STRATOVARIUS ALBUM
Stratovarius are back, and they're loud, heavy, and ready to kick some ass. The new s/t is undoubtedly their heaviest work yet, and the band is in top form after all the drama of 2004. I'm not going to go into all the drama of the band's recent turmoil. Requiem touches on that and it's all been discussed to death. Instead I'm going to focus on this excellent quasi-reunion album that easily qualifies as classic Stratovarius.
I said this album is the heaviest Stratovarius album, and I'm not kidding. We're talking Kiss of Judas-level intensity here. Except for the little keyboard ditties introducing some of the songs, just about everything on here is chock full of power chords and riffage. Of particular note is the drumming, which really stands out on this album. Michael is given gigantic leadins and great counter-rhythms to the guitar line and it really gives a professional feel to the album. Everyone else is in top form, especially Tolkki who has an increased presence on the album and uses it to load up with powerful riffage and awesome solos. The keyboards are quite minimal in the album; I think Jens gets a couple of melody lines under the guitar and a few intros but other than that he is a relatively minor presence in the album. As for Kotipelto, one gets the feeling that he is really trying to expand his abilities as a vocalist on the album. He plays with his inflection and tonal quality a lot to create different styles on different songs, which really helps add to the variety of the music on the album.
I have always maintained, and I will until my dying day, that the best part of Stratovarius is the amazing variety of songs they can pull off on any given album, and the s/t is no exception. From the hard rockish Maniac Dance to the full out assault of Fight!!! to the soothing ballad of Land of Ice and Snow to the powerful epic sounds of Götterdämmerung, Stratovarius has something for just about every major style of Power Metal. While you probably won't like every song on the album (unless you're a fanatic like me), you'll almost certainly like a few on here, and there are very few weaknesses to detract from the overall strength of the album.
There are a couple of "what the fuck" moments on here, most notably Back to Madness, which is easily the worst song on here and features, in what I hope is some sick practical joke by Tolkki, an unbelievably retarded pseudo-operatic part around the three minute mark that defies the traditional boundaries of the word "gay." Overall, however, this album is a triumphant success for Stratovarius and is definite proof that, even after all the shit that has torn them apart, they're still the kings.
Daftar lagu
1. Maniac Dance 04:35
This year has been a nightmare
I've been so low, I don't care
I've dwelled in depths of darkness
Swam across the ocean of pain
I've fed the tabloids, the media
It's a bottomless pit, a redia
Front pages, gossips, knifings
Drunken nights and days
Sadness, Rage, Hopelessness
I am nothing without you
Again the dance
I do the Maniac Dance
Just like in trance
I do the Maniac Dance
These demons serves me well
It wants to send me to the depths of hell
A roller coaster ride it has been I can tell
I'm a walking miracle of medicine
A real catastrophe on legs
A proud member of human race known as the dregs
Xonax, Remeron, Therapy, Buspiron
Anger, Fear and Shame
Again the dance
I do the Maniac Dance
Just like in trance
I do the Maniac Dance
2. Fight!!! 04:03
Fly the mountains
Pictures on my back
Hopeless feelings
Everything is black
What am I fighting for?
What am I living for?
(There) is a path that I don't know
You gotta fight!!!
Fight for your life!
Until you die!
Fight for your rights
Endless searching
In this cyber space
All is turning
Into a disgrace
What am I searching for?
What am I running for?
(There) is a path that I don't know
You gotta fight!!!
Fight for your life!
Until you die!
Fight for your rights
Fight for your life!
Until you die
3. Just Carry On 05:28
Time goes by
But you can’t rest
Too many things
And you’re obsessed
Trying to find
Some sense to it all
No one knows what you’ve been through
Like no-one cares
But it’s not true
Turn the page
And make a fresh start
When you are low
You should know
You are not the only lonely soul
And you will find
The strength inside
There is no more need to hide
Just carry on
Fulfill your dreams
Don’t let them try to pull you down
So carry on
And reach your goal stand proud
Don’t give up
March on till the end
The road is long but you’ll reach the final bend
4. Back to Madness 07:43
Another winter day is gone
I’m lying here all alone
There are many like me here behind these closed doors
Somehow I lost the way
Fear just led me astray
Deep into the labyrinth of my warped mind
I lost all of my belief
And I felt my spirit break
Through the rain, storm came over me
Back to madness
I go back to sadness
I go back to madness
There is no return
Must go back to madness
Must go back to sadness
I go back to madness
Will I ever learn?
What I don’t recall I will repeat
Have you ever been hurt?
Have you ever been abandoned?
Have you ever been truly scared?
Have you ever felt you don’t belong here?
Have you ever felt like you don’t have a home?
Have you ever felt you don’t have a chance?
From the moment of birth we are already dying
Death is the only true salvation
Through death man is reborn
Like a butterfly is born out of a caterpillar
And after that, man is finally free
5. Gypsy in Me 04:28
I was sent out
To the world
From the mission
I just returned
The dust has not settled down yet
I thought I could have some rest
But I feel like I am possessed
I shouldn’t be complaining coz I am blessed
Must have been the Gypsy
The Gypsy in me
All the pressure
On my shoulder
I can feel
It makes me older
I’ve given everything tonight
Is it enough I still have to fight
My heart is beating so fast
If this breath would be my last
Would I die happy or would I regret my past
Must have been the Gypsy
The Gypsy in me
Must have been a mistake
But I agreed
6. Götterdämmerung (Zenith of Power) 07:13
A failed painter, born to change the world
Beaten up kid swore his revenge
Whirlwind of chaos and destruction man has never seen before
Blind masses led like a flock of lambs
Deception, blinded by the lie
Another “saviour” of mankind showed us the way
Gargantuan monster
Spread terror, food for the guns
Obsession turned to hate
It was their final fate
Projecting, persecuting, murdering and conquering the world
A diabolical plan was created
Armageddon and the apocalypse
Six million people vanished in the air
For the cause of one man
Gargantuan monster
Spread terror, food for the guns
Zenith of power
Zenith of power – He changed the course of history
The final hour
Madness reigns
Zenith of power
Zenith of power – Remains forever a mystery
The final hour
Madness reigns
7. The Land of Ice and Snow 03:05
The land of ice and snow
Where the midnight sun blows
Hundred thousand lakes glow
In the land of ice and snow
Northern lights guide our way
Come whatever may
Forest god protects our day
In the land of ice and snow
Where Koskenkorva flows
Where the freezing wind blows
Summer nights are white and warm
In the land of ice and snow
Some night say that we are cold
Don’t believe all that’s been told
Our hearts are made of gold
In the land of ice and snow
We didn’t bow under oppression
We fought and we died
Redeemed in blood
The land of ice and snow
Here I was born and here I’ve lived
And one day here I will die
Under northern starry sky
In the land of ice and snow...
8. Leave the Tribe 05:42
Listen to what I have to say
We could get out of here today
I’ll take you with me if you want to go
New kind of place, just let me know
I am a man, I’m not a child
And I am free, ‘cause I can feel
We just have to get away
We have nowhere left to stay
We can run and we can hide
We just have to leave the tribe
Doing things in our own way
We’ll just let the others stay
Those who fought and those who lied
We just have to leave the tribe
Leave the tribe!
Everything is always the same
They try to make you play their game
“This is the way”, you’re being told
But hear me out, you can’t be sold
And still they roll like pigs in the mud
While you have the fire burning inside
We just have to get away
We have nowhere left to stay
We can run and we can hide
We just have to leave the tribe
Doing things in our own way
We’ll just let the others stay
Those who fought and those who lied
We just have to leave the tribe
Leave the tribe!
9. United 07:02
We drifted apart on the sea of life
Sailed into new horizons, out of sight
We lost the way, we lost the key
But the spirit was kept alive and free
Now destiny has brought us back
We are here before your eyes, we hear your cries
And that’s why tonight we all make history
We’re together again calling you
United we stand – divided we fall
Our destiny’s here tonight with you all
Through wind and thunder we sailed to your shore
We did not give up, so open the door
‘cause we’re united
We stand united
It’s great to look into the eyes of a friend
And shake his hand and thank him for the years
And it’s great to see you all here
We’re together again calling you
United we stand – divided we fall
Our destiny’s here tonight with you all
Through wind and thunder we sailed to your shore
We did not give up, so open the door
United we stand – divided we fall
The sun is shining for each and for all
The future is bright and there’s hope in the air
Together we’re singing, together we care
***Disclaimer***
I do not own any copyright
for any of this material!
Copyright belongs to Stratovarius
and Sanctuary Recordings!
Purchase your remastered copy today!
Track Name
Track Artist
0 Komentar