Symphonic Pirate Metal pioneers Visions Of Atlantis are set to release their ninth studio album entitled Pirates II – Armada on July 5th. The band’s (male) vocalist Meek Guaitoli took the time to talk with Metal Express Radio about their upcoming album, their recent North American Tour with Korpiklaani, plans after the album release, and more. Check out the chat below!
Metal Express Radio: Your band, Visions of Atlantis are set to release their ninth studio album entitled Pirates II – Armada, what can you tell fans about the upcoming release?
Guaitoli: It’s going to be the greatest adventure you’ll embark into. Brace yourselves and get ready as Visions of Atlantis have never been this deep, heavy, dark and cinematic. You just gotta close your eyes, press play, and be prepared to sail the seven seas.
MER: How would you compare Pirates II – Armada to your 2022 release entitled Pirates?
Guaitoli: Pirates II is the natural evolution of Pirates. We basically kept on going where we left the songwriting in 2022. What’s beautiful is that even if you’d scramble the tracklist of these two records, you would always end up with two albums full of variety, diversity and strong songs. Nothing written in Pirates is going to be repeated in Pirates II. There is no “Armada” or “Tonight I’m Alive” in Pirates, as well as there is no “Legion of the Seas Part II” or “In My World Part II” in Pirates II. And what’s great is that we feel like we still have much more to say.
MER: You’ve released two singles from the album so far, what kind of feedback have you received?
Guaitoli: Those who follow VoA are absolutely enthusiastic. We never had a song like “Armada”, where we clearly invite everyone to shout with us the two hook lines “Hail Jolly Roger” and “Armada”. Live this song is just giving us chills, as up till now in every show everyone participated with great enthusiasm. “Monsters” is also being received really well. It’s the freshest single for now, so many are still discovering it live but once again, the impression is that everything’s at the right place.
MER: You recently toured North America with Korpiklaani, how did the tour go for you and your band?
Guaitoli: The US truly is magic for us. There’s a feeling of freshness, and the enthusiasm that our US fans are showing us is always beyond our expectation, and always topping the previous tour. Every time we come back, we have more people attending the VIP session, more people dressing up as pirates, the loudness grows… the sky is the limit, right?
MER: What do you see as plans for you and your band for the rest of the year?
Guaitoli: With the album release set for July 5th, that date will be our “day 1”, and our schedule is extremely and excitingly busy. The peak of this year will surely be our headline tour in Europe. It’s going to be our biggest tour ever, the pre-sales are exciting and we truly can’t wait to jump on board.
MER: Is there anyone that you hope to tour with and why?
Guaitoli: This is always an interesting question. There are a lot of names that would make a great package with VoA. Nightwish and Epica for instance, them being our main influence and a perfect match in terms of audience. Sabaton, as we’ve seen when we performed at the Sabaton Cruise last year, that their fans truly appreciate what we’re doing, but this list can be really long. In general any melodic band with a personal universe, could truly help developing our fanbase. Powerwolf is another fantastic name.
MER: Is there anywhere in particular that’s your favorite place to play live and why?
Guaitoli: Every country has its own magic. As I said the US and Canada excel in enthusiasm. The Netherlands are great as people there truly are passionate about the musical aspects of any project, they listen to all the details and appreciate them. The UK seems to be in love with Symphonic Metal and we feel like they’re in awe at the shows. Germany and German festivals are the biggest in the world and the energy there is unique. South America’s love is one of a kind. This list could go on for so long…
MER: Out of your band’s nine album’s, what is one you would suggest to a new fan and why?
Guaitoli: You’re serving me an answer on a silver plate here. How can I reply, right now, something different than Pirates II – Armada? Being our latest release, it is clear that from our perspective, it’s the most mature, energetic and strong record…but it’s on you to judge right?
MER: If you could pick a pirate to sit down, have a beer, and listen to your music with, who would it be and why?
Guaitoli: Given that I can also choose fictional pirates, I will go with Guybrush Threepwood from Monkey Island. He’s an inspiration. That guy started as a wannabe, and made it to become a legend. I’d love to listen to all his tales and I’d love to thank him for having made my youth happier.
MER: Visions of Atlantis has been around since 2000, what sets the upcoming album apart from the rest of your band’s music?
Guaitoli: Whatever happened before 2018 is far from being part of the history of this lineup. What I can tell you is that this is also our strength. Since this new era of VoA began, we are a fresh band with a lot to say. Album after album we’re getting to know each other better on every level, and we’re getting to love each other more as a family. This reflects on the music, that carries our ambition, our growing strength. It can only get better.
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