A culmination of my opinions on best/worst album/song

[Rebel]

this was going to go in one of the threads, but it got to be way too long. Enjoy my rant.

My complete analyses of the best and worst songs on every album, and the best and worst songs and albums overall.
Let's start at the beginning, Fright Night, a complete mood album, some days I really want to hear it, but there were other days when I would skip it in my 5 hour stratovarius listening sessions (I'd start listening to Dreamspace, then Elements, Episode, Fourth Dimension, ect... usually stop somewhere around Infinite).
There are some killer tracks on there, and it never gets the love it deserves.
Best song: Black Night (I'd shit a brick if I ever wrote something like this)
Worst song: Fire Dance This might be the hardest album to find a worst song, since I don't really judge it by the quality of the music, it's very atmospheric, there is a taste to the music, a flavor, and it's well represented, but Fire Dance stands apart as too different

Next up, Twilight Time, this album features the same lineup as Timo Tolkki's Hymn to Life solo album, think that one through.

I feel exactly the same about this as I do Fright Night, I love the composition on it, it's edgy, it's different, it's good. I also believe Twilight Time to have the best artwork of any Stratovarius album, both because it started the planet craze, but also, it feels to me to be the perfect representation of what the music is inside. It's like there's this planet somewhere off in the galaxy of musical landscapes, again though, The best song is extremely difficult for me to pick here. Break the Ice seems to be the easy choice, it's the best sounding song on the album, the song I'm most likely to listen to, but I feel like in the context of the album, the band wanted something else. Twilight Time has some of the most interesting compositions of any Stratovarius album. The intro of Madness Strikes at Midnight is something else entirely. As I listen to Twilight Time, I feel like I'm in some sort of abandoned factory on this planet of Twilight Time, a rusted metropolis. I feel like if the band were to rewrite this album, it could be an absolute masterpiece, but maybe the rust is why it's so appealing.

Best song: Madness Strikes at Midnight
Worst song: Metal Frenzy

And now we get to the Sad Rush album. Here, I believe, lies what might be one of the greatest unnappreciated masterpieces in the history of music, a tad bit of hyperbole, but there is SO much on this album that simply is not recognized.
I am a music writer, I compose music, and Dreamspace is quite possibly the album I have salivated more than any to understand. It sounds so simple, these dark power chords in drop Eb tuning, it's almost taunting. If a magician approached me and said "You can change history so that the musical style Stratovarius had on Dreamspace would be the style of their next 10 albums" and I would be very hard pressed not to take that offer. Stratovarius changed metal, they have legions of clones and followers, but I just can't help but wonder what could have been had this brand of Sad Rush metal been expanded on, maybe it's why I want "Return to Dreamspace" so badly. This, more than anything Stratovarius has ever made, is art. But beyond the Compositional values, the production is better than it has ever been on any Stratovarius album, the sounds are clear and beautiful, having this on Vinyl would be a dream come true.
Like Twilight Time, I see the songs as events happening within the album cover, The album cover isn't nearly as... expressive as TT, but songs feel like musical interpretations of the art.
Best song: Dreamspace (Tolkki Shriek is GODLY)
Worst song: No. I refuse. I love Thin Ice. I love the B-Side Fullmoon. Screw the haters.

Fourth Dimension, the beginning of the Modern Era.
Well here we are folks, Nu Stratovarius' birth, TK's first album.
Memorable moments are the terrifying falsetto in Winter, The vocal clarity of Against the Wind, the near head banging action in the intro to Twilight Symphony, I realize that there are no trees on the album cover, but I used to think the thunderclouds were a forest, because it feels like it from the music. The songs sound like they were coming out of some dark forest of the previous two albums, of graveyards, distant worlds, and nightmares, still not in "reality", but with a newfound energy. Yes, I see the music as a continual story. In my mind, We Hold the Key is Night Time Eclipses' older brother, why do I think this, I don't know, but I do. I won't ramble on because I don't have as much to say about this album.
Best song: Against the Wind
Worst song: Again, screw the haters, I love 030366, I'm choosing Nightfall for being mostly unmemorable.


And now it really begins, the modern masterpiece, the album that changed power metal forever. I won't bother with big fonts, the name Episode commands respect enough. Again, STRONG album art, the sounds of Episode remind of a desert, maybe I just associate things that way, but they work, aside from Tomorrow, the album art for Infinite wouldn't work here, so there has to be something real going on. I won't say much on this, we're all well aware of how good this album is.
Best song: Again, a refusal.
Worst song: Episode (Screw the Babylon haters, the title track was such a letdown, could have been so good, but chopped up)

Visions?
Visions!
VISIONS!!!
To whoever put down Legions as the worst track NO
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.
Visions has some of the best tracks from the band ever on it, yet, as an album, it doesn't stand up to Episode. The continuity of the theme just isn't there. I'll keep it short here because aside from that, my opinions on this album are pretty standard. Black Diamond, Forever Free, Legions, and Holy Light are beyond awesome
Best song: Can it be argued anything but Black Diamond? Legions is a close second, but BLACK DIAMOND
Worst song: Kiss of Judas, never was impressed.

Destiny used to strike me as the crown jewel of Stratovarius, I have since cooled on it, 4000 rainy nights drives me up the wall. SOS is a tad overhyped. 4000 rainy nights drives me up the fucking wall. Anthem of the world is the first strato song I listened to more than 100 times, 4000 rainy nights should be epic, but it drives me up the fucking wall, Venus in the Morning sounds cool, but it's lacking, STRATO IF YOU EVER PLAY 4000 RAINY NIGHTS WHILE I AM PRESENT IT WILL BE UGLY. I am named after a track on Destiny. 4000 rainy nights really isn't that good of a song.

Best song: Anthem of the World
Worst song: 4000 drunken nights trying to write a ballad

Infinite used to get me happy too, it was released the same year as Helloween's Dark Ride, and from a tone perspective, complete opposites, yet they always went together as two of my favorite power metal albums ever.
Hunting High and Low is decent
Millenium is filler.
Mother Gaia is epic, if a touch too long
PHOENIX PHOENIX PHOENIX PHOENIX PHOENIX
*JAWDROP GLORY OF THE WORLD*
A million Lightyears away (Breather), Good track
Freedom, I get this mixed up with Millenium all the time
INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY INFINITY
*Epic guitar/vocal/orchestra breather that I love that is Celestial Dream*
Two more woohoo tracks.

This is Stratovarius' strongest album ever, it's the one thing I can listen to straight through and really get what's going on. It's thematic, fast, powerful, EPIC.

The three Big ass in your face over the top awesome tracks (Phoenix, Glory of the World, and Infinity) are the anchors, the climaxes, the whatevers, but they're placed perfectly withing the album, complete with filler and solid songs to fill in the gaps, I can appreciate everything going on here, and it was the first album I listened to every song on 40+ times.

Best Song: Glory of the World
Worst Song: Freedom

Elements Pt. I
The first stratovarius song I heard was "Find your own Voice" (Closely followed by Abyss of Your Eyes). I'm a fan of Elements Pt. I, not much else to say. I wish Fantasia was more frantic. Not a fan of Eagleheart, meh.
Best song: Soul of a Vagabond
Worst song: Papillion

Elements Pt. II, I love listening to Elements Pt. I Roll into Elements Pt. II with the waves, Alpha and Omega is a bit misleading, that's a mean fucking intro that maybe misleads listeners a bit, but it's solid. I walk to My Own song is corny, yeah, but PSHAW It's good. The album doesn't really take a break from being solid until it hits Luminous, but I'm a Dreamweaver fan, so it's all good.
Best song: I'm Still Alive
Worst song: Liberty (Not saying it's bad, just never appealed to me)

Self titled
is that a hater I hear? I think my opinions on The Dark Ride and Dreamspace are all that you need to know about how I feel about the dark, brooding, work of insanity that Timo Tolkki put out as the self titled album. Maniac Dance is a great track. Fight!!! is even better, Just Carry on is solid. But that's not important. What's important is that to this day "Back to Madness" has a profound effect on me thanks to a cruel shuffle coincidence regarding that creepy ass ending vocal passage and the loss of a friend. (actually, Shuffle fucked me over like that on more than one occasion, where that vocal passage came on RIGHT when something bad happened, in particular something mentioned in that vocal passage, like being hurt and betrayed). This is a masterpiece, a bloody masterpiece. Gypsy in me in filler, ala Falling Star. Zenith of Power is another masterpiece, as is the Land of Ice and Snow (But fucking waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah, it tries to be forever, shut up bitches). Leave the Tribe, could do with or without it, and United, meh, neither are bad, but they're not good.

Best song: Back to Madness
Worst Song: United

POLARIS!
We've beaten this into the ground, point blank, I love Polaris, I could do a discovery channel "I love" song about Polaris.
Best song: Emancipation Pt. II
Worst Song: Ragehead's "I hate Polaris" song.


Best song: Glory of the World
Worst Song: 4000 Rainy nights
Best Album: Tie between Dreamspace and Infinite
Album I enjoy the least: I can't really say.

[icecab21]

I am named after a track on Destiny.

this is just your sc i hope.
we got some big musical differences. 4000 rainy nights has one of my top melodies ever to start with along with many more differences over ratings.

[Rebel]

I am named after a track on Destiny.

this is just your sc i hope.
we got some big musical differences. 4000 rainy nights has one of my top melodies ever to start with along with many more differences over ratings. i'm not sure why you need to say screw people that don't see things your way, they don't effect how you view the songs.

It's more of joking around in that instance. (Screw the haters)

The weird thing about 4000 Rainy nights is that it SHOULD be such a great song, The opening riff SHOULD be incredible, yet when I was listening to the Stratovarius discography (My goal was to have 10 plays on every song), I had to force myself to listen to 4000 rainy nights, it just drove me up the wall. When Timo Sings "4000 rainy nights" in the chorus, a part of me dies.

[icecab21]

lol for quick replies

i love the song. differences is what makes things fun, as long as people arent dicks about what they don't like.

[Rebel]

There are a lot of songs in the discography (Thin Ice, Fullmoon, 030366, Self Titled album as a whole) that people don't seem to get, which is sad. I also find it funny that Timo Tolkki stopped doing vocals after Dreamspace, considering he, at that point, could give Rob Halford a run for his money on the whole high pitched scream department.

[icecab21]

I just love his tone so I’m really looking forward to RTD. For me there are a lot of singers that are not so good all around technically but have tones and emotions that I really grab onto. I think tolkkis vocals have a character that really enhances the music for me. I’m looking forward to see what tolkki writes in his book about the albums where he sings.

[Arkash]

Love your analysis, and I'm a little bit lazy to respond to everything or do my own analysis now, but I'll just say that my favourit Strato album is Infinite (closely followed by Visions) and their best song is, for me Infinite (closely followed by BD, HH&L, Forever, WMF, Coming Home, Paradise, I walk to my own song, and many many more...)
As for the worst, cant really say...I pretty like the first albums, but not as much as the new era, I'm not a fan of self-titled so I think that it is, for me, their worst album.
As for their worst song: that is quite impossible to say, just like if you were asked to climb up the Everest and get down, by foot, in less that an hour, but I like challenges and I'll try...
Strato worst song is...Maniac Dance, I really dont like it...but actually, I didnt count in that the first albums without TK, actually I cant grant them as true Strato albums!

[Intiaani]

To whoever put down Legions as the worst track NO
NO NO NO NO NO NO NO.

I think it was me. Hey, I had to pick SOME song from this nearly perfect album, for God's sake! Before the Winter, Holy Light, The Abyss of Your Eyes are too only "great", not "perfect" as the rest of them.

Anyway, a great analysis! I cannot bother to do something like that (but perhaps more in detail ) right now though as I'm too lazy and tired and listening to some extremely good music... Maybe I never will. I've been wrestling with these things in my head for years now so maybe it's better to leave the thoughts there. No words could fully describe my opinions.

[Ragehead91]

Worst Song: Ragehead's "I hate Polaris" song.

Have you actually read what I wrote? Mainly the review I did for Metal-Archives? I have the album 60% and I said that this isn't by any means a bad album. It just wasn't the epic return I hoped for due to Kotipelto's vocals, too much keyboards and the ballads. There are songs I like (Deep Unknown, Forever is Today, Blind, King of Nothing, Higher We Go and Emancipation Suite 1 (This song really grew on me)) but overall I don't think it is as perfect as everyone of you makes it out to be.

And about the "The Land of Ice and Snow" bit, because I'm sure you're reffering to me. I like that song. I think I already mentiond a few times that this is actually one of the Strato ballads I really adore. When Montains Fall is a different thing. This song SCREAMS forever.

[DawnIsHere]

... When Montains Fall is a different thing. This song SCREAMS forever.

I've listened to that song a hundred times and I can't still find any Forever on it... why people still tries to find something where there's nothing there And I'm not in denial-mode, for example Keep the Flame Alive (RR Demo) it's A Tale that Wasn't Right rip-off, but I still love that song

[Ragehead91]

... When Montains Fall is a different thing. This song SCREAMS forever.

I've listened to that song a hundred times and I can't still find any Forever on it... why people still tries to find something where there's nothing there And I'm not in denial-mode, for example Keep the Flame Alive (RR Demo) it's A Tale that Wasn't Right rip-off, but I still love that song

I'm not saying that they sound EXACTLY alike, but listen to that song and than listen to Forever. It sounds like they wanted to re-create that song. I know Laurri already said that this isn't the cause, I know, but to me the song still sounds like that.

[Rebel]

Yes, I was taking a sarcastic jab at Ragehead with the Land of Ice and Snow comment. From a musician's standpoint, The Land of Ice and Snow is about as similar to Forever as When Mountains Fall (Except the use of drums in Ice and Snow).

Sometimes we just hear what we tell ourselves to hear.

[icecab21]

you guys are not very keen on lyrics if are are calling all these songs about very different subject mater and emotions trying to write simular songs.

[Rebel]

you guys are not very keen on lyrics if are are calling all these songs about very different subject mater and emotions trying to write simular songs.

I know what all three are singing about. I'm a fan of all three to be honest.

[Ragehead91]

When Mountains Fall = Forever Part II
whether it was intended or not.

[Intiaani]

And I'm not in denial-mode, for example Keep the Flame Alive (RR Demo) it's A Tale that Wasn't Right rip-off, but I still love that song

I actually laughed for the changed lyrics on the actual RR album. Kiske actually sings "in my heart, in my soul" once again! Kotipelto at least uses different words in the demos.

I can't help it but I, too, find WMF being maybe too close to Forever. It's not because it's a ballad - Strato has about a dozen ballads - I just don't know what it is. I just feel that way. :I I didn't even think of it as a Forever copy anyway, it just came to me, and it's been that way in my mind since. I just wish I didn't think of that way.

Anyway, I can safely say Emancipation Suite as a whole is the best song on Polaris. It is more one song than anything. The first time I heard it, it skyrocketed all the way up there among the best Strato epics. Unbelievable song, just unbelievable. I still can't believe people actually don't seem to consider this as THE Strato epic. Just play it, lay down with lyrics in hand and follow the flow of music while paying attention what is said there, with what kind of music and what kind of voice directions. It's like... a painting. It's truly wonderful. This must be one more reason in why I don't fancy WMF that much. It's too syrapy an ending after too breathtaking an epic.

[mayhem-for-all]

Anyway, I can safely say Emancipation Suite as a whole is the best song on Polaris. It is more one song than anything. The first time I heard it, it skyrocketed all the way up there among the best Strato epics. Unbelievable song, just unbelievable. I still can't believe people actually don't seem to consider this as THE Strato epic. Just play it, lay down with lyrics in hand and follow the flow of music while paying attention what is said there, with what kind of music and what kind of voice directions. It's like... a painting. It's truly wonderful. This must be one more reason in why I don't fancy WMF that much. It's too syrapy an ending after too breathtaking an epic.

It is good it is fresh it is emotional and has kickass instrumental parts all over.

But because it is so different it is hard to compare to Destiny, Visions and all those classic epics.
Yet it is definately a great song and belongsd to the higher class of Startoepics.

[Arkash]

Emancipation Suite must definitly enter the classical Strato setlist, really!

But you know, if I was to create the setlist, that would make a 24 hours show...

[Star_Ocean]

Okay, I am here to defend Papillon.

Well, not really "defending", just saying my opinion on it. I'll just say that if you can get passed the frustratingly long beginning, I think it turns into one of the best songs on the album. You can't get much more epic than what happens once the chorus begins.

Also, even though it's probably my favorite Strato album, Elements Pt. 1's guitar solos SUCK something awful (with exception to Elements). It just sounded like Tolkki ran out of ideas and just threw in a bunch of poorly improvised solos.

[Rebel]

Emancipation Pt. II is slightly less awesome than Blind, but only ever so slightly. Does anyone else get what I was saying about those first three albums? In particular the album art?

[Ragehead91]

I don't think they have to re-write the album. It is awesome as it is.

[RazielSR]

I'm really happy with Polaris, and extremely happy with the rest of the Stratovarius discography.

Anyway, for me (as for Rebel it seems and others), Episode is a masterpiece and the best metal album ever. I know that I will never find similar melodies, choruses, power, darkness, light...Episode album is the perfect musical combination for me. If somebody wants to know (me included) my perfect musical combination: Episode. It challenges my essence and I reach some kind of disconnection.

I think that happens just once, and it's impossible to see it/hear it/feel it again. Like when you are a child, that won't happen again. Maybe you can fake it and you could think that you are feeling the same,because some songs reminds you something, but it's just impossible...
It's ethereal, you can't explain it, you just know it won't happen again (and you really want it again).

I will be always grateful to Timo Tolkki and the rest, always.

[Rebel]

I'm really happy with Polaris, and extremely happy with the rest of the Stratovarius discography.

Anyway, for me (as for Rebel it seems and others), Episode is a masterpiece and the best metal album ever. I know that I will never find similar melodies, choruses, power, darkness, light...Episode album is the perfect musical combination for me. If somebody wants to know (me included) my perfect musical combination: Episode. It challenges my essence and I reach some kind of disconnection.

I think that happens just once, and it's impossible to see it/hear it/feel it again. Like when you are a child, that won't happen again. Maybe you can fake it and you could think that you are feeling the same,because some songs reminds you something, but it's just impossible...
It's ethereal, you can't explain it, you just know it won't happen again (and you really want it again).

I will be always grateful to Timo Tolkki and the rest, always.

Oh, I wouldn't say Episode is the best Metal album ever, I have way too much respect for bands like Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to say that. I actually prefer Infinite to Episode anyways, and Infinite is on par with Helloween's "The Dark Ride".

[RazielSR]

Of course, it's just my opinion. I have way too much respect for bands like Stratovarius or composers like Timo Tolkki to say the contrary.

[Rebel]

Of course, it's just my opinion. I have way too much respect for bands like Stratovarius or composers like Timo Tolkki to say the contrary.

Episode was a game changer, no doubt, but put it against something like Deep Purple's Machine Head. I believe Episode to be the greatest work of Modern Power Metal, so if that's your only genre of metal, then I suppose that would be the best metal album, but I listen to everything Metal, (Except Black Metal, I guess, but I do have some Mayhem lying around)

[RazielSR]

[Rebel]

Dude, the guitarist ate the singers brains then got murdered by the bassist, How can I NOT listen to them?

[Arkash]

That is not the exact story of Mayhem. The band never ate Dead's brain, that is urban legend, they just did necklaces with pieces of his skull, and his body's pic is the cover of one of their albums.

And then, few years after, Euronymous get killed by his all friend, Burzum-one member VV who ended up in jail for 17 years.

[Rebel]

That is not the exact story of Mayhem. The band never ate Dead's brain, that is urban legend, they just did necklaces with pieces of his skull, and his body's pic is the cover of one of their albums.

And then, few years after, Euronymous get killed by his all friend, Burzum-one member VV who ended up in jail for 17 years.

Hey, they confirmed the part about the skull, but did not deny the brain stew.
And Varg Virkenes DID play bass for Mayhem for a short period of time,

and the whole thing with dead was just the guitarist.

[Arkash]

I think I saw somewhere Necrobutcher denying the brain eat thing, gotta search that out!