| Best Of | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 6 May 2016 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:35:44 3:30:34 (limited edition) | |||
| Label | Edel AG | |||
| Producer | Matias Kupiainen | |||
| Stratovarius chronology | ||||
| ||||
Best Of is a compilation album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 6 May 2016. It has 28 different songs spanning the band's entire career, hand-picked and remastered by the band. It also includes one new track, Until the End of Days.
The album is split into two CDs. All tracks on CDs 1 and 2 were remastered in 2016, except Until the End of Days.
The limited edition version of the album also includes a third CD with songs from the Wacken Open Air 2015 live performance. [1] [2]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Until the End of Days" | Lauri Porra | Porra | Previously unreleased | 3:44 |
| 2. | "My Eternal Dream" | Timo Kotipelto, Jani Liimatainen | Matias Kupiainen | Eternal | 6:05 |
| 3. | "Eagleheart" | Timo Tolkki, Kotipelto | Tolkki | Elements Pt. 1 | 3:50 |
| 4. | "Speed of Light" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | Episode | 3:06 |
| 5. | "S.O.S." | Tolkki, Kotipelto | Tolkki | Destiny | 4:17 |
| 6. | "Forever Free" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | Visions | 6:02 |
| 7. | "Wings of Tomorrow" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Dreamspace | 5:08 |
| 8. | "No Turning Back" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | Destiny | 4:22 |
| 9. | "Break the Ice" | Tuomo Lassila | Tolkki | Twilight Time | 4:39 |
| 10. | "Distant Skies" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Fourth Dimension | 4:10 |
| 11. | "Will the Sun Rise?" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | Episode | 5:07 |
| 12. | "A Million Light Years Away" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Infinite | 5:20 |
| 13. | "Under Flaming Skies" | Kotipelto | Kotipelto, Kupiainen | Elysium | 3:52 |
| 14. | "Darkest Hours" | Kotipelto, Kupiainen | Kupiainen | Elysium | 4:11 |
| 15. | "Winter Skies" | Jens Johansson | Johansson | Polaris | 5:42 |
| 16. | "I Walk to My Own Song" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Elements Pt. 2 | 5:04 |
| 17. | "Maniac Dance" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Stratovarius | 4:33 |
| Total length: | 1:19:12 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Album | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18. | "Halcyon Days" | Kotipelto | Kupiainen | Nemesis | 5:32 |
| 19. | "Will My Soul Ever Rest in Peace?" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Intermission | 4:56 |
| 20. | "Destiny" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Destiny | 10:15 |
| 21. | "Paradise" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Destiny | 4:28 |
| 22. | "Deep Unknown" | Kotipelto | Kupiainen | Polaris | 4:28 |
| 23. | "Elysium" | Kupiainen, Kotipelto | Kupiainen | Elysium | 18:06 |
| 24. | "Black Diamond" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | Visions | 5:41 |
| 25. | "If the Story Is Over" | Liimatainen | Liimatainen, Kotipelto | Nemesis | 6:07 |
| 26. | "Unbreakable" | Kupiainen, Kotipelto | Kupiainen | Nemesis | 4:38 |
| 27. | "Forever" | Tolkki | Tolkki | Episode | 3:07 |
| 28. | "Shine in the Dark" | Kotipelto, Liimatainen | Kotipelto, Liimatainen | Eternal | 5:06 |
| 29. | "Hunting High and Low" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | Infinite | 4:08 |
| Total length: | 1:16:32 | ||||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30. | "Intro" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Instrumental | 2:22 | |
| 31. | "Black Diamond" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Tolkki | Tolkki | 5:38 |
| 32. | "Eagleheart" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Tolkki | Tolkki | 4:59 |
| 33. | "Against the Wind" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Tolkki, Kotipelto | Tolkki | 4:19 |
| 34. | "Dragons" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Johansson | Johansson | 4:15 |
| 35. | "Legions of the Twilight" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Tolkki | Tolkki | 5:58 |
| 36. | "Paradise" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Tolkki | Tolkki | 5:57 |
| 37. | "Shine in the Dark" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Kotipelto, Liimatainen | Kotipelto, Liimatainen | 4:41 |
| 38. | "Speed of Light" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Kotipelto | Tolkki | 3:42 |
| 39. | "Unbreakable" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Kupiainen, Kotipelto | Kupiainen | 4:56 |
| 40. | "Hunting High and Low" (Live at Wacken 2015) | Kotipelto | Tolkki | 8:03 |
| Total length: | 54:50 | |||
| Chart (2016) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [3] | 197 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [4] | 12 |
Master of Puppets is the third studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986, by Elektra Records. Recorded in Copenhagen, Denmark, at Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it is the band's final album to feature bassist Cliff Burton. While touring in support of Master of Puppets, he died on September 27, 1986 after the band's tour bus was involved in an accident in Dörarp, Sweden.
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band. Formed in 1984, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. The band's line-up has changed many times, with no founding member left since the departure of drummer Tuomo Lassila in 1995, and no member from their early recording days left following guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994.
Turbo is the tenth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in the UK on 7 April 1986 by Columbia Records. The album is notable for the band's change to a commercial glam metal sound, that had them using synthesizers for the first time.
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup consists of drummer Tommy Portimo, lead singer Tony Kakko, keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg, guitarist Elias Viljanen and bassist Pasi Kauppinen. All the musicians of the band's history except Portimo also acted as backing vocalists.
Frogstomp is the debut studio album by Australian rock band Silverchair. It was released on 27 March 1995, when the band members were only 15 years of age, by record label Murmur. The album features the band's commercially most successful single, "Tomorrow", which was first released on the band's extended play of the same name six months earlier on 16 September 1994. Music videos were made for the album's four singles: "Tomorrow", "Pure Massacre", "Israel's Son", and "Shade".
Timo Antero Kotipelto is a Finnish musician best known as the lead singer of the power metal band Stratovarius, whom he joined in 1994, as well as fronting his own band Kotipelto.
Timo Tapio Tolkki is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. With his tenure lasting for more than twenty years, he was the longest standing member of the band before his departure in 2008. After leaving Stratovarius he formed two supergroups named Revolution Renaissance and Symfonia, both of which have since disbanded. In a 2011 article by Guitar World magazine, Tolkki was included in the all-time top 50 list of the world's fastest guitarists.
Fright Night is the first studio album by the power metal band Stratovarius, released in May 1989 by Columbia Records. A remastered edition was issued in 1993.
Visions is the sixth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 28 April 1997 through Noise Records. The album reached No. 4 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for 23 weeks. It is a concept album about Nostradamus.
Destiny is the seventh studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 5 October 1998 through Noise Records. It reached No. 1 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for 17 weeks. "SOS" was released as a single, reaching No. 2 on the Finnish singles chart and remaining on that chart for eleven weeks.
Infinite is the eighth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 28 February 2000 through Nuclear Blast (Europe) and Victor Entertainment (Japan). The album reached No. 1 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for nine weeks, as well as reaching the top 100 in six other countries. "Hunting High and Low" and "A Million Light Years Away" were released as singles, reaching No. 4 and 14 respectively on the Finnish singles chart. Infinite was certified Platinum in June 2013, with 21,907 copies sold.
Stratovarius is the eleventh studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 5 September 2005 through Sanctuary Records. The album reached No. 4 on the Finnish albums chart as well as the top 100 in six other countries. "Maniac Dance" was released as a single, reaching No. 4 on the Finnish singles chart and the top 100 in three other countries.
Apocalyptica is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Helsinki, formed in 1993. The band is currently composed of three classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso. Originally a classical-style Metallica tribute band, the band eventually adopted a neoclassical metal style without the use of conventional guitars and bass. They have sold over four million albums to date.
Children of Bodom was a Finnish melodic death metal band from Espoo. Formed in 1993 as Inearthed, the final line-up of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of frontman Alexi Laiho, drummer Jaska Raatikainen, bassist Henkka Seppälä, keyboardist Janne Wirman and rhythm guitarist Daniel Freyberg. The band released ten studio albums, three live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD.
Polaris is the twelfth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 15 May 2009. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature bassist Lauri Porra and guitarist Matias Kupiainen, following former bassist Jari Kainulainen's departure from the band in 2005 and former guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008.
Matias Kupiainen is a Finnish guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the current guitarist in Stratovarius.
Elysium is the thirteenth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 12 January 2011 through Victor Entertainment (Japan) and on 14 January through Edel AG (worldwide). It is the last Stratovarius album to feature longtime drummer Jörg Michael, who left the band in 2012. Elysium reached No. 1 on the Finnish albums chart, as well as reaching the top 80 in five other countries. "Darkest Hours" was released as a single, reaching No. 4 on the Finnish singles chart.
Nemesis is the fourteenth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 22 February 2013 through Edel AG. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature new drummer Rolf Pilve, who replaced Jörg Michael in 2012. The album was first announced on the band's official website on 24 November 2012, with the track listing being revealed on 5 December 2012. Nemesis reached No. 3 on the Finnish albums chart. A preview of "Unbreakable", the album's first single, was made available on YouTube and was released on 25 January 2013.
Eternal is the fifteenth album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released on 11 September 2015 (Europe) and 18 September. Eternal reached No. 5 on the Finnish albums chart. Singer Timo Kotipelto composed three tracks and wrote most lyrics together with his Cain's Offering partner and former Sonata Arctica member Jani Liimatainen.
Enigma: Intermission 2 is a compilation album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 28 September 2018 worldwide. The album has a collection of rare Stratovarius tracks spanning four of their studio albums: Polaris, Elysium, Nemesis and Eternal. It also includes three new tracks: "Enigma", "Burn Me Down" and "Oblivion", along with four orchestral versions of previous Stratovarius songs. The album is a follow-up to 2001's Intermission.
