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Austria's Visions of Atlantis have thrown their collective hats into the Symphonic/Power Metal ring with their new album, Delta. Lots of crunchy guitars, huge keyboard flourishes and the dueling male and female vocals of Mario Plank and Maxi Nil are the band's bread and butter. Everything on Delta is perfectly played, no less than expected, or demanded, really, of bands playing this style of music.

It is clear Visions of Atlantis are going for the same audience as bands like Nightwish, Edenbridge and Serenity, but I would put them a tier below those luminaries. The musical performances are excellent, as mentioned, and the songs are good, but other than "Gravitate Towards Fatality" and the highly infectious "Twist of Fate," none leave an indelible impression once they are over.

Still, Visions of Atlantis hit all the right buttons and Delta is an excellent Symphonic/Power Metal album. Everything there is to like about this style of metal is here, just not in every song at the same time. Maybe Delta isn't quite up to par with Nightwish's "Oceanborn" or Edenbridge's "Solitaire," but it is miles and miles from the worst you'll hear, so Symphonic/Power Metal fans should definitely check it out.