┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│■ ■│
│ .-/ .-. │
│ _.-~ / ___ | ~-._ │
│ \:/ -~| / __/| .\:/ │
│ / || (:/:| \ │
│ / /\/| |:\___\| |\ \ │
│ / /:::|.::/:::/:.|:\ \ │
│ / /:::/ \\/:::/::/:::\ \ │
│ / .::\ \-~~~~-/\/:.. \ │
│ /..:::::\ /:::::..\ │
│ /::::::::- -::::::::\ │
│ \:::::-~ ~-:::::/ │
│ \:-~ ~-:/ │
│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
│ │
│ + Stratovarius - Visions (Jap. Ed.) + │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Sep-25-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........1997 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........12 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.stratovarius.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Stratovarius Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Visions (Jap. Ed.) Label : Victor ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Legends tend to be overblown, but often times ║ │
│║ they are also quite deserved. And though there ║ │
│║ is some stiff competition between this albumÆs ║ │
│║ predecessor and a few advocates of the one that ║ │
│║ came after (including myself), ôVisionsö is ║ │
│║ often pointed to as the pinnacle of all things ║ │
│║ Stratovarius. The most distinctive part of this ║ │
│║ particular chapter in TolkkiÆs collection of ║ │
│║ melodic tales is the streamlined songwriting and ║ │
│║ formulaic pacing that has since became a ║ │
│║ standard of their signature sound, barring the ║ │
│║ recently releases after the aforementioned ║ │
│║ songwriterÆs exodus. But more auspicious than ║ │
│║ the evident shift towards a standardized system ║ │
│║ of song creation is the potency of the lot, ║ │
│║ which is all but a pure shot of adrenaline when ║ │
│║ compared to the hit or miss releases that ║ │
│║ followed the close of the 90s. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ One thing that is important to keep in mind with ║ │
│║ any Stratovarius album is that the late 90s was ║ │
│║ more of a revival of an existing style with a ║ │
│║ few stylistic tweaks, and they were among the ║ │
│║ more typical models for the scene at that point. ║ │
│║ ôVisionsö can be seen as a gloriously pomp- ║ │
│║ infused revisiting of Helloween with a near ║ │
│║ equal adherence to Swedish 80s heavy metal and ║ │
│║ shred clichΘs in the mold of Europe and Yngwie ║ │
│║ Malmsteen, among others. The latter style is in ║ │
│║ full orthodox display in the mid-tempo, ║ │
│║ atmospheric opener ôThe Kiss Of Judasö, which ║ │
│║ can be likened to a number of Malmsteen songs ║ │
│║ from the late 80s and early 90s, most ║ │
│║ particularly ôMaking Loveö. The guitar work is a ║ │
│║ bit more riff oriented and less indulgent on ║ │
│║ lead guitar gymnastics, but the general ║ │
│║ atmosphere is uncannily similar. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ In many respects, the slower and radio-friendly ║ │
│║ starting song is a mere overture that is ║ │
│║ immediately eclipsed by what follows. The next ║ │
│║ several songs all but fully articulate every ║ │
│║ stylistic trapping that has mattered for this ║ │
│║ band since this albumÆs composition, ║ │
│║ particularly personified in fast paced drumming, ║ │
│║ signature riffs that reminisce on a number of ║ │
│║ early to mid 80s Judas Priest and Accept songs, ║ │
│║ high flying keyboard solos and rich atmospheres, ║ │
│║ high soaring operatic vocals and a surprisingly ║ │
│║ active bass display. ôBlack Diamondö is a bit ║ │
│║ more nostalgic and serious, ôLegionsö and ║ │
│║ ôForever Freeö are a bit more triumphant and ║ │
│║ glorious, but the same formula rules all 3 and ║ │
│║ really rams the point home. ôBefore The Winterö ║ │
│║ is sort of a rest stop for those who couldnÆt ║ │
│║ handle an all out 1-2-3 punch of speed, in some ║ │
│║ respects typifying the slower, Neo-classical yet ║ │
│║ simple sound that became ôMother Gaiaö, but in a ║ │
│║ much less static manner. One of the stronger ║ │
│║ ballads Timo has put together, but still the ║ │
│║ weak link of the album. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The 2nd half of this album is where a few of the ║ │
│║ nuances that give classic Stratovarius some ║ │
│║ progression and variety manifest. Indeed, the ║ │
│║ Malmsteen parallels get blown up something ║ │
│║ massive in ôHoly Lightö, which bears a strong ║ │
│║ resemblance to a number of Yngwie instrumentals ║ │
│║ from 1990-1995. ItÆs as flashy as a violent ║ │
│║ thunderstorm, but the times where this thing can ║ │
│║ be hummed along with are few and far between. ║ │
│║ ôThe Abyss Of Your Eyesö steps back to the ║ │
│║ slower, heavier trudging Dio/Sabbath style of ║ │
│║ song that has been occasionally experimented ║ │
│║ with previously. ôParadiseö takes the catchy ║ │
│║ concept of this bandÆs speed metal work and ║ │
│║ slows it down to a more rocking up-tempo number, ║ │
│║ not all that far removed from an ôI Want Outö ║ │
│║ with a bit more keyboards. ôComing Homeö is sort ║ │
│║ of a variation of the string quartet ballad ║ │
│║ ôForeverö from the previous album, but ║ │
│║ reinterpreted into something more along the line ║ │
│║ of a Deep Purple ballad with a Sabbath sounding ║ │
│║ guitar attack. And to close off the endless wave ║ │
│║ of new classics is arguably TolkkiÆs crowning ║ │
│║ musical achievement in ôVisions (Southern ║ │
│║ Cross)ö, an ambitious mixture of symphonic ║ │
│║ sounds, speed work and lyrical ponderings into ║ │
│║ the prophecies of Nostradamus, complete with a ║ │
│║ few direct quotations done by a guest narrator ║ │
│║ thatÆs a bit less overdramatic than the one ║ │
│║ Rhapsody (Of Fire) employed for the Emerald ║ │
│║ Sword Saga. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ To call this an essential purchase for any ║ │
│║ heavy/power metal fan would be an ║ │
│║ understatement. This is pure gold right from the ║ │
│║ glory days of the late 90s when metal was fast, ║ │
│║ melodic, and didnÆt feel the need to cater to ║ │
│║ rock radio standards on every single solitary ║ │
│║ song. I still prefer the polish of ôDestinyö, ║ │
│║ which some might argue goes a bit overboard on ║ │
│║ the longer songs in the same manner as CelestyÆs ║ │
│║ ôLegacy Of Hateö, but anyone who is already a ║ │
│║ hopeless addict to the mainline Helloween sound ║ │
│║ as typified in Gamma Ray, Freedom Call, and ║ │
│║ Rhapsody (Of Fire) will find familiar territory ║ │
│║ here, albeit presented in a somewhat more 80s ║ │
│║ fashion. But given that the 80s was when the ║ │
│║ spirit of metal shined the brightest, one might ║ │
│║ want to visit ôVisionsö before any of the other ║ │
│║ bandsÆ material if this style is a new endeavor ║ │
│║ for them. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Black Diamond [05:40] │
│ 02 - The Kiss Of Judas [05:49] │
│ 03 - Forever Free [06:00] │
│ 04 - Before The Winter [06:07] │
│ 05 - Legions [05:43] │
│ 06 - The Abyss Of Your Eyes [05:39] │
│ 07 - Holy Light [05:46] │
│ 08 - Paradise [04:27] │
│ 09 - Coming Home [05:37] │
│ 10 - Visions (Southern Cross) [10:20] │
│ 11 - Black Diamond (Demo version) (Bonus Track) [05:08] │
│ 12 - Uncertainty (Live version) (Bonus Track) [06:13] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [72:29 minn │
│ │
│ │
│ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘