Review and Photos by Fred Kuhlman
Promoter: 13th Floor Entertainment (https://www.13thfloorentertainment.com/ )
Venue: The Rebel Lounge (https://therebellounge.com/ )
Date: Friday March 3rd, 2023
Tour: Over North America 2023
It has been over 40 years since I was at a concert at the Rebel Lounge. Actually, it was known as the Mason Jar back in the 70s and 80s. It was one of the local bars that supported a lot of local bands and some that even became famous including The Gin Blossoms and the Meat Puppets. But this was the first time I saw a nationally touring band perform there. It is a small venue that holds about 300. It also had a very low stage, about 1 foot high. This low stage was due to the low ceiling. At one point in the show, the female lead singer of Visions of Atlantis actually hit her hand on one of the ceiling beams. Normally I complain about the poor (to ridiculously poor) lighting at bars but the Rebel Lounge was pleasantly good. It actually was good and bathed the entire stage in descent light. I was also happy that the sound system was very good and you could hear each of the members of the band and the singer’s voices were very clear. Overall, it was a very good experience and the bands sounded great.
Tonight’s show consisted of 2 touring bands and one local band. First up was Painting Fences a Phoenix local punk metal band. The middle band are a 2-person setup of singer and guitarist, The Spider Accomplice. And finally, the band everyone was there to see, Visions of Atlantis.
As a side note: Please help support these bands. They spend a lot of time and energy traveling and performing. In a lot of cases, they don’t get a lot from the ticket sales. They attempt to make up the difference by selling merchandise and doing the Meet & Greets. Be aware that the Meet & Greets profits go directly to the bands and not the promoters. So, if you want to keep having these smaller concerts with non-mega bands, then please help them out by purchasing something. Buses and gas cost a lot these days and the bands need our help.
Visions of Atlantis

Back in March of 2020 I was a Club Red, I was there to see Dragonforce. My metal buddy was there with me and told me that I would be amazed by the female singer in the leadup band. The venue was packed and little did we know, this would be one of the last live concerts many of us would see for the next 18 months (Covid-19 pandemic cancelled everything later that month). I looked at the stage and it was packed with Dragonforce’s equipment. They even had to put the lead-up band’s drummers off to the side behind some large video game machines. Well, the first band came out and my friend was correct. This band had a truly wonderful and amazing female lead singer. It was Clémentine Delauney and the band was Visions of Atlantis. I had never heard of this band was I was instantly a fan. Only when I went back to where my friend was standing after they completed their set did I learn that this was not the band he had mentioned. But I was still impressed.
Two years later, on April 19th, 2022 Visions of Atlantis came back again supporting Dragonforce but this time at the Nile Theater in Mesa, Az. This time the stage was bigger and Visions of Atlantis was really able to move around and we were allowed to see the dynamics of the members interacting with each other. They had just released their newest album; Pirates and the show was a mixture of that and previous albums songs.

After seeing them perform, I thought that Visions of Atlantis could be a small venue headliner. So, in early 2023 they headed out on the road headlining shows and brought along The Spider Accomplice. Granted the venues were small and the crowds were not very large. For some strange reason a lot of European metal bands, especially symphonic metal bands don’t pull large groups here in the USA, but the fans that do come are extremely loyal.
Visions of Atlantis has been around since 2000 and came from Austria. It was founded by drummer Thomas Caser. Over the years the line-ups have changed and finally in 2018 with the inclusion of singer Michele Guaitoli that band was ready to bust out. They had a couple of great tours and then the pandemic hit. That time was hard on a number of bands, but to Visions of Atlantis’s credit, they produced a spectacular live album, A Symphonic Journey To Remember and worked on their next studio album, Pirates that was released in March of 2022.

The current band consists of founding member and drummer Thomas Caser. He is joined by bassist Herbert Glos and guitarist Christian Douscha. They are joined by the singing members, Clémentine Delauney and Michele Guaitoli. This is the line-up that I have seen each time and they are exciting to watch. The drummer is always goofing in the background either excessive drumming, making faces or playing a drum stick like a fife. With the larger stages the other 4 were able to move around and interact with each other. Seeing Michele and Clémentine play against each other as they sing is worth ever penny. Then add the phenomenal guitar work of Christian and the deep baseline of Herbert, and this band is top notch.
Listening to this band on their studio albums does not do them justice. You really need to hear one of their live albums or better yet see then live in concert. They have a gravitas on stage that just can’t be matched or captured on a studio album.
The show started with one of their new cuts, “Master the Hurricane” from their latest album Pirates. For me the real treat was when they performed “The Silent Mutiny” and “The Deep & The Dark”. These two songs were what really made me a fan when I saw them in 2020. They did a number of songs from Wanderers and Pirates. They ended the concert with a 2-song encore, “Pirates Will Return” and “Legion of the Seas” from Pirates. You can see the setlist below.

Overall, it was an incredible show. The fans were loud and sang along with some of the songs (only 1 person was escorted out by security). The band seemed to really enjoy themselves and with the low stage and no barrier, they were able to interact with the crowd. At one point Michele throw his pirate hat into the crowd and the lady next to me picked it up and wore it (later giving it back). The set was only about 80 minutes long, but everyone seemed to be ok with the song selection. By the end of the encore, the fans were wanting more and this indicates a good show.
Visions of Atlantis will be touring Europe during April. If you get the chance to see them, I would highly recommend it. Then they will be returning to the USA this September and tour with the new Delian line-up. Personally, I can’t wait to see that show. Two outstanding symphonic metal bands.
For the last 2 shows, Visions of Atlantis has offered a special VIP Meet & Greet Upgrade package that included a special preshow acoustic performance, a meet & greet with the members of the band, a photo with the band and other stuff. I have never been at the Meet & Greet, but I have heard them perform the acoustic stuff from outside the area and it sounded great. Those people that did the Meet & Greet always seemed very happy and many would do it again. So, if you want to get the full Visions of Atlantis experience, you might want to spring for the VIP Meet & Greet package. I am sure you will not be disappointed. I am not sure if they will be doing the Meet & Greet on the USA tour but we can only hope.
You can check out Visions of Atlantis and their upcoming tour dates on either their website or Facebook page. You can watch them on their YouTube channel and listen to them on all of the streaming services.:
Website: https://www.visionsofatlantis.at/
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/visionsofatlantisofficial/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VisionsOfAtlantisOfficial
Photos by Fred Kuhlman 2023, All Rights Reserved
The Spider Accomplice

I have seen a number of bands with only 2 performers but it usually is the main person on acoustic guitar and singing joined by a percussionist. This was the first time seeing a 2-person band that consisted of a singer and guitarist only. The Spider Accomplice is a hard rock/metal band with symphonic elements. They hail from Los Angeles and have been a hit there for the past few years. The band consists of lead singer VK Lynne and guitarist Arno Nurmisto. I was impressed by how well they were able to perform with backing tracks that provided the bassline and percussions. Arno was a wizard as he provided both rhythm and lead parts to each of the songs. VK was spectacle and her voice was awesome. She would move from a sultry voice to a loud and highly explosive voice in just seconds.
At first the crowd seemed a little disappointed in only the 2 of them on stage. But soon the band had the crowd eating out of their hands. Like a lot of newer bands, they do not have a large catalog of music to pull from. In the case of The Spider Accomplice, a lot of their songs have been released as singles. They have created a couple of albums including their newest The Venomous Montage. The problem is a lot of newer bands can’t get huge record label contracts and have to self-promote their music putting it on Spotify, Pandora and other streaming channels just to get noticed.
Personally, I can’t pick out one or a couple of the songs they performed that stood out to me. I was more astounded by their performance and how well they interacted with each other. They were a well-oiled machine. I do remember Arno’s blistering riffs and VK’s soulful voice. The only reason I believe they carry the Metal classification is the lyrics of their songs. This moves them beyond Rock and into the metal arena.
I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were. I had never heard of them before, but that is why I love going to these smaller band shows so I get to see new talent as it is emerging on to the scene. Would I go see them again, YES in a heartbeat. They are that good. If you get the chance to see them perform live, I would definitely go.
So go over to there website or YouTube channel and check out their music and their newest album, The Venomous Montage. You can find out more about the band on their website and Facebook page. Their music is available on Amazon, Spotify, Pandora and other streaming channels.
Website: http://www.spideraccomplice.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheSpiderAccomplice/
YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheSpiderAccomplice
Photos by Fred Kuhlman 2023, All Rights Reserved
Painting Fences

Painting Fences band is a local grow punk metal band hailing from Surprise, AZ. They consist of lead singer Seth Norman, guitarist Johnny Norman, bassist Bradley Wallace and Elliot Diggs on drums. This is a very young group and is just attempting to get recognized. It is very hard to start-up a new band. The initial costs and coming up with new material can be very daunting. Also having to compete with every other new band can be overwhelming.
I see a number of local bands including some new first timers. They always start off rough, but given enough time and energy (and fan support) they can become better. I did enjoy their performance and they seemed to have a nice stage presence. Now they just need to get included into the circuit of other local bands performing at the smaller bars around Phoenix.
I wish Painting Fences all the best. You can check out Painting Fences on their Facebook page.
Website: https://paintingfences.bandcamp.com/
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Paintingfencestheband/
Photos by Fred Kuhlman 2023, All Rights Reserved
SETLISTS
Visions of Atlantis Setlist: (Album)
Master the Hurricane (Pirates)
New Dawn (Delta)
A Life of Our Own (Wanderers)
Clocks (Pirates)
The Silent Mutiny (The Deep & the Dark)
The Deep & the Dark (The Deep & the Dark)
Freedom (Pirates)
In My World (Pirates)
A Journey to Remember (Wanderers)
Mercy (Pirates)
Heroes of the Dawn (Wanderers)
Nothing Lasts Forever (Wanderers)
Melancholy Angel (Pirates)
Encore:
Pirates Will Return (Pirates)
Legion of the Seas (Pirates)
The Spider Accomplice Setlist: (Album)
Enough (Single release)
USER (Single release)
Messy Vampire (Los Angeles: The Abduction)
Crawl (The Venomous Montage)
Atmosphere (Single release)
End My Life (Los Angeles: The Dichotomy)
Fight (Fight)
Shards Collect (The Venomous Montage)