Austrian symphonic metal band, Visions of Atlantis, is currently debuting their first-ever US headlining tour, which included a stop at The Montage Music Hall in Rochester on Sunday, Feb. 19. The five-piece group, based out of Styria, Austria, brought a pirate-themed musical journey to Rochester in which many fans in attendance dressed the part.
Having only recently discovered this band through a flyer from The Montage, I decided to give them a listen, as I am always looking for new music and shows to see. Immediately I could detect a Nightwish influence which piqued my attention as I love Nightwish, and I thought this would be a fun show to check out, especially since it is the bands first headlining US tour.
Waiting for Visions of Atlantis to take the stage, cheerful pirate music played throughout the venue as concertgoers filled in, with several having elaborate pirate costumes themselves. The lights dim, fog fills the scene, and the band’s backdrops stand out nicely. The blue lighting with the white lasers gave the feeling that it was nighttime aboard a pirate ship, which was impressive, given how minimal it was.
The band takes to the stage in a roar of applause and immediately jumps into their 15-song set. The sound was clear and complete while not overly produced. Visions of Atlantis features two vocalists, Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli, who play very well off each other. Immediately you can feel the band’s passion and that they enjoy what they are doing.
The pirate theme continued throughout their set, with a brief pause between songs as the band recruited the audience onto their ship with the traditional “Arr” chant.
Visions of Atlantis breezed through their set flawlessly, with significant crowd interaction and stage presence. The band sounded just as good live as they do on their studio albums, and it was indeed a great show to witness. The vocals from Delauney and Guaitoli were on point, and the drums of Thomas Caser were fantastic and were the backbone of the performance. Guitarist Christian Douscha and Bassist Herbert Glos played off each other exceptionally well, with friendly banter between all bandmates that made this an entertaining show.
The band thanked everyone continuously throughout the set, and the appreciation was well received, with roars of applause each time. The excitement from the band as they stated that this was their first headlining US tour and how happy they were to be able to do this was wholesome. I always enjoy seeing a band on their first headlining tour, especially when they’re from another country, and Visions of Atlantis did not disappoint.
I highly recommend going to see Visions of Atlantis if given the opportunity. The atmosphere was friendly, the music was fantastic, and the overall experience of seeing them was refreshing. I hope this band continues to gain success and look forward to their next US tour.
Catch them in Brooklyn on Wednesday, Feb. 22 and in Clifton, NJ on the 23rd and Atlantic City, NJ on the 24th.
Setlist: Master the Hurricane > New Dawn > A Life of Our Own > Clocks > The Silent Mutiny > The Deep & the Dark > Freedom > In My World > A Journey to Remember > Mercy > Heroes of the Dawn > Nothing Lasts Forever > Melancholy Angel > Pirate Will Return > Legion of the Seas
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