Tony Kakko on Polaris?

[Ragehead91]

Part II is just another fucking slow, balladic song that ads NOTHING to Part II. And this album has WAY to much slow, balladic song.

[icecab21]

You would be a great choice to take to a symphony ragehead

[hiro23]

Give the guy a break he doesn't like the song, I mean he isn't bashing us for liking it, let him have his own taste.

[Grambambuli]

I like Winter Skies and EMS Pt. 2 very much. That Bachesque simplistic piano part in Winter Skies makes the song very special and dynamic. In EMS Pt. 2, TK's singing style really transports the mood of the song very well.

[shg]

I think EMS Pt 2 guitar is so beautiful and so emotional, that I get tears to my eyes. Matias is so skillful and Lauri too who wrote music.

[Ragehead91]

I have just a problem when a Band does a Ballad/Slow Balladic Overkill. Especially Stratovarius because exept of the 3 ballads mentioned above I can't stand their ballads at all.

And about the symphony think:
Thanks to my father and my aunt I've listen to classical music often when I was younger. I never had a problem with slow, balladic pieces there. But I just hate it when a Metal Band does the ballad-overkill.

[NeonVomit]

I like Winter Skies and EMS Pt. 2 very much. That Bachesque simplistic piano part in Winter Skies makes the song very special and dynamic. In EMS Pt. 2, TK's singing style really transports the mood of the song very well.

I wouldn't exactly call the piano parts bach-esque, but still very beautifully simple.

[Grambambuli]

I like Winter Skies and EMS Pt. 2 very much. That Bachesque simplistic piano part in Winter Skies makes the song very special and dynamic. In EMS Pt. 2, TK's singing style really transports the mood of the song very well.

I wouldn't exactly call the piano parts bach-esque, but still very beautifully simple.

ok ok, it's just that i didn't dare to call them clayderman-esque

[hiro23]

Ragehead:I agree on that point, I'd probably only have one or two ballads on my albums.

[Iou1Soul]

Rage. Sometimes you are so incredible hilarious.

Why? This is my opinion! Winter Skies is just a tedious and slow song which I automaticly skip when I listen to the album. "When Mountains Fall" tries desperately to be the 2nd "Forever" but fails horribly, "Somehow Precious" is just a lame, standard Power Ballad and Emancipation suite Part II is completley unnecessary, adds nothing to the good first part and only seems to be there because the band wanted to have yet ANOTHER slow, baladic songs. Like we really need another balladic song after we already have like 3. Sorry, but apart from "Forever", "The Land of Ice and Snow" and "Will My Sould Ever Rest in Piece" I don't really like any of the ballads Stratovarius has released.

Aye, I read your review in the Encyclopedia Metallium.

I liked them, though I did find the album a little unbalanced. Production could be improved at times too...particularly when listening through headphones...vocals are a little too much in the foreground.