I'd also place it as the second worst Stratovarius album, but that's not really saying much (because Stratovarius is such a god-tier band that even their weakest material is still quite strong). The issue I have with it, really, is that it consists of far too many mid-paced tracks with no speedsters to be found. If it contained a few fast double bass tracks, I'd rank it higher. The production is... decent. The drums sound very strange to me; perhaps they're too loud. The snare has too many overtones present and not enough snare wire brightness, and the bass drum sounds boxy, boomy, punchy, and clicky, all at the same time. The hi-hats sound very trashy. Everything else sounds pretty okay.
The songs that I really enjoy from this album include Fight!!!, Just Carry On, Gypsy in Me, and United. Fight!!!'s verses are cool, but enough about Fight!!!
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
I think that the chorus in Just Carry On is my favorite here and I really love the lyrics. Gypsy In Me's intro and guitar licks are unbelievably cool! That one might be my favorite overall here (nice Jens solo to boot). United is a powerful epic song with nice chorus, solo, bridge, and unique trumpet lick at the end. I actually enjoy the optimistic atmosphere from the bridge onward, for a change.
Now for the songs I don't like so much: Maniac Dance just sounds so... retarded to me.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
It's incredibly redundant and I consider it one of the worst songs in their discography. That chorus is just...
![Acyuck :yuk:](./images/smilies/acyuck.gif)
I do give it some points for its aggressive verses, though. The only reason it's not the absolute worst is because Know the Difference exists and miraculously has an even
worse chorus (and definitely worse verses).
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
There are things I like about Back to Madness, such as the amazing solo section, but the chorus is too repetitive for my tastes, the operatic vocals sound goofy to me, and the ending monologue reaches a solid 10 on my cringe meter. That seems to happen to me anytime a band puts a monologue in their song, unless it's done in the style of early Sonata Arctica. In newer Sonata Arctica, the monologues utterly decimate me with their unbearable sonic cringe bursts.
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
I agree that Zenith of Power drags on for
way too long. Leave the Tribe... hmm... I'm just not a big fan of the chorus here. What happened with the drums @ 0:26? Is that timing mishap a production error or a performance error? And another timing issue @ 2:23? I like The Land of Ice and Snow, but it's over far too quickly. I really wish it were longer.
Motha-faka wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:54 am
anytime, robocop is sharing with me muscle men in fabook... and this put me a bit gay.
Seems about right, or as Captain Price would put it,
"Just another day at the office."
Motha-faka wrote: ↑Wed Sep 09, 2020 2:54 am
SentineLEX, you have muscles?, are you handsome?, my mind blows with your name when i think in your muscles.
Hahaha! WTF?
![Yelrotflmao :rotflmao1:](./images/smilies/yelrotflmao.gif)