Visions of Atlantis – Pirates II: Armada (2024) “Track by track”

The armada of Visions of Atlantis has been unleashed! In order to keep the morale high, the crew has prepared twelve new shanties to sing between the fights. To provide some info, Armada marks the return of the band to the pirate theme adopted in the previous album “Pirates”. The lineup has been stabilized since Wanderers, with their music getting progressively better with each release, something that makes this record much anticipated. 

In order to spice things up, I will follow a different course and provide a track by track review. I wouldn’t like to keep Davy Jones waiting, so here we go:

1. To Those Who Choose to Fight: The intro of our journey. Most of the time I just skip the intros and jump straight to the fray, but not this time. This song is mainly focused on Clementine’s vocals who gives a staggering performance and sets the tone for what is to follow. Absolutely perfect opener. 10/10

2. The Land of the Free: A strong intro needs an equally good follow up, with this song being exactly that. From its first seconds its cinematic aura engulfs everything, while it has the perfect mix of heaviness and melody. Its chorus is a true pirate hymn and now the band’s intentions are pretty clear: they are back and more serious than ever. 9/10

3. Monsters: Similarly to Melancholy Angel, Monsters puts a strong emphasis on its catchy chorus. I also like the main musical theme and how Michele sings his verse,  so overall I can say it is a very well executed hit, because that is its purpose. 8/10

4. Tonight I’m Alive: This one is pure perfection and my favorite off Armada. It is something very unique, I have not heard many (or any?) Metal songs like it. I can listen to its main melody all day on an endless loop without getting bored, while every detail just works. I sincerely thank the band for this one. 10/10  

5. Armada: A heavy hitter that one is. As the first single of the album, we must have probably heard that one countless times already. The word armada creates very strong images in your mind. I picture countless ships sailing against giant waves to face the enemy, while thunder roars in the background. The song does a great job translating that thought to music, not to mention that it is perfect for sing-along during concerts. 10/10

6. The Dead of the Sea: I like that VOA gave us two longer compositions that reach ~7mins of duration, as they give room to their ideas to breathe and expand in a natural way. We can say that this one is the closest thing to Master the Hurricane. In my opinion, the verses of Clementine blow everything out of the water and are among the highlights of the whole album. The bridge that goes from her, to a great solo from Douscha and then to a melancholic passage from Michele, is chef’s kiss. 9/10 

7. Ashes to the Sea: Piracy is not only about fights and storms, but also enjoying the calmness of the sea. It is a typical ballad, with a beautiful choir part in the middle that will steal the impressions. 7/10

8. Hellfire: Clementine goes more operatic for this one, but now it is time for Michele to stand on the spotlight, as his verses have the best vocal lines of the song. I like how they are sung differently the second time, it is very pirate-y. The chorus gives the impression that Hellfire was created to be sung live. 8/10 

9. Collide: The verses are very good and beautiful,  but I believe the chorus could be better. Not bad, but somewhat simple in a record that causes tsunamis, something that makes Collide observe the rest track list from a distance. 7/10

10. Magic of the Night: It trades the cinematic veil for a break full of positive vibes. I find it comes dangerously close to Nightwish and specifically their folkish side that is forged by Troy. I was not very fond of it at first, but I am frequently finding myself singing the chorus in my head, so time will tell how this will end up. 7/10

11. Underwater: The album has a second ballad, with Underwater sounding more emotional than Ashes to the Sea. Between the two, I prefer this one better, it is very good. Clementine solos this one and I already miss Meek! 8/10

12. Where the Sky and Ocean Blend: The second 7min song serves as a great epilogue with an outstanding chorus and as always, great music. Extra points go to the fast part that is encountered at the half, you need to play this at high volume. There is also a duet between the two vocalists after that, who are cemented as my favorite singing duo. 10/10    

Verdict: Armada is a worthy follow up to Pirates, can’t say if it is better, as it was a beast of a record, so let’s settle with at least equal. What makes me glad, is that VOA are accumulating a big band status which is evident in everything they do, with their new record bolstering that opinion. From the track by track it is clear that I find some small room for improvement in the last spots, but you know what? As someone who places VOA at my top 5 favorite bands currently, I had huge expectations and I am very happy and covered from what we have got. 

86/100

Pavlos Pavlakis

On behalf of Metal Domain