Stratovarius (album)

Last updated
Stratovarius
Stratovarius (album) cover.jpg
Studio album by
Stratovarius
Released5 September 2005 (2005-09-05)
RecordedApril 2004 – March 2005
StudioSoundtrack Studios and Sonic Pump Studios, Helsinki; Goldenworks; Timo Tolkki's home studio; New York City
Genre
Length49:17
Label Sanctuary
Producer Timo Tolkki
Stratovarius chronology
Elements Pt. 2
(2003)		Stratovarius
(2005)		 Polaris
(2009)
Singles from Stratovarius
  1. "Maniac Dance"
    Released: 14 August 2005
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Stratovarius is the eleventh studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 5 September 2005 through Sanctuary Records. [2] The album reached No. 4 on the Finnish albums chart as well as the top 100 in six other countries. [2] "Maniac Dance" was released as a single, reaching No. 4 on the Finnish singles chart and the top 100 in three other countries. [3]

Contents

It is the last album to feature the band's longest-standing line-up which had been consistent since Episode (1996), as bassist Jari Kainulainen would leave Stratovarius later in the year, followed by guitarist and bandleader Timo Tolkki in 2008.

Overview

The release of Stratovarius came after a highly troubled period for the band in 2004, during which they temporarily split up following a nervous breakdown suffered by Tolkki. After a year-long hiatus, they reunited in 2005 and toured worldwide in support of the album, playing for the first time in the United States and Canada.

Stylistically the album displays a dramatically noticeable shift from the symphonic power metal sound of previous albums: the songs are more hard-edged and slower, with Tolkki's signature neo-classical shred soloing almost completely absent. Keyboardist Jens Johansson's role is particularly restricted, as well as Jörg Michael's drumming, which features hardly any of his signature double bass playing. Singer Timo Kotipelto also attempts a different vocal approach, mostly avoiding his usual high vocal range. Tolkki has since stated in interviews that he was unsatisfied with the end result of the album due to it being too far removed from the band's true style. [4]

Track listing

All music is composed by Timo Tolkki

No.TitleLyricsLength
1."Maniac Dance"Tolkki4:35
2."Fight!!!"Tolkki4:03
3."Just Carry On" Timo Kotipelto 5:28
4."Back to Madness"Tolkki7:42
5."Gypsy in Me"Kotipelto4:27
6."Götterdämmerung (Zenith of Power)"Tolkki7:12
7."The Land of Ice and Snow"Tolkki3:04
8."Leave the Tribe"Tolkki, Jens Johansson 5:42
9."United"Tolkki7:04
Total length:49:17

Personnel

Stratovarius

Additional credits

Charts

Chart (2005)Peak
position
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista) [5] 4
French Albums (SNEP) [6] 88
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [7] 58
Italian Albums (FIMI) [8] 52
Japanese Albums (Oricon) [9] 39
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [10] 93
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [11] 37
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [12] 92

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratovarius</span> Finnish power metal band

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, and after guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008, no founding members remain. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jari Kainulainen</span> Musical artist

Jari "Jartsi" Kainulainen is a Finnish bass guitarist. He is best known for having been the bass player of the power metal band Stratovarius from 1993 until 2005. Kainulainen is currently the bassist of Masterplan, having joined 2012.

<i>Dreamspace</i> 1994 studio album by Stratovarius

Dreamspace is the third studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 9 February 1994 through Noise Records. It is the last Stratovarius album to feature guitarist Timo Tolkki on vocals, as well as the first to feature bassist Jari Kainulainen.

<i>Episode</i> (Stratovarius album) 1996 studio album by Stratovarius

Episode is the fifth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 22 April 1996 through Noise Records. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature keyboardist Jens Johansson and drummer Jörg Michael, both of whom would form part of the band's most stable line-up for a decade. The album reached No. 21 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for six weeks.

<i>Visions</i> (Stratovarius album) 1997 studio album by Stratovarius

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.

<i>Live! Visions of Europe</i> 1998 live album by Stratovarius

Live! Visions of Europe is a live album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 7 July 1998 through Noise Records. The album was recorded on two dates in Italy and Greece during the band's tour for their 1997 album Visions.

<i>Destiny</i> (Stratovarius album) 1998 studio album by Stratovarius

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.

<i>Infinite</i> (Stratovarius album) 2000 studio album by Stratovarius

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.

<i>Intermission</i> (Stratovarius album) 2001 compilation album by Stratovarius

Intermission is a compilation album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 26 June 2001 through Nuclear Blast. The album consists of covers, live and bonus tracks, as well as four new tracks. It charted in the top 100 in four countries.

<i>Elements Pt. 1</i> 2003 studio album by Stratovarius

Elements Pt. 1 is the ninth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 27 January 2003 through Nuclear Blast. The album reached No. 2 on the Finnish albums chart, as well as reaching the top 100 in four other countries. "Eagleheart" was released as a single, also reaching No. 2 on the Finnish singles chart.

<i>Elements Pt. 2</i> 2003 studio album by Stratovarius

Elements Pt. 2 is the tenth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 4 November 2003 through Nuclear Blast. The album reached No. 4 on the Finnish albums chart and its single, "I Walk to My Own Song", reached No. 9 on the Finnish singles chart.

<i>Fourth Dimension</i> (Stratovarius album) 1995 studio album by Stratovarius

Fourth Dimension is the fourth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 11 April 1995 through Noise Records. The album is the band's first to feature vocalist Timo Kotipelto as well as the last with keyboardist Antti Ikonen and drummer Tuomo Lassila, thus being the last Stratovarius album to date featuring an all-Finnish line-up.

<i>Classical Variations and Themes</i> 1994 studio album by Timo Tolkki

Classical Variations and Themes is the first studio album by former Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki, released in 1994 through Goldenworks Ky (Europe) and Victor Entertainment (Japan); and reissued in 2004 through Irond Records.

<i>Twilight Time</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Stratovarius

Twilight Time is the second studio album by the power metal band Stratovarius. The album was originally recorded and released in the band's native Finland as Stratovarius II in early 1992 by Bluelight Records, followed by a reissue in Europe with different cover art in October of that year by Shark Records. A third edition was issued in Japan in July 1993 by Victor Entertainment, renaming the album Twilight Time with yet another cover design; this is the most common version in circulation today. On the back cover, bassist Jari Behm appears in a band photo and is credited with playing, but all bass parts on the album were actually performed by the guitarist and then-bandleader Timo Tolkki.

<i>Polaris</i> (Stratovarius album) 2009 studio album by Stratovarius

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.

<i>Elysium</i> (Stratovarius album) 2011 studio album by 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.

<i>Nemesis</i> (Stratovarius album) 2013 studio album by Stratovarius

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.

<i>Eternal</i> (Stratovarius album) 2015 studio album by Stratovarius

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.

<i>Enigma: Intermission 2</i> 2018 compilation album by Stratovarius

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.

<i>Survive</i> (Stratovarius album) 2022 studio album by Stratovarius

Survive is the sixteenth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released on 23 September 2022. It is the first studio album of the band in seven years.

References

  1. ↑ Prato, Greg. "Stratovarius - Stratovarius". AllMusic . RhythmOne. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Stratovarius - Stratovarius (album)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  3. ↑ "Stratovarius - Maniac Dance (song)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  4. ↑ Priest, David (2007). "The Legacy Of Stratovarius!" at the Wayback Machine (archived April 18, 2007). On Track Magazine. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-04-18. Retrieved 2014-01-07.
  5. ↑ "Stratovarius: Stratovarius" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Stratovarius – Stratovarius". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Stratovarius – Stratovarius" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  8. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – Stratovarius – Stratovarius". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  9. ↑ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN   4-87131-077-9.
  10. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Stratovarius – Stratovarius". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Stratovarius – Stratovarius". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Stratovarius – Stratovarius". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
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