The original line-up consisted of Nicole Bogner (female vocals), Christian Stani (male vocals), Werner Fiedler (guitars), Mike Koren (bass), Chris Kamper (keyboards), and Thomas Caser (drums). Inspiration came both from successful symphonic metal band Nightwish and from the myth of Atlantis. The equal combination of male and female vocals distinguishes Visions of Atlantis from Nightwish though and is more reminiscent of Lacuna Coil.
A first demo, "Morning In Atlantis", was released in 2000. In 2001 they signed with TTS Media Music/Black Arrow Productions, and in 2002 their first album, "Eternal Endless Infinity", was released. 2003 saw a change in line-up, replacing Christian Stani with Mario Plank and Chris Kamper with Miro Holly. Now with Napalm Records, Visions of Atlantis released their second album, "Cast Away", in 2004. Since then a few more band members have left and joined. In 2005 Nicole Bogner was replaced by Melissa Ferlaak (formerly with Aesma Daeva) and Wolfgang Koch replaced Werner Fiedler. In 2006 Martin Harb, who already played with Visions of Atlantis on their tour in Mexico in 2003, replaced Miro Holly.
In May 2007, their third album, "Trinity", was released. In September 2007, they began their first North American tour with Epica.
On the 28th of November 2007 a message was posted on the official Visions of Atlantis website saying that Melissa Ferlaak and Wolfgang Koch have left the band, both citing personal reasons. Following this Visions of Atlantis have announced their ex-guitarist Werner Fiedler has rejoined the band.
On the 1st of February 2009 a message was posted on the official Visions of Atlantis website to present a new lead vocalist of the band, in the person of 20 years old Austrian singer Joanna Nieniewska.
However Joanna was replaced on June of the same year,by the greek singer Maxi Nil (x-Elysion) and now the band is in the studio, preparing their new album which will come out in the first months of 2011.
Official site: https://www.visionsofatlantis.at/
The Ark
Visions of Atlantis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As they never where before
Crossing silently the summits
Of those now parting sea from shore
Waiting for the sun
It's glittering on a velvet rug
World's end was full of riot
Like an apocalyptic drug
Just too blind within its dreams
Hundred years of worthless lore
Mayas knew so long before
This is the entrance, the past awakes
Another culture, another dominion breaks
This is the end, this is our way
There's nothing left and nothing left to say
Standing on this ark
And heading for a new horizon
Eliding ruins of the old world
Underneath is advising
Heed the drone of this machine
A postponing elegy...
This is the entrance, the past awakes
Another culture, another dominion breaks
This is the end, this is our way
There's nothing left and nothing left to say
The lyrics in Visions of Atlantis’ song “The Ark” speak about a world that is coming to an end due to various catastrophes such as huge waves that separate the sea from the shore. The song portrays a bleak future where the world is full of violence and chaos, with humanity being too engrossed in its own dreams to see the impending doom. The lyrics also mention the Mayans, who had knowledge of this destruction long before it happened. The song is written in a first-person perspective, with the singer standing on the Ark and heading towards a new horizon, leaving behind the ruins of the old world. The final lines of the song suggest that there is no turning back, and that the end is inevitable.
The song is a representation of how humanity is ignoring the present-day consequences of its actions on the environment, and how it is hurtling towards a catastrophic end. The words themselves are full of imagery and metaphors that depict a world driven by advancements in technology, while also painting a picture of devastation and doom. The lyrics mention the glittering sun on a velvet rug, representing the beauty of the world that is being destroyed, and also the drone of the machine, symbolizing the relentless march of man-made destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
The waves are as huge
The size of the waves is immense
As they never were before
The waves are larger than they have ever been before
Crossing silently the summits
The waves are silently moving over the tops of things
Of those now parting sea from shore
The waves are causing a separation between the sea and the shore
Waiting for the sun
The sun is expected to appear soon
It's glittering on a velvet rug
When the sun comes out, it will be shining brightly
World's end was full of riot
The end of the world was chaotic
Like an apocalyptic drug
It was a destructive event like a drug that causes suffering
Human kind with all machines
The whole of humanity with all its technological advancements
Just too blind within its dreams
Humanity is too unaware due to their own desires
Hundred years of worthless lore
The history of humanity for the past hundred years has been pointless
Mayas knew so long before
The Mayas had knowledge about this impending destruction a long time before it happened
This is the entrance, the past awakes
This is the beginning of something new, but old ways of life will be revisited
Another culture, another dominion breaks
A new way of life will be established, replacing the old way
This is the end, this is our way
This is the end of the world as we know it, and we must adapt to survive
There's nothing left and nothing left to say
There is nothing that can be done now, and no words to describe the situation
Standing on this ark
Standing on the boat that will carry them to safety
And heading for a new horizon
Traveling towards a new future
Eliding ruins of the old world
Leaving behind the destruction of the old world
Underneath is advising
There is inner guidance that is being listened to
Heed the drone of this machine
The sound of the machine should be paid attention to
A postponing elegy...
A sad song that acknowledges that things must change to survive
Contributed by Blake D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.