Illumishade

Although Visions Of Atlantis has been around for more than twenty years, the arrival of French vocalist Clémentine Delauney and then her Italian colleague Michele Guiatoli marked the beginning of a metamorphosis and a change of course. The band now proudly sails on the waves of symphonic power metal, imbued with a perfume of freedom and ready to defend an ideal of imaginary piracy. Armada, released this year, is the second time the band has donned their pirate garb, and it must be said that it suits them well. Their concert at the Rayonne de Villeurbanne in Lyon, France, was an important date: it’s one of the biggest venues on the tour and Clémentine’s home town, where family, friends and long-time fans have come to support her band. Seraina Telli and Illumishade Seraina Telli started the evening with her classic but catchy rock n’ roll. The neon visuals, the rather pleasant songs and above all her powerful voice and infectious good humour ensured that the audience had a great time. Then came the other opening act, this time a little more in keeping with the theme, but perhaps less convincing. Illumishade is led by Fabienne Erni and Jonas Wolf of Eluveitie. It seems that this project is becoming more important to them. These days Eluveitie seems to be treading water, struggling to come up with novelty. The sound was not as good as earlier and the instrumentation was drowned under layers of keyboards. Fabienne Erni’s voice may be powerful with a distinctive colour, but it was rather lacking in variety, and Illumishade’s melodies all sound a bit one-dimensional. In the end, only the excellent “Tales Of Time” took things to another level. However, the Lyon crowd gave the band a warm welcome and Jonas Wolf paid tribute to Gojira and …READ MORE