Kingcrimsonprog
2000’s Infinite was the Finnish Melodic Power Metal band Stratovarius’ eighth full-length studio album, it was self-produced by the band’s own leader/lead guitarist Timmo Tolkki, and released through Nuclear Blast records. It was a number one album in their Finnish Homeland, and featured the smash hit single “Hunting High And Low.”
This is a strong and thoroughly entertaining album, that sees the band mix in a few different styles, adding in some of their classic powerful, speedy Melodic Power Metal, a few commercial moments, and a few tips of the hat to the Progressive Metal side that would become a bigger and bigger part of their sound on subsequent records.
Highlights include the aforementioned hit single, which is incredibly good-fun and immensely replayable, as well as the thrashier “Millenium” which showcases the band’s heavier side, the incredibly fun “Freedom” (which almost sounds like Helloween in a Saint Patrick’s Day Parade), and the grandiose 9-minute “Infinity.”
The vocals are strong, the musicianship is honed to perfection, the production is crystal clear. If you are already a fan don’t hesitate to pick this one up. If not; Do you like your Metal with neoclassical keyboard solos, flowery sing along choruses and hammering double-kicks? Do you like a healthy mixture of ballads, epics, and straight ahead synthy Hard Rock tunes in there too for variety? If so, Infinite might just be the album for you.
Overall; Infinite is a pretty top-notch release from Stratovarius, one where they try their hand at all aspects of their sound and succeed in each of them.
(P.S. There’s an absolutely killer part three and a half minutes into “Pheonix” that will put a smile on any Metal fan’s face.)