Stratovarius Community

Hi, I just recently heard Stratovarius... and really like this band. Which is the best album to start with? I've seen so many listed. Lol. Ive heard samples of Elements, Pt1 and its awesome. Eagleheart and LTF are great.

Thanks!

Hi Kress

First of all: Welcome to the forum of the best band worldwide.

So I just can say that it really doesn't matter which will be your first album. So, go to the shop, close your eyes and take one of the strato-album... and then at home: play it LOUD!

have fun!

I'd say Episode. Excellent all-round representation of what Stratovarius is all about, but not their absolute best album either.

I'd suggest you not to choose Fright Night.

I agree with the results of poll, my favourite is Visions but Episode is very good for know stratovarius

Destiny.
It's not even close of their best albums (Visions, Episode, Twilight Time, Fourth Dimension), but I think that it's maybe the most easy album to start listening Stratovarius.
Example songs like Destiny, S.O.S, 4000 Rainy Nights and Cold Winter Nights are very catchy masterpieces for strato-beginner. Also other great but unfortunately very underrated songs from this album: Venus in the Morning, Playing With Fire, Rebel. They are all super good songs.
And rest of the album is not so good.

And oh yeah, I don't suggest you to buy Fright Night or both Elements for first... or at all

I'd say it's Visions. Black Diamond, Paradise and Forever Free (for example) are easy to listen for everyone.

Or then Elements Pt. 1 and Pt. 2. New listeners might find them easy to start with.

I'd suggest Visions as well, for me, the best album ever!

Then pick Episode, Fourth Dimension, Destiny... and once you are completely in love with Strato, you can safely pick any of the remaining

Rock On!

Mark up another vote for VISIONS! It is the best all around StratoAlbum(IMO)from start to finish!

Visions, very good Strato-stuff (many says this is the best one, I like Episode more though), so by that way you can notice at first that Strato is a good band. And there´re also the some all-time hits, which may help a new listener, like Black Diamond and (The) Kiss of Judas, Paradise and Visions too.

Visions is the one that represents them the most
then Episode and Infinite... i'd say get those in that order

I'd say Visions which is the best album in my opinion, then after Episode and Fourth Dimension...

Visions is an excelent album then after Episode and infinite. ( Is only my opinion)

Who cares, buy every album pre-2005

I chose Destiny. But Episode could have had the best starting too, if it started with the Episode+Speed of Light combo... but Father Time is still cool.

As VISIONS is their best album, I suggest to take that one first. It was also my first Stratovarius album. But one should know that the classical elements of Visions don't appear that frequently on the other albums.

IMO there is no "typical" Stratovarius-album. Every single one is different, even the two Elements-albums are not equal. I wouldn't suggest EPISODE as first one, cause I think it's more progressive than later ones. When I bought it, first I was disappointed. But it really grew on me, it's now my second favourite. An easy access would be INFINITE. Catchy, harmonic songs with positive atmosphere.

Still, I suggest VISIONS.

If you really like to choose, I would also say, don't wait too long with buying the older ones. They are a bit different, especially concerning the sound. Maybe you should mix it up. Buy INFINITE after Visions, then maybe FOURTH DIMENSION, then ELEMENTS PT.I, then TWILIGHT TIME, then EPISODE, etc.

For the 10.001st time FOURTH DIMENSION

htcdude wrote:Who cares, buy every album pre-2005

No, every album expect Fright Night pre-2000 (well, at least Infinite is still very good but I don't suggest it to first album to buy from Strato. The new album has also some very good songs like Göttedämmerung and also many "ok" songs, but actually the whole album is not so great)

Infinite is a good album to start. It was my first and it made me a Strato-fan

Beast_Pete wrote:I chose Destiny. But Episode could have had the best starting too, if it started with the Episode+Speed of Light combo... but Father Time is still cool.

Stupid Pete. Read the first post carefully next time, and not after midnight.

I never started with one album myself, Got 7 in one go!
Fourth Dimension
Episode
Intermission
Infinity
Destiny
Twilight Time
Dreamspace
Then the rest not long after, but now I'm trying to get all the japanese(and other) versions for the extra tracks. Which is a bit of a pain, but since its strato I dont mind
I'd say Fourth Dimension is a good starter tho.

Beast_Pete wrote:I chose Destiny. But Episode could have had the best starting too, if it started with the Episode+Speed of Light combo... but Father Time is still cool.

Just "cool"? No, it's more, much more... This is really a good song for someone to start hearing Strato. But if we talk about albuns, then I still prefer Fourt D.

I think that Visions is their best album. Black Diamond, Kiss of Judas and Legions are the all-time hits. Visions is the first Stratovarius album for me. That's the reason why.

My first strato-album was Visions of Europe and it has opened my gate to the metal genre.

I think it's a very good starting album because it's live so it is a kind of a best of and you have the full energy of an awesome strato-gig: Power, energy, crowd, sound - everything is very high quality...

StratoHeart wrote:Just "cool"? No, it's more, much more... This is really a good song for someone to start hearing Strato. But if we talk about albuns, then I still prefer Fourt D.

Well, Father Time is in my top-10, so I think, you don't have to complain for my taste anymore.

I voted for "Fourth Dimension" coz it's the album I started with. And considering that I became a great Strato-fan, starting with that album can't be wrong. Sounds logical, doesn't it?

Heiserich wrote:I voted for "Fourth Dimension" coz it's the album I started with. And considering that I became a great Strato-fan, starting with that album can't be wrong. Sounds logical, doesn't it?

The same happened to me, the first song I heard was Against the Wind, so probably it's not only logical, it's evident.

Elements pt 1 was the first Stratovarious album i bought. Today i bought 'The chosen ones.' Needless to say i am well pleased!
Only about ten more to go.

I have a question.


Am I the only stupid one who gives a commentary in a poll but don't casts her vote??

Maybe, but I doubt it