Cast Away

Given the recent onslaught of Nightwish-oriented, symphonic-tinged, female-fronted metal making the rounds in the past several years, some might be wont to suggest that we are seeing the beginning of a second wave of such bands. Naturally this would imply that the original wave that paralleled the general power metal revival of the late 90s (typified in the likes of post-Gothic scene bands like After Forever, Nightwish and Within Temptation) had come to an end at some point between the early and late 2000s. Whenever attempting to attribute patterns to a fairly unpredictable phenomenon such as trends in musical expression, there are naturally a few caveats that need to be thrown in for the whole thing to make sense, and in this particular scene's case it would be the somewhat lower tier bands that may well constitute their own wave following the immediate success of the aforementioned bands; particularly such noted Central European acts as Edenbridge, Lunatica and the somewhat less celebrated but equally prolific Visions Of Atlantis. Particularly by the 2003-2005 period, these bands seemed to take over the torch as the earlier bands either fractured, folded tent, or modified their style to a significant degree as to be only nominally associated with metal stylistically.

It is in this context that Visions Of Atlantis' sophomore effort, Cast Away, finds itself as it feels a bit more prone to hold on to their style's power metal roots, all the while showcasing a greater pop/rock sensibility that was likewise seen to an even greater extent in Within Temptation's The Silent Force. The format here is heavily informed by the keyboards, bringing out an electronically tinged aesthetic that is along similar lines to the latter days of Timo Tolkki's tenure in Stratovarius and the later Revolution Renaissance debut, but also heavily steeped in an atmospheric, orchestral backdrop that is fairly reminiscent of Nightwish, though the overall production value is not as high fidelity. Combined with an operatic vocal performance out of Nicole Bogner that could pass for a 2nd rate Tarja Turunen and an ultra-clean, pop sounding vocal display out of then newcomer Mario Plank that would fit in with the typical 2nd male vocal slot on an early Sirenia release, the overall sound here is a bit on the lighter side of the power metal equation. This is only further exacerbated by the generally minimalist and chug-oriented character of the guitar work provided by Werner Fiedler, which is where a lot of past comparisons of this album to Evanescence were likely rooted.

For whatever these songs tend to lack in blazing speed or flashy riff work, there is an infectious charm that permeates most of this album in spite of its generally safe and mid-paced character. Keyboard-drenched anthems like "Send Me A Light" and "Pharaoh's Repentance" are not wholly without elements of intrigue, as the bass work of Mike Koren manages to punch through the array of keyboard and clean vocal interchanges and provides a few flashy twists here and there, while the guitar work ventures a bit out of the support zone during obligatory guitar solo segments, though the keyboard work proves to be a bit more technically apt in this department. Things take on a bit more overt of a triumphant power metal tone on "Realm Of Fantasy" with a tad hint of 80s arena rock trappings in the keyboard work, while the fast-paced and flashy character of "Lemuria" and "State Of Suspense" sees something a little closer to Rhapsody Of Fire territory emerge between the nods to Nightwish. However, the most memorable offering was the one that was treated to its own music video, namely the rocking and super catchy "Lost", which is a pretty clear nod to classic Stratovarius anthems like "Hunting High And Low" and "I Walk To My Own Song", painted over with an operatic gloss but generally sticking to the same formula.

When looking at 2004 and this album's stylistic proclivities in retrospect, it isn't surprising that there was a fair degree of hate lobbed at it given the saturation of the mainstream market with comparable material thanks to the ascendancy of Evanescence's Fallen, which undoubtedly played a roll in the subsequent success of Nightwish's Once and Within Temptation's The Silent Force.Though this isn't quite a full on tag-along affair in relation to said bands, there are enough similarities for an association to be made, though this is clearly a bit closer in overall approach to the less Gothic-infused character of Edenbridge. Aside from the hype surrounding female-fronted, keyboard-happy metal at the time, this isn't really an album that would elicit much controversy save with anyone who is already hostile to the very concept of the guitars either sharing the spotlight with or taking a backseat to the keyboards, but rather a generally consistent and somewhat generic affirmation of what works. Anyone look for outright symphonic bombast and high-operatic drama would be best served by checking out the recent work of Xandria and Elvellon, whereas this album's current audience is closer to the humbler, restrained feel of recent outings by Echoterra and Mastercastle.