STRATOVARIUS — Visions (review)

STRATOVARIUS — Visions album cover Album · 1997 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Kingcrimsonprog
Visions is the sixth full-length studio album by the Finish Power Metal band Stratovarius. It was released in 1997 on Noise Records and self-produced by the band’s guitarist/mastermind Timo Tolkki.

The style on music found here is speedy, soaring, upbeat Melodic Power Metal with constant double kicks, plentiful guitar solos, and a prominent keyboardist who doesn’t just take on a background role (Jens Johansson of Yngwie Malmsteen fame).

The album opens with the excellent, concert-favourite tracks “Black Diamond” and “The Kiss Of Judas.” If you wonder whether or not to try out the album, or even the band, then these are songs that you may want to preview first.

Similarly excellent, is the brilliant “Legions” which sounds at first almost identical to Queensrÿche’s “Queen Of The Reich” before veering off on a tangent into that quintessentially European “Glorious/Victorious” feeling, and becomes more of its own song. Singer Timo Kotipelto’s vocals on this track are incredible.

There’s also a fair bit of variety on the album; for example “Paradise” is fun and bouncy, “Holy Light” is a virtuosic instrumental track and there’s also the strong, tasteful power ballad “Coming Home.” The album’s other Power Ballad, “Before The Winter” shows large tendencies towards 1970s Progressive Rock and points towards the direction that the band would take on their Elements Part 1 and Part 2 albums.

The album ends with the 10-minute title track, which is a multifaceted gem with acoustic parts, choral parts, speedy stereotypically Power Metal sections and slower moody sections. It pretty much mixes everything from the album thus far into one single song.

The standard of musicianship, songwriting and production are all top notch on this record, everything is very tight and there is no filler. This is a very strong album for Stratovarius and a good choice to start your collection with.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
Tupan wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Good album, my favorite from Stratovarius (I'm not a fan of this band, though).
adg211288 wrote:
more than 2 years ago
Good review. I should really listen to them more; I've rated 3 out of the 4 I have with 4.5 stars, but I just don't seem to play them much.

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Goblin Sessions Heavy Metal
THEM
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tormenta De Arena Metalcore
VORAGO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Infinite Metalcore
FUTURE GHOST
Buy this album from MMA partners
Heretic Melodic Death Metal
SUNCINDER
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Skull Burned Wearing Hell Like A Life Vest As The Night Wept Mathcore
FRONTIERER
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

Future Ghost - Wolves (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Future Ghost - Nemesis Game (Official Music Video)
FUTURE GHOST
Bosh66· 1 day ago
Harrowed TwentyTenVideo
HARROWED
Bosh66· 3 days ago
Sunmancer - Realms of Dilemma (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 8 days ago
Sunmancer - Lower Cavalier (Official Visualizer)
SUNMANCER
Bosh66· 8 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed