| 1. Black Diamond 2. The Kiss of Judas 3. Forever Free 4. Before the Winter 5. Legions 6. The Abyss of Your Eyes 7. Holy Light 8. Paradise 9. Coming Home 10. Visions (Southern Cross) |
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| Take a look at that cover, a good look, for the first time I saw that cover, I had never heard of the band . I just saw the cover, and it enchanted me. The way a band packages its music might not be the top priority but in some cases it can be an important one. For this cover, it intrigued me, and made me want to hear the music.... and thus was my introduction into the marvelous world of power/progressive metal. But I do remember being skeptical, that there was no way that the music would live up to the image. Then I actually HEARD the music, and all doubts were erased.... |
| Visions is an excellent cd, and if you don't already have it, you
should go buy it immediately. I think its one of those essential discs that all
metal fans should own. Its a 'new classic' in its own right. Of course you
have two types of Stratovarius fans, those that love the speed metal and then the other
legions, the ones that want more of the "commerically" structured songs that
center around melody. I fall into the second division so of course this review will
be more slated towards those songs than the speed metal ones, so keep that in mind . First off you have the songs I would call the shining gems of the album, there's the stellar opening track, Kiss of Judas. With its buildup to a fantastic finish and very addictive keyboard melodies, I instantly recall "Rainbow in the Dark" by Dio, if only for the way both songs are centered around such a strong keyboard melody. Its the kind of thing that is instantly recognizable and is burned into the mind. "Kiss of Judas", its strengths lie in this, as well as a more straightfoward hard rock sound, there's none of that 'let's see what instrument can race to the end of the song first' stuff, its well paced, with the perfect amount of changes thrown in to make it a classic. Its a superb way to open this disc and probably the best song on the album. "The Abyss of Your Eyes" is another well paced song with a strong melody, and a very much explosive beginning, with some very strong drumwork, that helps lay a very powerful backdrop to the song. The echo on the vocals make it seem otherworldly, especially on the chorus, where it stands out among the rising and falling synthesizer. It slows down appropriately, accompanied by haunting acoustic guitar, but the flow holds all of this together, its like the jelly in the peanut butter sandwich. The guitar solo is of special note too, with the falling vocal of Timo Kotipelto swirling downward like a one winged angel falling from grace. "Before the Winter" is avery atmospheric ballad, that begins with gentle lapping keyboards begin this song, a gorgeous tinkering sound, that gives a very full, expansive feeling...like the way it feels before the snow falls, when you walk outside in a cold world...so lonely and alone, the trees seem to cry out for their spring foliage, but the land still feels alive and the atmosphere feels inviting...yet quiet...the silence a comfort but yet urgent...this is what the beginning of this song seems to conjure. That delicate keyboardmelody is one thing that stays consistant about the tune...and then the vocals begin, very beautiful and operatic, full of vibrato and emotional power. And then the drums start in, and then shortly after it all erupts with guitar filling in the shallow parts. The emotion being unleashed in this song is overpowering, and gives plenty of space to slip into the song...especially when the violin and the tinkering begins after the musical eruption, which seems to echo of what is to come, the beginning of that first snow maybe, or in this case, the prelude to a heartstopping neo-classical influenced guitar solo, that fades into the main keyboard melody and some slightly distorted vocals, like the guy is singing from very far away and then the musical power is unleashed again and crashes down upon the tinkering hiding it behind the guitar and the overall dramatic sound created by the blend of instruments and the singer's expressive voice. As he sings the final phrase and it ends like a leaf blown to the wind, the song ends as it began, only this time with violin in the background to close it out. A powerful song, yet relaxing, brimming with emotion and to me sounds very unique. To roundout the song praising is "Black Diamond", a furious song with the super sonic pace that seems so frantic and loud that it should break the sound barrier. However, "Black Diamond" is a speed metal rarity in the fact that such a strong melody gels all these speedy musical pieces together, to create something that is bareable to listen to, even for the most speed hating metal fan. |
Of course it is the pure variety of sounds showcased in the
handful of tracks mentioned above that make this album such a winner with most anyone into
the power/prog scene. The musicians are the finest, with Timo Tolkki, Timo
Kotipelto, Jorg Michael and Jens Johannson on board, and the bass player whose name I can
never spell as well. Their performances are excellent, and put under the spotlight
with a very slick production. Its a well produced album in fact, its not overly
done, or underdone, but the mix all seems to be just right. Taking the album as a
whole, it sounds magnificent, and truly lives up to the pictures the titles and of course
the cover of the disc reflects. But every album is the sum of its parts, and
individually the songs can stand up on their own, and would sound just as wonderful on any
of Stratovarius's releases in the past several years. It may be their consistancy
that brings the band underfire, but its this same quality that earns them praise for me.
Love it or hate it, there is no denying that they have lived up to the fans
expectations and their own.
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