Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Stratovarius
Label: Nuclear Blast
Release: 2002
Rating: 3/5
Finland’s power metal institution Stratovarius hardly needs a big introduction, since they’re one of the most respected and established European power metal bands, with cult status back home and a few albums that had a real impact on the development of European power metal. Not counting the LP “Intermission (2001)”, this is their first record since 2000, when the very good “Infinite” came out, and after this shorter break they’re now back with a somewhat more ambitious project called “Elements”, which will be released in two parts.
The first track on the album, which also came out as a single, is “Eagleheart”. It’s a real flop (especially compared to, say, “Hunting High And Low” from the previous record). There’s none of that proper energy that’s usually typical of their openers, because it comes off way too monotonous and half-baked. A completely wrong-footed start to the record, and not even their trademark sound, recognizable from a mile away, can save it. Seriously, what were they trying to say with this one?
“Soul Of A Vagabond” does have an interesting intro that conjures up a good atmosphere and serves up some nice interplay between Tolkki’s guitar, Jens’ keyboards and Jörg Michael’s drums (though he doesn’t exactly stretch himself over the course of the album, which goes against his reputation as one of the best metal drummers of recent years). All of that is one of the band’s main strengths. But then it soon gets spoiled by a dramatic but annoying chorus, which totally misses the mark and doesn’t belong anywhere near such a pleasant sonic backdrop.
“Find Your Own Voice” is a different story and one of the brightest moments on the record. Kotipelto’s hugely emotional singing, Tolkki’s wild solos and Jens’ keyboard wizardry, all racing along at full speed right to the end, bring back the Stratovarius that built their name. Definitely the album’s hardest-hitting track.
“Fantasia” isn’t bad either, since right from the start we get well-played harmonies from the two main instrumentalists, Tolkki and Johansson, followed by Kotipelto’s crystal-clear vocals. Somewhere in the middle, Kotipelto starts wondering in the lyrics “what this world could be like if there were no more wars, diseases, churches, religions, etc., just your own truth” – in short, a perfect fantasy. This kind of poetry marks a big gap between them and most other power metal bands, who’d rather sing about knights, dwarves and dragons. In the closing section, after a sharp transition, comes a gorgeous three-part melody, which is later complemented by decent choruses.
“Learning To Fly” somehow convinced me that, if “Elements-Pt.1” isn’t on the level of the previous album, it’s definitely not a below-average effort either. Even though we’ve heard the basic foundation countless times before, Stratovarius make sure a song that would be totally clichéd in the hands of some other power metal band comes alive as one of the most energetic on the record. So a typical power metal anthem turns into an instrumentally complex piece that bursts with positive energy. Definitely a track whose vibe isn’t meant for embittered souls.
“Papillon” provides a notable contrast, carrying us off to a cold, sad world where a female choir awaits us. Kotipelto is angry here again, but sad too. His vocal tone manages to build a great atmosphere, especially once the composition fully turns into a classic ballad. It’s the most melancholic song on the whole record, and it’s slightly reminiscent of “Mother Gaia” (Infinite, 2000).
“Stratofortress” is a wound-up instrumental, the connecting piece of the record, where Tolkki indulges himself with total delight on his guitar in the style of the self-indulgent guitar Viking Yngwie Malmsteen. Among other things, the track has elements of some kind of Russian folk dance, and it’s wrapped up by Jens’ organ. Pretty complex for this band, but very solid.
The title epic “Elements”, on the other hand, didn’t manage to win me over, and I’d expected a lot more from it. If only it didn’t have that morbid choir chorus, “Elements- wind, fire, water!”, repeated through the entire length of the composition. It would have been much better if the chorus had just played the role of backing vocals, or if they’d at least been sung differently. Even though it has some good, longer instrumental sections, the ending leaves you feeling like something’s missing, since it wraps up with an extremely abrupt fade-out.
The last track on the album, “A Drop In The Ocean”, is a real emotional pick-me-up. An incredibly emotional song that soothes the disappointment after its predecessor, because it manages to conjure up that proper atmosphere and melancholy that’s usually needed for a successful closer on a record by a band like Stratovarius. A very beautiful melody ends with the sound of rolling waves.
Stratovarius are even hitting harder on ”Elements-Pt.1″ than on the previous record, since here, alongside the orchestral elements, not only Tolkki’s mastery comes to the fore, but also Kotipelto’s much more aggressive singing, which is a bit unusual, because on the other hand they’re drifting further away from power metal toward progressive metal with every record. Even though they too aren’t immune to the biggest disease of power metal bands – repetition – the new record is definitely quite different from the last one. It’s a bit more complex and demands more time, which usually marks out artistically stronger releases. Despite some weaker moments, Stratovarius proved on “Elements-Pt.1” that they’re still ready to experiment, which is rarely a bad thing, though in the world of the genre they represent, it always carries quite a bit of risk.
Line-up
Timo Kotipelto – vocals
Timo Tolkki – guitar
Jari Kainulainen – bass guitar
Jens Johansson – keyboards
Jörg Michael – drums
Production
Timo Tolkki
Track list
1.) Eagleheart – 3:50
2.) Soul of a Vagabond – 7:22
3.) Find Your Own Voice – 5:12
4.) Fantasia – 9:56
5.) Learning to Fly – 6:22
6.) Papillon – 7:00
7.) Stratofortress – 3:25
8.) Elements – 12:00
9.) A Drop in the Ocean – 6:49
