singers, Christian Stani and Nicole Bogner, are not yet in full control of their voices. Nicole in particular seem to struggle with her power, and her mezzosoprano vocals at times sound incredibly feeble and tentative. On the other hand, she seems to have a good timbre and a decent range. Christian Stani’s delivery is more satisfying, although he seems to have an inferior range and technique compared to Nicole. Overall, both their performances do not sound fully convincing, albeit for different reasons, which is of course a massive problem given that the band’s chosen genre requires the focus to be placed on the vocals.

Having said that, I must also concede that Eternal Endless Infinity does possess a special charm. Part of it comes from the spontaneity and enthusiasm the band clearly put in the songwriting, which is simple and by no means perfect, but also bursts with an energy and genuine passion that one may not always find in more accomplished releases. In many ways, Vision of Atlantis’ spontaneous approach reminds of Nightwish’s early records, which were similarly imperfect and eager to impress. Another contribution to the album’s special charm comes from Christian Stani’s vocal delivery. I criticized his technique earlier, but it is also true that his shouted, almost goth/punk approach stands out in a positive way in the context of this record, especially because it creates a beautiful contrast with the power metal stylings of the compositions.

Ultimately, these factors are Eternal Endless Infinity’s redeeming grace and save it from total disaster. It is not enough, however, to elevate the album beyond a “collectors only” status, in my opinion. Better examples in this subgenre abound, both from other bands and from Vision of Atlantis themselves. Eternal Endless Infinity is thus interesting to explore only if you are a fan of the band and want to dig deeper into their origins.