Stratovarius Community

I ordered the albums:

Fourth Dimension
Episode
Visions

Are these good ones? I'm still waiting for them to arive!

Those are the BEST ones (IMO) But you'll need to get all of their albums, no bad discography with this band

^^^ agree one hundred percent

but you MUST get Visions of Europe, see unlike many bands, strato songs actually improove while live!!!

Dawn_is_Here wrote:Those are the BEST ones (IMO) But you'll need to get all of their albums, no bad discography with this band

Err.. well.. *insert random bitching*

@topic: Good choice.. Dreamspace is also great

All their albums are bad ass. I'm listening to Episode right now. So fucking good. The solos on this album are ripping. Actually, everything is.

Fe Maiden wrote:I ordered the albums:

Fourth Dimension
Episode
Visions

Are these good ones? I'm still waiting for them to arive!

those are great albums.. though fourth dimension is not one of my favorites

Episode and visions are the BEST!

Visions and Episode arrived today!!! I have only listened to Visions completely and it is great! Much better than I had expected! So far what I've heard of Episode is great too! Now I am sure I will go see Stratovarius on October 9 even if it is on a Sunday night!

Anyone recommend Infinite? I've heard it is pretty good also!

i recommend all the albums.. cause everyone likes different albums...

for example.. for a first listening i recommend Visions and Episode
then elements part I, then the other albums

@Fe Maiden: Your choice is the best!

And i agree with DIS, all the albums are great! Not bad discography with this band!

If you order more, this is my opinion:

Fright Night ** (Well, I have heard only half of this albums tracks)
Twilight Time ***½
Dreamspace ***
Fourth Dimension ****½
Episode ****½
Visions *****
Visions of Europe ****½
Destiny ****
Infinite ****
Intermission ****
Elements pt.1 **½
Elemens pt.2 ***
Infinite Visions DVD ***½
Kotipelto - Waiting for the Dawn ***
Kotipelto - Coldness ***½

I think you should buy Dreamspace too. In my opinion it's the best album Strato has ever made. It's just so impressive. Very emotional one.

Dreamspace

Fe Maiden wrote:Visions and Episode arrived today!!! I have only listened to Visions completely and it is great! Much better than I had expected! So far what I've heard of Episode is great too! Now I am sure I will go see Stratovarius on October 9 even if it is on a Sunday night!

Anyone recommend Infinite? I've heard it is pretty good also!

Ah, how I envy thy feeling... that feeling of listening to a Stratovarius album for the first time..

Can't wait to feel it again Just a few months left...

Fright Night - 2/5
Twilight Time 3/5
Dreamspace 3.5/5
Fourth Dimension 3/5
Episode 5/5
Visions 5/5
Visions of Europe 5/5
Destiny 4.5/5
Infinite 4.5/5
Intermission 3.5/5
Elements pt.1 3.5/5
Elemens pt.2 3.5/5

Visions and Episode are a must.
You should get Visions of Europe (awesome) and Destiny too.
Then get one of the Elements just to see what strato sounds like now.

Ok, I'll make my list too:

Fright Night **
Twilight Time **½
Dreamspace ****½
Fourth Dimension ****
Episode *****
Visions *****
Visions Of Europe *****
Destiny ****
Infinite ***½
Intermission ***
Elements Pt. I ***
Elements Pt. II ***½

But - just buy them all!

My list:

Fright Night: ****
Twilight Time: *****
Dreamspace: *****
Fourth Dimension: *****
Episode: ****½
Visions: *****
Destiny: ****
Infinite: ****
Intermission: ***
Elements Pt.I ***
Elements Pt.II **½

As you can see, I like early Strato a little bit more...

Fe Maiden wrote:Visions and Episode arrived today!!! I have only listened to Visions completely and it is great! Much better than I had expected! So far what I've heard of Episode is great too! Now I am sure I will go see Stratovarius on October 9 even if it is on a Sunday night!

Anyone recommend Infinite? I've heard it is pretty good also!

Yes, I recommend it, was my first CD of Strato. Made me to a Strato-fan.

Those are my ranks(I like power metal to be melodic and epic so:)

Fright Night: 3/10
Twilight Time 5/10
Dreamspace 5/10
Fourth Dimension 5/10
Episode 7/10
Visions 10/10
Destiny 8/10
Infinite 9/10
Elements pt1 8/10
Elements pt2 7/10

Visions of europe is one of the best lives ever, I recommend it! but I really dont like intermission its just a compilation of bonus tracks with 3 new strato songs(wich are great) its good as a couriosity, but itsa not really a strato album!

Fright Night 2/10
Twilight Time 8/10
Dreamspace 8/10
Fourth Dimension 9/10
Episode 10/10
Visions 10/10
Destiny7/10
Infinite 6/10
Elements Pt. I 7/10
Elements Pt. II 6/10

I don't count Intermission as a normal album either.

Fright Night: 6
Twilight Time: 7
Dreamspace: 7
Fourth Dimension:8
Episode:10 of course :headbang:
Visions: 10
Visions of Europe: 11
Destiny: 8
Infinite: 6 (It is too fashion music, I think)
Intermission: 5
Elements1: 10
Elements2: 6

My favourites are Episode and Elements pt1.
Why?
Episode: Fast songs: Father Time, Speed of Light
Elements pt1: Beauty symphonyc songs: Soul of a Vagabond, Fantasia, Elements

My ratings and highlights for each album would be:

Fright Night: 3/5 --> (Fright Night, Future Shock)
Twilight Time: 4/5 --> (The Hills Have Eyes, Twilight Time)
Dreamspace: 5/5 --> (Hold On To Your Dream, We Are The Future)
Fourth Dimension: 4½/5 --> (Against The Wind, Distant Skies)
Episode: 5/5 --> (Father Time, Eternity, Speed Of Light, Forever)
Visions: 5+/5 --> (Kiss Of Judas, Forever Free, Black Diamond, Paradise)
Visions Of Europe: 5/5 --> (Holy Solos, Kiss Of Judas, Visions, Legions)
Destiny: 5/5 --> (Destiny, No Turning Back, Playing With Fire, Anthem Of The World)
Infinite: 4½/5 (Hunting High And Low, Glory Of The World)
Intermission: 4-/5 --> (Will My Soul Ever Rest In Peace, Kill The King)
Elements pt. 1: 4½/5 --> (Soul Of A Vagabond, Fantasia Learning To Fly, Elements)
Elements pt. 2: 5/5 --> (I Walk To My Own Song, Season Of Faith's Perfection, Dreamweaver, Liberty)

My list:

Fright Night 5/5 (Future Shock, Fright Night, Darkness)
Twilight Time 3,5/5 (The Hands Of Time, Twilight Time, Lead Us Into The Light)
Dreamspace 2/5 (Chasing Shadows, Tears Of Ice)
Fourth Dimension 2,5/5 (Distant Skies, 030366)
Episode 5/5 (almost love every song of that album )
Visions 4,5/5 (" " " " )
Destiny 4/5 (Destiny, Rebel, Cold Winter Nights)
Visions Of Europe 5/5 (no explenation )
Infinite 3,5/5 (Infinity, Mother Gaia, Celestial Dream)
Intermission 2,5/5 (It's A Mystery (I really love this song))
Elements Pt.1 2,5/5 ( Elements, Eagleheart)
Elements Pt.2 1/5 (I'm Still Alive, Liberty)

Others:
Waiting For The Dawn 3,5/5 (Travel Through Time, Beauty Has Come)
Coldness 3/5 (Reasons, Seeds Of Sorrow)
Classical Variations And Themes 4/5 (Greensleves, Fire Dance Suite)
Hymn To Life 2/5 (Hymn To Life)

Voila

And I just can't understand how you people can rate Fright Night that low, don't you listen to heavy metal too?

here's my list too (only studio albums included... the live ain't that good and intermission is a collection of sorts):

Fright Night: 1/5
Twilight Time: 2/5
Dreamspace: 4,5/5
Fourth Dimension: 2/5
Episode: 5/5
Visions: 3,5/5
Destiny: 4/5
Infinite: 4,5/5
Elements I: 2,5/5
Elements II: 5/5

Could you also try to explain something about the albums. Otherwise this looks totally a listing topic.

Yeah, Intermission is a bit strange, cos it´s a studio album, compilation and live + cover album, so a mix. Anyway, I count it as one of the albums:

Fright Night 2/5, actually I haven´t heard this album so much that I can´t say my final opinion about this album.
II/Twilight Time 4,5/5, it has many great songs and which is the most important, Tolkki sings so perfectly!
Dreamspace 4,0/5, the first really Stratovarius-sounding album, TT has very good vocals and there are much lyrics which has the point of view, very TT sounding album, but there are some weird songs too.
Fourth Dimension 3/5, first album with Kotipelto, but there are both top songs and some weird ones for example We Hold the Key is tremendous but Winter is strange, 030366 is quite good though
Episode 5/5, there are a bunch of perfect songs like Eternity, Season of change, Uncertainty, Night Time Eclipse and Father Time, the "new" line-up bring a new power and there is only one weak song (Will the Sun Rise), absolutely the other golden album with Visions
Visions 5/5, so hot that it doesn´t need more to explain, except nowadays hearing Forever Free live sounds boring
Destiny 2,5/5, this album doesn´t open to me. Just can´t imagine that so many likes it much. It´s too melancolic and there are only few really good/perfect songs, the worst Strato album with TK on vocals, I think humbly
Infinite 4/5, though it has too much double bass and some hit-like songs, it´s has a very happy atmosphere and Infinity is from the other galaxy
Intermission 3,5/5, like I said, new songs, old bonuses, covers and live clips, but is not a real compilation album, and Falling Into Fantasy has so funny lyrics but also good solos and riffs
Elements pt 1 3/5, the epic songs are great, but the album looks otherwise too slow and sometimes boring, Into Deep Blue is good bonus though
Elements pt 2 4/5, better than pt 1 but like Fourth Dimension, it contains both great and weak songs, Dreamweaver is perfect

Fe Maiden wrote:

Visions and Episode arrived today!!! I have only listened to Visions completely and it is great! Much better than I had expected! So far what I've heard of Episode is great too! Now I am sure I will go see Stratovarius on October 9 even if it is on a Sunday night!

Anyone recommend Infinite? I've heard it is pretty good also!

Bryant wrote:
Yes, I recommend it, was my first CD of Strato. Made me to a Strato-fan.

I highly recommend Infinite too, for me it's the best Strato album and it was also the first one I heard (I fell in love with Koti's voice... and with him, too)!!!

Icebreaker, I cannot believe that you liked 030366 and did not like 'Will the Sun Rise'.

fifthtea_sausage wrote:Icebreaker, I cannot believe that you liked 030366 and did not like 'Will the Sun Rise'.

It's so amusing to read all these "OMG why don't you like _______ (song title here)?!" -posts.
People just like different kinds of songs, I don't see any reason to get frustrated over that.

fifthtea_sausage wrote:Icebreaker, I cannot believe that you liked 030366 and did not like 'Will the Sun Rise'.

Well, even I like 030366 more than Will the Sun Rise.

shaz wrote:

fifthtea_sausage wrote:Icebreaker, I cannot believe that you liked 030366 and did not like 'Will the Sun Rise'.

It's so amusing to read all these "OMG why don't you like _______ (song title here)?!" -posts.
People just like different kinds of songs, I don't see any reason to get frustrated over that.

shaz, you said it!

And why everyone should like all Strato´s hits. For me only a few their hit-songs are extremely good ones and the more epic or just finer songs are much better. Like Season of Change, Eternity, We Hold the Key, Infinity are among my favourites.

Besides I like the intro and both the guitar solo and the weird drum solo on 030366.

IceBreaker wrote:shaz, you said it!

And why everyone should like all Strato´s hits. For me only a few their hit-songs are extremely good ones and the more epic or just finer songs are much better. Like Season of Change, Eternity, We Hold the Key, Infinity are among my favourites.

Besides I like the intro and both the guitar solo and the weird drum solo on 030366.

Well, I understand you. I´m too not a fan of all Strato hits like "Will the sun rise" or "Speed of light". But senseless to discuss about this, taste is different and unique. Everybody "creates" a unique relation to all songs he`s/she`s listening to. So, to understand this taste/relation is not possible I think.