STRATOVARIUS — Nemesis (review)

Album · 2013 · Power Metal

5/5 · 2014-01-25
Diogenes

The youth movement of melodic power metal pioneers Stratovarius continued in 2012, as longtime drummer Jorg Michael departed after a lengthy tour supporting the band’s Elysium LP. Enter Rolf Pilve behind the kit. With 3 of the 5 band members being replaced since the last instance of their “traditional” lineup in 2003, the Finns went back to work, promptly recording and releasing their 14th studio album. That album, Nemesis, immediately blew me away; it might just be the best effort of Stratovarius’ long and storied career.

What grabs you about Nemesis right away is how fresh, energetic, and modern it sounds, as the songwriting combination of guitarist Matias Kupianen and bassist Lauri Porra show no intention of revisiting the band’s past clichés. Kupianen’s guitar tone, in particular, has a nice bite to it that compliments Jens Johansson’s crystalline keyboard melodies quite well; the bridge section of lead single “Unbreakable” is a good example of this, reminding me of some of Symphony X’s more recent works without deviating too far from the album’s power metal roots. I’d even go as far as saying that this is their darkest album (at least in quite a while, maybe since Dreamspace), as tracks like “Castles in the Air” and “Out of the Fog” portray an epic mood closer to that of a post-apocalypse than your usual medieval fantasy land. The choirs are used especially well in this sense.

This being power metal, though, the thing you’re looking for is mostly likely still going to be catchy melodies, uplifting themes, and sing-along choruses, all of which Nemesis features in spades. “Abandon,” “Nemesis,” “Stand My Ground,” and bonus track “Fireborn” all carry a sense of freedom and invincibility that is bound to please any power metal fan. After blasting through a series of vocal chord injuries and albums that featured some painfully high singing, Timo Kotipelto’s once-unlimited upper register is all but gone, but he still delivers a strong and emotional performance behind the mic; Nemesis is not an album short on catchy vocal melodies, and the warmer timbre makes them all the more accessible. This culminates in possibly the most infectious song Stratovarius has ever written: everything about “Fantasy” is just sickeningly catchy, from the dancing keyboard melodies to the massive chorus. Stratovarius exploring darker realms on Nemesis while also writing their most uplifting material in a very long time proves that once again, there is no substitute for excellent songwriting.

So many years after releasing some of the most influential power metal material ever, Stratovarius is in the best shape they’ve ever been. Nemesis is an album that both makes a killer first impression and features the songwriting that will keep it playing in your library for quite a long time. Without a doubt, one of the best metal releases of 2013, and a sure treat for any power metal fan.

more than 2 years ago
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UMUR wrote:

more than 2 years ago

I was surprised to by how fresh and edgy Nemesis sounds. Nice to have them back in strong form. The last couple of albums hinted at this, but this one is the culmination of crawling slowly back up to the Euro power metal throne Again...