Stratovarius Community

Lurdi wrote:Yes, I do also miss a really really Stratovarius epic song such as Destiny, Eternity, Visions, Infinity...

You have one in Emancipation Suite, one of their most epic works ever. Also I think Eternity's place isn't there as both Night Time Eclipse and especially Babylon are bigger epix on Episode.

From the new album, I want MOAR.

Iargh, to the origin of this thread, I may be late with my opinion 'cause the conversation flows to other areas, but I write this anyway.
I have been wondering sayings how singing should sound in Polaris. I just listened it, I'm just part of the audience. In this album many songwriters have brought ideas which have been under wrap. They are loaded with emotions so how could singing sound relaxed?? All songs deserve the emotion also in tone. The next may be more cool

icecab21 wrote:I put normal things in here too. You guys can’t honestly be serious about this type of thread.

AAAAAAAAAA calls the bands riffs cheesy and their lyrics atrocious. I don't think the band went “hey, let’s play this cheesy riff". I assume the band liked it and that is why they played it. It is not being a critic of music if you call something cheesy, it is not professional or respectable at all
.

Lyrics...are really an atrocity.

just enough attention should be paid to it so it does not distract the listener with its cheesiness.

Come on, if I wanted that kind of thing I'd listen to "Hannah Montana".

Less cheesy riffs (ie, the beginning of 'Forever is Today'). It just doesn't sound natural to me, almost like Dragonforce.

You really think he is being a normal respectable person by saying things like this?

Forever we today has a riff similar to what metal bands have been playing for over 30 years. I don't see how it gets compared to a band that first released a cd in 2003

p
Well, it is his opinion and some ppl seem to agree with it. Maybe it does sound a bti harsh to you, but he has the same right to tell his opinion as everyone else. If he thinks the lyrics are atrocious and the riffs are cheese he has the right to say that because it is his opinion. If it is really constructive to say that, well, that is a another story, but it is his opinion. If you disagree with it, okay. But don't turn the topic into spam just because you disagree.

And about the comparison thing:
I don't see why we can't compare it. If we go by that logic we only could compare bands that were around since the same time and that would be stupit.

AAAAAAAAAA wrote: Who wrote the line "But I'm trying to erase you from my brain"!?? Its just....not...right...

Guilty as charged. Robert Frost I am not ..

There is actually a point, I love the word "brain" in metal lyrics. There is a long history issue somehow. The first metal record I played on was called "Shakin' Brains" and the guy who wrote much of the Silver Mountain lyrics always used the word "brain" instead of, let's say, "mind".

Shaking your brain, you'll go insane!! Etc.

Where have I spammed? I put a few comments about what if found to be a silly way to give advice since it did not offer a solution and was said in a crude way.. If AAAAAAAAAA gave a solution for how to not write cheesy riffs, I did not see it. Everything else I have said is a suggestion for the bands next album like the thread title says.

You're doing great icecab, keep talking

Opinions.OPINIONS.Opinions. What are they? Just MISERERE. CACAFUEGO. Nothing else!!

AAAAAAAAA wrote: Opinions.OPINIONS.Opinions. What are they? Just MISERERE. CACAFUEGO. Nothing else!!

MISERERE?
CACAFUEGO?

You might as well climb the highest peak and scream at the top of your lungs: I AM STRATOWARIUS, HEAR ME ROAR!!!



I feel like the divine powers of 10A/9A have just doubled. Can this forum handle BOTH of us!? We're unstoppable

I so wish you were right.But, but (I like to start with a BUT) Also. But you are, sorry to say, missinformed and some climbing on nearest hill can not come in question. I have no idea what MISERERE or CACAFUEGO is but I understand that it must be some sort of invective. I would never use that sort of words and I am sure you know that...

Stratowarius wrote: I so wish you were right.But, but (I like to start with a BUT) Also. But you are, sorry to say, missinformed and some climbing on nearest hill can not come in question. I have no idea what MISERERE or CACAFUEGO is but I understand that it must be some sort of invective. I would never use that sort of words and I am sure you know that...

Apparently our A's are very literary.

Or maybe cacafuego meant this?

It would be interesting if someone else came as A11 Turbo Charge.
Just keep adding AAAAAAAAAAs

Aldaron wrote:

Stratowarius wrote: I so wish you were right.But, but (I like to start with a BUT) Also. But you are, sorry to say, missinformed and some climbing on nearest hill can not come in question. I have no idea what MISERERE or CACAFUEGO is but I understand that it must be some sort of invective. I would never use that sort of words and I am sure you know that...

Apparently our A's are very literary.

Or maybe cacafuego meant this?

Let me inform you"unenlightened Hircine" about Miserere. It's not only Allegris, "Miserere mei Deus"(Have mercy on me),even if that could have been in the right place here.Cacafuego and Miserere both mean "fecal vomiting" if you can imagine how that works in reality. We learn something every day in this forum and this was one of the most important things today.

Here is a suggestion inspired by AAAAAAAAAA's comment about me only using one piano in all my clips: everyone use a different instrument in every song. It might take some work to change drum kits and all every song but gosh golly it's worth the new tone.

icecab21 wrote:Here is a suggestion inspired by AAAAAAAAAA's comment about me only using one piano in all my clips: everyone use a different instrument in every song. It might take some work to change drum kits and all every song but gosh golly it's worth the new tone.

Well, IIRC Elten John does most of his demos for his album just with himself an a piano.

Ragehead91 wrote:

icecab21 wrote:Here is a suggestion inspired by AAAAAAAAAA's comment about me only using one piano in all my clips: everyone use a different instrument in every song. It might take some work to change drum kits and all every song but gosh golly it's worth the new tone.

Well, IIRC Elten John does most of his demos for his album just with himself an a piano.

Well, when icecab wins 5 grammy's, I'll issue a formal apology

Grammy winning pianists play on three pianos per song on average so AAAAAAAAAA is correct in the lack of piano variation in those clips being something that holds the songs back.

I say just let them write what they are going to write and we'll keep doing what's supposed to be done when it comes to fandom, we will either like it or hate it.

And I'm sure with the next album there will be people who will be pointing out every flaw in it.
Ah well such is life

To hell with everyone, polaris rules as it is, don't try to change it!!

When a band is being honest with the listeners you can feel it and that's what i feel with polaris, so the suggestions are like WTF to me, we are not building something or making up something, it is what it is.

About the message in the songs well we have to be aware that like it or not, this is a "new" stratovarius, it's a different message (pretty much like the ones from Ari Koivunen to me) and about the "cheesy" sounds that some one said before, well, it's Matias style, and I really like it, remember to not compare the "new" stratovarius with the old one, never.

I would say to the guys, be honest, play as you want to play and if people like it, they will buy it, never change your way because of what they want or what they say, that's not being honest with your music. Play for you in the first place! Without thinking in "i hope they like this" (best example for this to me, metallica before and after the black album)

Cheers to all! Let's drink beeeeeeeeeeeeer and enjoy the natural flavor of polaris. You can't change the flavor of an avocado even when you smashed it right? In other words... Energy cannot be created or destroyed but can be transformed. Polaris rules! I'm looking forward to the next one.

lalodrums2 wrote:so the suggestions are like WTF to me

Do I need to make a 2.0 suggestion about this quote???

Ok! Here comes the other

This thread should be renamed 'The fans should write the next album!'

NeonVomit wrote:This thread should be renamed 'The fans should write the next album!'

That sums it up right there

Ragehead91 wrote:I agree with everything but the Keyboard part.
MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!

I just cant stop thinking about this.... dude i respect everones opinion but, man u are talking about STRATOVARIUS, if u want more guitars go and listen the other thousand of bands that have 0 keyboard influence or uses it only for the "background" part, but please dont come here and write something like "MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!" Jens style is something UNIQUE and i would hate the fact of it being reduced cause of comments like that .
There are so many bands/songs with 2 or even 3 guitars, but how many of em have something like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f4jWYrebBI where the keyboard can influence tons of ppl to start playing it? .

Of course this is just my "another fan with just 5 posts in the forum" opinion.. i might be totally wrong.

Fuck my english - peace

casiusss wrote:

Ragehead91 wrote:I agree with everything but the Keyboard part.
MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!

I just cant stop thinking about this.... dude i respect everones opinion but, man u are talking about STRATOVARIUS, if u want more guitars go and listen the other thousand of bands that have 0 keyboard influence or uses it only for the "background" part, but please dont come here and write something like "MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!" Jens style is something UNIQUE and i would hate the fact of it being reduced cause of comments like that .
There are so many bands/songs with 2 or even 3 guitars, but how many of em have something like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f4jWYrebBI where the keyboard can influence tons of ppl to start playing it? .

Of course this is just my "another fan with just 5 posts in the forum" opinion.. i might be totally wrong.

Fuck my english - peace

You don't understand me, do you? I love Jens' keyboard playing as much as you do. I never had a problem with his playing on the old albums. Why? Because those albums had a nice mix of keyboards and guitars. On Polaris however there is WAY too much keyboard. Stratovarius was for me always a more guitar-orientated band. Most of the time the focus was on Tolkki's guitar playing. Jens' keyboard playing was a very important part too and it defined the band, but you knew that the Guitar was sort of the "main instrument" if you will. And in Polaris, well, there is just way too much keyboards compared to the other album. Albums like Episode, Visions, Destiny or Infinite had a great mix. Polaris has WAY too much keyboard. I want to hear more of Mathias Guitar skills. Jens should restrain himself a bit on the next album. I know he is a genious. He doesn't has to prove that anymore. But Matias has to prove something. Again, I'm not saying they should keep Jens' keyboard parts to a minimun. They can't do that. It would be stupid since Keybaords, and especially keyboards played by Jens, have always been part of the band and definded the band over the years. I'm just saying that they should bring the guitar/keyboard ratio from Visions back.

There was a guitarist in Polaris?

Make the next album just drums and vocals.

Ragehead91 wrote:

casiusss wrote:

Ragehead91 wrote:I agree with everything but the Keyboard part.
MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!

I just cant stop thinking about this.... dude i respect everones opinion but, man u are talking about STRATOVARIUS, if u want more guitars go and listen the other thousand of bands that have 0 keyboard influence or uses it only for the "background" part, but please dont come here and write something like "MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!" Jens style is something UNIQUE and i would hate the fact of it being reduced cause of comments like that .
There are so many bands/songs with 2 or even 3 guitars, but how many of em have something like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f4jWYrebBI where the keyboard can influence tons of ppl to start playing it? .

Of course this is just my "another fan with just 5 posts in the forum" opinion.. i might be totally wrong.

Fuck my english - peace

You don't understand me, do you? I love Jens' keyboard playing as much as you do. I never had a problem with his playing on the old albums. Why? Because those albums had a nice mix of keyboards and guitars. On Polaris however there is WAY too much keyboard. Stratovarius was for me always a more guitar-orientated band. Most of the time the focus was on Tolkki's guitar playing. Jens' keyboard playing was a very important part too and it defined the band, but you knew that the Guitar was sort of the "main instrument" if you will. And in Polaris, well, there is just way too much keyboards compared to the other album. Albums like Episode, Visions, Destiny or Infinite had a great mix. Polaris has WAY too much keyboard. I want to hear more of Mathias Guitar skills. Jens should restrain himself a bit on the next album. I know he is a genious. He doesn't has to prove that anymore. But Matias has to prove something. Again, I'm not saying they should keep Jens' keyboard parts to a minimun. They can't do that. It would be stupid since Keybaords, and especially keyboards played by Jens, have always been part of the band and definded the band over the years. I'm just saying that they should bring the guitar/keyboard ratio from Visions back.

Thanks for changing my mind from this "MORE GUITAR LESS KEYBOARD" to this "MORE GUITAR LESS KEYBOARD" . And i hope u get that lol, cause my english as i said is not the best, another way to explain that would take me hours xD.

Fuck my english - Peace

Ragehead91 wrote:

casiusss wrote:

Ragehead91 wrote:I agree with everything but the Keyboard part.
MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!

I just cant stop thinking about this.... dude i respect everones opinion but, man u are talking about STRATOVARIUS, if u want more guitars go and listen the other thousand of bands that have 0 keyboard influence or uses it only for the "background" part, but please dont come here and write something like "MORE GUITAR AND LESS KEYBOARD!" Jens style is something UNIQUE and i would hate the fact of it being reduced cause of comments like that .
There are so many bands/songs with 2 or even 3 guitars, but how many of em have something like http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f4jWYrebBI where the keyboard can influence tons of ppl to start playing it? .

Of course this is just my "another fan with just 5 posts in the forum" opinion.. i might be totally wrong.

Fuck my english - peace

You don't understand me, do you? I love Jens' keyboard playing as much as you do. I never had a problem with his playing on the old albums. Why? Because those albums had a nice mix of keyboards and guitars. On Polaris however there is WAY too much keyboard. Stratovarius was for me always a more guitar-orientated band. Most of the time the focus was on Tolkki's guitar playing. Jens' keyboard playing was a very important part too and it defined the band, but you knew that the Guitar was sort of the "main instrument" if you will. And in Polaris, well, there is just way too much keyboards compared to the other album. Albums like Episode, Visions, Destiny or Infinite had a great mix. Polaris has WAY too much keyboard. I want to hear more of Mathias Guitar skills. Jens should restrain himself a bit on the next album. I know he is a genious. He doesn't has to prove that anymore. But Matias has to prove something. Again, I'm not saying they should keep Jens' keyboard parts to a minimun. They can't do that. It would be stupid since Keybaords, and especially keyboards played by Jens, have always been part of the band and definded the band over the years. I'm just saying that they should bring the guitar/keyboard ratio from Visions back.

I have no idea how you compute the guitar/keyboard ratio. Please explain!!

I felt that Strato was always a somewhat keyboard heavy band, but we never went overboard.

If the keyboard role feels different now than when the musical reins were in TT's hands, it's probably a more fundamental issue (maybe you would say 'problem'.) Me, Lauri, and Matias, but maybe not so much Timo K, have a much more active musical involvement with keyboards with many more specific ideas to try.

I still maintain that the guitar/keyboard ratio of Polaris is within the range of the other stuff, ie, it's Stratovarius so it's melodic and slightly symphonic power metal, and harmonically and ideationally it has keyboard stuff that augments and supports the stuff that goes on in the guitar and bass plane of harmony (which all should support the vocal melody and basic pulse of the drums)

I readily admit I have no way to compute such a ratio..

I'm fascinated by feedback from listeners, but so often it's so varied and conflicting that it ends up being meaningless (but still interesting). I mean, you can't have an album with both less keyboards, and more keyboards, at the same time. It's logically impossible ..

One thing can be to have rhythm guitar as one track and then for any keyboard lead also have a lead guitar playing the lead or a harmony as well. Depends on how studio you want to make the songs but more layers are always an option. I’m not sure if it counts as less keyboards or not since the orchestrations are played by keys, but having the keys emulation orchestra instruments more and less of the lead sound is one way to get less of the keyboard sound. I really don't understand these guys idea of there not being guitar since there is a lot of rhythm guitar and naturally in concert matias can't play a lead and a rhythm. One way to add more guitars can be to always have guitars playing riffs in the verses instead of having it just being bass guitar and keys.

Since everyone will have different opinions, just explore ideas the band members have and please your own needs for musical expression. It’s metal so there will always be overdramatic people that say things like "There was a guitarist in Polaris?" and have a overdeveloped hate for fans favorites.