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│ METAL CLASSICS ARCHIVE │
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│ P R E S E N T S │
│ │
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│ + Stratovarius - Nemesis (Jap. Ed.) + │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Information ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Release Date.Sep-25-2014 Encoder......L3.97 -V2 --vbr-new ║ │
│║ Genre........Heavy Metal Graber.......EAC ║ │
│║ Year.........2013 Khz/Bitrate..44,1/ Br ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Ripper.......anthem Songs........14 ║ │
│║ Covers.......Yes Url... www.stratovarius.com ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Notes ║ │
│╠═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════╗ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Artist : Stratovarius Rating : You Decide! ║ │
│║ Album : Nemesis (Jap. Ed.) Label : Victor ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╠════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Description : ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The exodus of longtime drummer J÷rg Michael from ║ │
│║ the Stratovarius fold marked a major shift in ║ │
│║ the band's musical paradigm, culminating in a ║ │
│║ lot more than a rather impressive farewell live ║ │
│║ album in "Under Flaming Winter Skies". Indeed, ║ │
│║ the eventual follow up EP "Unbreakable" ║ │
│║ showcased a greater degree of experimentation ║ │
│║ than the fancy and marginally progressive ║ │
│║ "Polaris" and "Elysium" with newly recruited axe ║ │
│║ slinger Matias Kupiainen providing a heavier and ║ │
│║ wilder guitar style than what former band leader ║ │
│║ Timo Tolkki ever brought to the table, and ║ │
│║ provided a logical preface to the eventual 14th ║ │
│║ album "Nemesis". This is an album that takes a ║ │
│║ rather different course, and thus could ║ │
│║ logically be treated as a beginning of a new era ║ │
│║ for the band that is distinct from the last ║ │
│║ couple albums should it prove to be a trend in ║ │
│║ future output. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The manner in which this album becomes a ║ │
│║ stylistic departure is not quite as blatant as ║ │
│║ the band completely shifting to a different ║ │
│║ metal sub-genre, but more in the level of ║ │
│║ detailing and the density of the atmospheric ║ │
│║ character of the whole, and it proves to be ║ │
│║ quite overt in this respect. Echoes of former ║ │
│║ glory can be heard on "Abandon", "Unbreakable" ║ │
│║ and "Dragons" where the same essential upbeat ║ │
│║ character that typified the band's early 2000s ║ │
│║ single releases such as "Hunting High And Low" ║ │
│║ and "Eagleheart" are still in view, yet these ║ │
│║ songs have been dressed up with a greater ║ │
│║ variety of keyboard timbres and ambiences, to ║ │
│║ the point of sounding mechanized and quasi- ║ │
│║ industrial at times. This is helped along ║ │
│║ further by a guitar assault that, while not ║ │
│║ quite as frenetic as what was heard on ║ │
│║ "Polaris", is definitely quite elaborate and ║ │
│║ willing to go beyond the usual series of palm ║ │
│║ muted power chords. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ As things unfold, it is clear that the entry of ║ │
│║ drummer Rolf Pilve into the fray has had its ║ │
│║ fair share of effect on the overall sound of the ║ │
│║ band. In contrast to a number of bands where the ║ │
│║ replacement drummer tends to mimic the style of ║ │
│║ his predecessor, the newest and youngest face in ║ │
│║ the band has done a good bit to distance himself ║ │
│║ from Stratovarius' longtime kit maestro. His ║ │
│║ sound is a bit more precision and detail based ║ │
│║ (rather than J÷rg Michael's power approach) and ║ │
│║ results in a number of differing outcomes, be it ║ │
│║ an occasionally thrashing yet plain approach on ║ │
│║ "Stand My Ground" or a very versatile, ║ │
│║ multifaceted set of beats on the heavily ║ │
│║ progressive "Out Of The Fog". While Pilve's ║ │
│║ exploits tend to revolve in underground circles, ║ │
│║ he has a wide array of experience playing in ║ │
│║ both melodic death and progressive metal ║ │
│║ outfits, and the two implicit extremes of ║ │
│║ simplicity and complexity that go with these 2 ║ │
│║ very different approach definitely shows, often ║ │
│║ times within the same song. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ Nevertheless, amid all the heavily experimental ║ │
│║ and hard-edged metal there is still a fairly ║ │
│║ noticeable semblance of Stratovarius even before ║ │
│║ the period of drama that came about circa 2004. ║ │
│║ Perhaps the greatest example is that of ║ │
│║ "Fantasy" which has a very plain rocking ║ │
│║ character that wouldn't have been out of ║ │
│║ character for a slower offering on "Visions" or ║ │
│║ "Destiny", though the keyboard sounds are still ║ │
│║ a bit avant-garde at times. In fact, the vocal ║ │
│║ character of Timo Koltipelto proves to be the ║ │
│║ greatest level of familiarity and tends to shine ║ │
│║ the brightest on the less showy parts of the ║ │
│║ album. It's actually a bit ironic in that this ║ │
│║ album takes just about every step imaginable to ║ │
│║ avoid sounding like the continual 80s revivalism ║ │
│║ that tended to typify their career in the 90s ║ │
│║ and early 2000s, and yet the vocal production ║ │
│║ itself still lends to that reverb-heavy ║ │
│║ character that synthesizes that distant, arena- ║ │
│║ like vocal presence that was a staple of an 80s ║ │
│║ metal band. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ The near unanimous praise of this album thus far ║ │
│║ is not unexpected, as it manages to find itself ║ │
│║ in the unique position of being slightly closer ║ │
│║ to the band's older works while still being a ║ │
│║ noticeable step forward in the band's overall ║ │
│║ evolution. Despite the heavy amount of auditory ║ │
│║ experimentation and quirky effects, this is an ║ │
│║ album built out of catchy songwriting and solid ║ │
│║ riff work that will have an appeal to the high ║ │
│║ period fans of Stratovarius (1994-1998) that was ║ │
│║ lacking to a certain extent on the last two ║ │
│║ albums. It's not so much a complete break with ║ │
│║ the established orthodoxy that tends to define ║ │
│║ power metal, but it definitely takes a fair ║ │
│║ share of liberty in applying the various ║ │
│║ doctrines that have crept their way into the ║ │
│║ European model since the days of late 80s ║ │
│║ Helloween. ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│║ ║ │
│╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ │
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│╔═════════════════════╗ │
│║ Release Tracklist ║ │
│╚═════════════════════╩══════════════════════════════════════════ │
│ │
│ 01 - Abandon [04:52] │
│ 02 - Unbreakable [04:37] │
│ 03 - Stand My Ground [04:14] │
│ 04 - Halcyon Days [05:31] │
│ 05 - Fantasy [04:19] │
│ 06 - Out Of The Fog [06:58] │
│ 07 - Castles In The Air [06:03] │
│ 08 - Dragons [04:04] │
│ 09 - Kill It With Fire (Bonus Track) [04:53] │
│ 10 - One Must Fall [04:28] │
│ 11 - Fireborn (Bonus Track) [04:45] │
│ 12 - Hunter (Bonus Track) [03:32] │
│ 13 - If The Story Is Over [06:07] │
│ 14 - Nemesis [06:34] │
│ │
│ Total Length : [70:57 minn │
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│ ╔═════════════════════╗ │
│ ║ Greetings To: ║ │
│ ╚═════════════════════╝ │
│ │
│ Too all people who contributes to make this │
│ archive of good music in a exceptional conditions │
│ │
│ │
│ │
│■ ■│
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