New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Here you can talk about Stratovarius and related bands. Language used is English.
User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States
Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Fri Sep 27, 2019 4:42 am

Empathica1928 wrote:Now if I recall correctly Tolkki once said he blended in sampled drums from some VST whose name I can't recall, to give Jorg's drums that much more punch, but I don't know how true that is.
Samples were employed on those albums, without a doubt, and they were probably used in conjunction (blended in) with the actual recorded performance as well. Now, I don't say that with a negative connotation; I say that because, based on my own experience, it is the only way that the drum hits maintain such a consistent power and velocity (either that, or I suck at playing drums :lol:). I personally think that it sounds really cool.

In regards to my own production, I've managed to (coincidentally) get my snare drum to sound similar to the snare drum in Labÿrinth's Return to Heaven Denied. While that sounds good, I still think there's room for improvement, such as blending in my own snare drum samples (which I haven't tried yet).
Empathica1928 wrote:I hope the next album continues the trend of super fast traditional double bass drumming but also has that dance-able four-on-the-floor bass drumming the band's had since Rolf joined. I really enjoy the way he plays and how he sounds on those records.
Yeah, Rolf has done a phenomenal job thus far. I really enjoy listening to his fills. Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by "that dance-able four-on-the-floor bass drumming" (I'm a drummer, but I'm unfamiliar with that phrase :oops:)? Which song(s) are you referring to, as an example of that?
doc_holiday wrote:8k's not going to be a thing any time soon. For games, it requires way too much horsepower. For the internet, it requires way too much bandwidth.
Maybe it will become more relevant once hardware accelerated AV1 components become more readily available. That will surely ease the performance burden (and perhaps bandwidth too) of processing 8K footage. This doesn't help with the processing of 8K resolution output from video games, however (not to mention, who on Earth has an 8K monitor? :lol:).
valo_666 wrote:I knocked up against this one today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxbe5MynRI0 and it made me reaffirm all of this we're talking about... how they have turned THAT MUCH from powerful, rich and vibrant in into bland and lifeless sounding of their current https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQT292b8E88
In this instance, it's not just the production that is bland and lifeless, but also the composition. It is hard to compare those two songs to each other, as they're very stylistically different.

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Mon Sep 30, 2019 6:53 am

Back on topic. My demand for the next Stratovarius album: power reggae! :shock: :lol:

User avatar
valo_666
Sr. Member
Posts:642
Joined:Wed Sep 25, 2002 7:19 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by valo_666 » Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:35 am

ZenithMC wrote:
valo_666 wrote:I knocked up against this one today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fxbe5MynRI0 and it made me reaffirm all of this we're talking about... how they have turned THAT MUCH from powerful, rich and vibrant in into bland and lifeless sounding of their current https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQT292b8E88
In this instance, it's not just the production that is bland and lifeless, but also the composition. It is hard to compare those two songs to each other, as they're very stylistically different.
Well, place "Message from the sun" against "Victoria's Secret" instead :)

Empathica1928
Sr. Member
Posts:426
Joined:Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:43 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by Empathica1928 » Tue Oct 01, 2019 9:07 pm

ZenithMC wrote:
Empathica1928 wrote:I hope the next album continues the trend of super fast traditional double bass drumming but also has that dance-able four-on-the-floor bass drumming the band's had since Rolf joined. I really enjoy the way he plays and how he sounds on those records.
Yeah, Rolf has done a phenomenal job thus far. I really enjoy listening to his fills. Forgive my ignorance, but what do you mean by "that dance-able four-on-the-floor bass drumming" (I'm a drummer, but I'm unfamiliar with that phrase :oops:)? Which song(s) are you referring to, as an example of that?
Man In The Mirror and the breakdown of Halcyon Days come to mind immediately. Although now that I think about it maybe he's not kicking the drum every single beat of Man In The Mirror's verses. Regardless, I guess more broadly I'm referring to Rolf's rhythmic sensibilities in general. He has this knack for these really cool patterns and fills that complement Lauri and Matias's experimental, creative stuff (like the electronic madness in Halcyon Days) while still having some deep, heavy punch to the drums that keeps it metal. There's groove in there amongst all the Jorg Michael-style drumming and I just love his playing and the sound of his kit on these new Strato records. :)

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Wed Oct 02, 2019 1:19 pm

valo_666 wrote:Well, place "Message from the sun" against "Victoria's Secret" instead :-)
Yeah, those songs sound somewhat closer in style to each other. Ultimately, I agree that the production is not that great on Talviyö, but it could also be far worse (as some previous offerings have demonstrated).
Empathica1928 wrote:Man In The Mirror and the breakdown of Halcyon Days come to mind immediately. Although now that I think about it maybe he's not kicking the drum every single beat of Man In The Mirror's verses. Regardless, I guess more broadly I'm referring to Rolf's rhythmic sensibilities in general. He has this knack for these really cool patterns and fills that complement Lauri and Matias's experimental, creative stuff (like the electronic madness in Halcyon Days) while still having some deep, heavy punch to the drums that keeps it metal. There's groove in there amongst all the Jorg Michael-style drumming and I just love his playing and the sound of his kit on these new Strato records. :-)
Rolf's drum pattern during the Halcyon Days breakdown doesn't sound complicated, but the coordination between the hi-hats (closing and opening) and the bass drum actually requires a lot of dexterity and practice to be able to pull it off, particularly with the foot work.

I was very impressed by Rolf's playing on The Lost Saga. The pattern that he performs during most of the solo and some parts of the chorus where he (assuming 4/4) plays quarter note triplets on the snare, eighth note triplets on the bass drum, and quarter notes on the hi-hats (or sometimes ride cymbal) sounds really cool and is very uncommon.

As an aside, I'd love to hear a Matias solo album where he can go wild and unleash all of the ultra technical and complex compositional prowess that he can conjure up into it. That would be very interesting (and awesome) to hear! 8)

Empathica1928
Sr. Member
Posts:426
Joined:Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:43 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by Empathica1928 » Wed Oct 02, 2019 5:28 pm

Oh man I would do horrible things for a full album of Matias going wild with the fusion shred. I used to watch videos of him playing his original stuff all the time in the months leading up to Polaris's release.

Guess I'll have to revisit Jens's stuff from the 90s in the meantime.

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:26 am

Empathica1928 wrote:Oh man I would do horrible things for a full album of Matias going wild with the fusion shred.
What kind of horrible things? :lol: I remember watching a video of him performing a cool medley, a while back.
Empathica1928 wrote:Guess I'll have to revisit Jens's stuff from the 90s in the meantime.
You know, I've actually never listened to Jens' solo releases, but I plan on listening to them eventually. What is your opinion of them?

Empathica1928
Sr. Member
Posts:426
Joined:Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:43 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by Empathica1928 » Sun Oct 06, 2019 7:52 pm

ZenithMC wrote:
Empathica1928 wrote:Oh man I would do horrible things for a full album of Matias going wild with the fusion shred.
What kind of horrible things? :lol: I remember watching a video of him performing a cool medley, a while back.
Empathica1928 wrote:Guess I'll have to revisit Jens's stuff from the 90s in the meantime.
You know, I've actually never listened to Jens' solo releases, but I plan on listening to them eventually. What is your opinion of them?
Super jazzy. Really shows off his chops in a whole new way. It's pretty awesome stuff but they're also hard listens compared to power metal. I'm a fan, though. My favorite piece, however, isn't even jazzy, it's this keyboard solo instrumental track on Heavy Machinery called Macrowaves. It's so beautiful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgKZr9zE4mg

User avatar
adrian9
Sr. Member
Posts:1741
Joined:Wed Aug 04, 2004 10:45 pm
Location:VENEZUELA!!!

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by adrian9 » Tue Oct 08, 2019 2:45 am

My only demand (if you could call it that) instead of fighting for not to write "a la Timo Tolkki", own that shit and make a great classic strato album, TK, JJ owns that sound as much as TT so don't be afraid of that.

sometimes I think this line-up tries too hard to distance themselves from the sound of the classic strato era, like is wrong to do it, personally I don't think so.

and yeah, Mika Jussila and Miko Karmilla gotta be on the team.

* I believe I read somewhere that Mika Jussila retired, is that true?
A9

User avatar
AAAAAAAAAA
Sr. Member
Posts:3585
Joined:Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:37 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by AAAAAAAAAA » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:20 am

adrian9 wrote: sometimes I think this line-up tries too hard to distance themselves from the sound of the classic strato era, like is wrong to do it, personally I don't think so.
Very well said.

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Tue Oct 08, 2019 1:57 pm

I've been over the moon with the direction and writing of the new albums.

My only real gripe has been the production of the last two albums. As I've already said, the mix is a very personal element of an album. The mix of the last two albums is not bad, it's just different, and I most prefer the mix from the Episode and Elements albums.

About writing Tolkki-esque songs, I think the most prominent examples put out by this line-up of that were probably found in Polaris, though intermittent and occasional. The songs from the currently line-up that I can think of which sound more Tolkki-oriented are: Blind, Forever is Today, Castaway, Emancipation Suite Pt. 1, When Mountains Fall, Dragons, Kill it With Fire, and (maybe even) Giants.

If you are being pedantic, then yes, the Jens songs are actually Jens-esque, but some of his songs appear in Tolkki-era albums, so I associate that sound with said era. I also understand that some of those songs are a bit of a stretch, but whatever. Basically, the more neo-classical it is, the more Tolkki-era it sounds to me. In other cases, the songs themselves reflect an earlier Tolkki-era song.

When Mountains Fall reminds me of Forever, The first verse of Dragons reminds me of the first verse of Playing with Fire, the chorus and intro of Forever is Today remind me of chorus and intro of Heroes from the RR demo, and chorus from Emancipation Suite Pt. 1 has a more Arabic vibe like in Babylon (or even Zenith of Power). Also, the verses from Emancipation Suite Pt. 1 sound Tolkki-esque to me, but I can't quite place my finger on why...

I don't see any harm in bringing in a more Tolkki-flavor to the songwriting, but I also really love what they are currently doing.

So basically, keep being awesome, Stratovarius!
adrian9 wrote:* I believe I read somewhere that Mika Jussila retired, is that true?
I don't think he is retired. I could be wrong, but from what I saw on his Facebook page, he still seems to be active. https://www.facebook.com/mikamastering/

Empathica1928
Sr. Member
Posts:426
Joined:Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:43 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by Empathica1928 » Tue Oct 08, 2019 4:10 pm

I think they are embracing the old sound though. Like, My Eternal Dream is straight out the gate 90s Tolkki worship in every way, right down to the lyrical themes, and each of the albums so far has had some songs in that vein while pushing the boundaries of the new era. I really do think it's the best possible blend of styles the band could adopt. Halcyon Days for example embraces the traditional Strato sound but sounds fresh and modern. Love it.

Tastes, of course! But for my money this is the best possible timeline. :)

User avatar
SentineLEX
Sr. Member
Posts:523
Joined:Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:23 am
Location:Seattle, United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by SentineLEX » Tue Oct 08, 2019 6:22 pm

There are songs on the 2009-2015 albums that sound like they could be from the classic era (none of the 3 from Enigma did in my opinion so I don't include 2018). But they can be split into two categories - those that sound like B-sides of actual songs, and those that don't. I think a lot of the earlier songs fall into the first category. When Mountains Fall sounds like it wants to be Forever, Castaway sounds like it wants to be Black Diamond, etc. Nemesis and Eternal have more songs that sound like the songs of that time without being omitations or attempts to relive the glory. I'd classify My Eternal Dream, Giants and Man in the Mirror in this group for example. I'd argue that Feeding the Fire is a better version of Paradise than Paradise is.

Maybe now that the Stratoguys sound like they can do more of the second kind of song, they'll embrace the sound and do them more often.

Empathica1928
Sr. Member
Posts:426
Joined:Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:43 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by Empathica1928 » Tue Oct 08, 2019 8:18 pm

Hey, I love Feeding the Fire as much as the next guy, but better than Paradise?!

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Tue Oct 08, 2019 9:57 pm

I'm not really seeing or hearing the correlation between Feeding the Fire and Paradise, but that aside, I do enjoy listening to Feeding the Fire more than Paradise.

I prefer listening to Hold on to Your Dream over Paradise. Those two are musically similar, with Hold on to Your Dream serving as the archetype to Paradise.

I guess I'm just not that big a fan of Paradise, as I'd rather listen to most other songs from their discography over it. The part I like the least about it is probably the chorus. The melody there sounds grating to me.

User avatar
SentineLEX
Sr. Member
Posts:523
Joined:Sat Nov 10, 2012 7:23 am
Location:Seattle, United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by SentineLEX » Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:14 pm

ZenithMC wrote:I'm not really seeing or hearing the correlation between Feeding the Fire and Paradise, but that aside, I do enjoy listening to Feeding the Fire more than Paradise.

I prefer listening to Hold on to Your Dream over Paradise. Those two are musically similar, with Hold on to Your Dream serving as the archetype to Paradise.

I guess I'm just not that big a fan of Paradise, as I'd rather listen to most other songs from their discography over it. The part I like the least about it is probably the chorus. The melody there sounds grating to me.
Ok maybe that one is more a lyrical/thematic connection. However to add to the comparison the two are roughly the same speed and have the same length and structure. But not as overt as When Mountains Fall or Castaway. I do agree that Hold on to Your Dream is a prototype Paradise.

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Tue Oct 08, 2019 11:41 pm

SentineLEX wrote:Ok maybe that one is more a lyrical/thematic connection.
Oops, I confused the lyrical themes of Feeding the Fire with Rise Above it. That's what I get for not researching before posting. :oops: Nevermind what I said before about not seeing the connection. Your point is totally valid.

Sth2112
Jr. Member
Posts:15
Joined:Mon Jan 27, 2014 2:32 pm
Location:Norway

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by Sth2112 » Tue Nov 12, 2019 11:23 am

I just hope it will contain great songs, choruses and melodies, and a powerful production.

User avatar
robocop
Sr. Member
Posts:1225
Joined:Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:12 am

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by robocop » Tue Jul 28, 2020 12:35 pm

Sorry for the bump.
I have not read most of this thread. :lol:
I think it would be interesting if they embrace more of the electronic parts. That might cause a shitstorm...it still would be a welcome change for some.
Speaking as someone who listens to a bunch of different types of music, it is fun to hear an artist putting in new parts that they otherwise never did.
NOW...I'm not saying they should make an album where its just DARUDE - SANDSTORM for 12 tracks. :lol:

I think it would bring a wider audience if it had some catchy synth lines and some EDM kicks. That is what they deserve, more fans. And if it takes a song or two that is unlike their regular discography, so be it.

There's got to be a balance, that's where its tricky. Old fans want another speed of light, forward thinking bros want some catchy shit no matter what, some just want to leave 420 mean YouTube comments. 8)
Last edited by robocop on Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:43 pm

robocop wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 12:35 pm
I think it would be interesting if they embrace more of the electronic parts. That might cause a shitstorm...it still would be a welcome change for some. [...]
They already did this, to an extent, with Nemesis. Are you suggesting they should put an even greater emphasis on electronic elements? Personally, I'd be fine with whatever direction they choose to go in, as long as they maintain their excellence in melodies (and kick-ass solos). :D

User avatar
robocop
Sr. Member
Posts:1225
Joined:Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:12 am

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by robocop » Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:05 pm

ZenithMC wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:43 pm
robocop wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 12:35 pm
I think it would be interesting if they embrace more of the electronic parts. That might cause a shitstorm...it still would be a welcome change for some. [...]
They already did this, to an extent, with Nemesis. Are you suggesting they should put an even greater emphasis on electronic elements? Personally, I'd be fine with whatever direction they choose to go in, as long as they maintain their excellence in melodies (and kick-ass solos). :D
Yes. Just fuckin get some dance/trance vibes. Then have a middle 8 section and solo in 19/16. :cyclop:

They can have the hit song like unbreakable, but this time it has a breakdown/buildup and DROP where Jens goes wub wub wub bing bing bing weee oooo weee ooo. :shock:

User avatar
AAAAAAAAAA
Sr. Member
Posts:3585
Joined:Fri Aug 22, 2008 9:37 pm

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by AAAAAAAAAA » Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:22 pm

robocop wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 12:35 pm
I think it would bring a wider audience if had some catchy synth lines and some EDM kicks. That is what they deserve, more fans. And if it takes a song or two that is unlike their regular discography, so be it.
This is an interesting subject. Generally speaking I believe that attempting to appeal to a wider audience would backfire badly. I highly doubt EDM fans would flock to stratovarius after a strong electronic release. The best Stratovarius can hope to do at this stage of their career is to galvanize their existing fan base.

I think future album sales moving forward will be defined almost entirely by the quality of their back catalogue and the general popularity of classic power metal as a whole.

Stratovarius is a middle-aged or even classic band in a music genre that is 15 years past its heyday. Sadly they could release the best album in the universe and it would fall upon deaf ears as their popularity is at the mercy of market dynamics and their prior body of work.

Its for similar reasons that the new Metallica album will probably sell millions even though they likely don't have much originality to offer.

The music industry is a way oversaturated field and the only chance to really break new ground is to be reincarnated as a twenty-year-old bimbo.

Being a musician in this genre is tough but at the same time I can't wait to see what they come up with.

User avatar
robocop
Sr. Member
Posts:1225
Joined:Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:12 am

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by robocop » Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:39 pm

You don’t want to hear “Hunting high and low” the remix?

But really.... I know what you mean. They don’t have to go full blown and get people raging and calling them sellouts. I just mean more and more electronic parts. I need to hear Jens’ sounds. 8)

Mixing these genres can be a hit or miss. It could be the most amazing thing ever, or just trash.

I honestly believe they know enough not to just pump out trash given their talents. If it’s done tastefully and adds another dimension to an already good song, it can only be a good thing. I trust their taste. :)

There are other bands mixing electronic/metal and you don’t see the top DJs playing them. So..it’s not like you hear amaranthe at Tomorrow land or whatever other festivals they have.

They can appeal to a wider audience and still be known as power metal. They don’t have to sell 99 billion records. Just with today’s stuff to go viral online. Maybe get a rapper to spit some bars. (Joke) :lol:

User avatar
mocobhc
Sr. Member
Posts:773
Joined:Tue Feb 16, 2010 3:44 pm
Location:mitten im Kraichgau

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by mocobhc » Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:31 pm

robocop wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 4:39 pm
Maybe get a rapper to spit some bars. (Joke) :lol:
Actually, I would appreciate even that :lol: I truly hope they manage to create something unique and interesting. If it takes rap or electronics or something completely different to achieve that, I'm OK with it - there's a lot of creative potential in the band members, throw it in guys! I loved Nemesis because it showed an evolution of the band and its songwriting. But I'd be truly disappointed with an Eternal II (not because I didn't like that one, but because I'd want a progress, away from that direction), or with an album which critics would describe as "back to the roots".

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:51 pm

Okay. I must amend my previous comment.
ZenithMC wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:43 pm
Personally, I'd be fine with whatever* direction they choose to go in, as long as they maintain their excellence in melodies (and kick-ass solos).

*Actually... No rap, please. Not even for a nanosecond.
:rotflmao1:

Also, A10, I wrote an actual essay length response to your post, but I don't think I'm going to post it because it just devolves into a massive ramble of vaguely associated topics and questionable arguments. :lol:

User avatar
robocop
Sr. Member
Posts:1225
Joined:Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:12 am

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by robocop » Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:25 pm

ZenithMC wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 6:51 pm
Okay. I must amend my previous comment.
ZenithMC wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 2:43 pm
Personally, I'd be fine with whatever* direction they choose to go in, as long as they maintain their excellence in melodies (and kick-ass solos).

*Actually... No rap, please. Not even for a nanosecond.
:rotflmao1:

Also, A10, I wrote an actual essay length response to your post, but I don't think I'm going to post it because it just devolves into a massive ramble of vaguely associated topics and questionable arguments. :lol:
Post the rant, cumlord! I’ll get some coffee and popcorn. =P

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:48 pm

robocop wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:25 pm
Post the rant, cumlord! I’ll get some coffee and popcorn. =P
Damn it! :lol: You've forced my hand. Here it cooms:
AAAAAAAAAA wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 3:22 pm
--
Given the circumstances you've described, I would expect to see the music industry collapse under its own weight (bands included). If there are already too many power metal bands, how come they don't seem to be disbanding or dwindling in numbers? This leads me to believe that you cannot value music, or art, as a standard commodity. Every work is unique; the quality, of which, is entirely subjective.

I'm not sure at what ratio a market becomes flooded, but just to illustrate the raw numbers, there is a total of 137,882 approved metal bands on metal-archives, for whatever that's worth. :? (Just ignore this. I wanted to try to quantify some of these variables, but it would take too much effort to make it worthwhile. I briefly looked into market caps, etc, and it is very difficult, if not impossible, to formulate without enough data.)

The way that bands get ahead, in this line of work, is to market themselves well. A great example being Dragonforce, who gained a lot of publicity and popularity after their song, "Through the Fire and the Flames", was introduced in Guitar Hero 3 as the super-impossible-to-beat-on-expert song. It was a great win for them, as their over-the-top style was perfect for such a scenario. Funny enough, that was probably the first exposure to power metal in my life.

I'll say this much: metal bands have it way better now than they did at the turn of the 1990's, where the music industry basically fucked them all by ignoring them and promoting grunge as their next big cash cow. It was very artificial. There are tons of bands that never recovered from that event, and those that did had to alienate their existing fanbase just to scrape by. Metallica adapted and rode that wave hard, becoming an alternative metal band for about 15 years, and gained a massive audience as a result.

I don't believe the music industry could ever successfully pull a stunt like that again, because music is becoming largely decentralized. You can make music, put it on YouTube, and gain an audience by promoting it on social media. The music industry, in the traditional sense, is essentially removed from that equation. It's not just music that this is affecting; it's everything. It's a massive paradigm shift.

At some point, metal began being perceived, by laymen, as uber aggressive screamo music. It's a totally invalid perception, because what they are actually describing is music associated with hardcore punk (or even metalcore), not metal. Most people do not understand that metal can be beautiful and melodic. Technically speaking, power metal should be easier to market to outside audiences than, say, death metal, just because melodic music is more accessible.

To say that power metal is 15 years past its prime doesn't make sense to me. What is the basis for your argument? Power metal (and metal, more generally) has substantial staying-power and I just don't see enthusiasm for it dwindling anytime soon, especially with the influx of new talent.

While you say that the market is flooded, there are relatively few power metal bands that are actually "popular". I'd say there is room yet for more popular power metal bands. This is why it is important to put your best foot forward, so to speak, and come up with a good marketing strategy, and also to come up with a "signature sound".

In the end, popular bands are not forever and there will always be someone, or some band, who needs to fill the void.
--
Essay completo. Not too proud of this one (too many opinions and not enough data). :oops:

User avatar
robocop
Sr. Member
Posts:1225
Joined:Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:12 am

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by robocop » Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:00 pm

Dragonforce on guitar hero was your first exposure to power metal? 🤔
Hmmm, damn I’m fucking old. :lol:
Story for me is that I talked to some girl that was into metal online. She told me she was going to see her favorite band sonata arctica. Never heard of them before at the time. (2003?)
I downloaded some songs on whatever I used at the time. Soulseek maybe. And strato videos came up, downloaded that and songs. And so they say the rest is history. :D :D

User avatar
ZenithMC
Sr. Member
Posts:660
Joined:Fri Sep 21, 2018 5:20 am
Location:United States

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by ZenithMC » Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:09 pm

robocop wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:00 pm
Dragonforce on guitar hero was your first exposure to power metal? 🤔
Hmmm, damn I’m fucking old. :lol:
I was only 11 when Guitar Hero 3 came out. :lol: A year after that, I discovered Sonata Arctica because my brother was looking for new bands to listen to. He found out about them from reading some forum post from somewhere I no longer recall. You know what's funny? I discovered Stratovarius at around the same time, but didn't start listening to them until 2014! :oops: SA satisfied me for a long time. :lol:

User avatar
robocop
Sr. Member
Posts:1225
Joined:Sun Jun 09, 2019 12:12 am

Re: New Stratovarius album: a list of demands

Post by robocop » Tue Jul 28, 2020 8:13 pm

You were 11?!! I was playing that game wasted at parties back then. :lol: ughhh. Get out of my yard I need my back pain meds. :lol:
First sonata song I heard was wolf and raven. One of my favorite songs ever that I played till my ears bled. :lol:

Post Reply