Author: Aleš Podbrežnik
Artist: Stratovarius
Label: Edel Records
Release: 2013
Length: 57:46
Rating: 4/5
Stratovarius just won’t quit. The Finnish mentors of modern melodic metal, or call it the downright Finnish-folklore vision of Euro power metal, without whom Sonata Arctica would never have climbed as high as they have, keep on defying the odds.
Clearly, Mathias Kupiainen’s arrival steered the wagon of a band that, after the departure of its creator Timo Tolkki, seemed doomed to ride a one-way, non-refundable ticket straight to hell and smash against the rocks. Nope! That didn’t happen, and after the cautious (but survival-critical) »Polaris« came the excellent »Elysium« (2011), which justified the band’s stubborn defiance, something plenty of people had written off as pointless after Tolkki left. What’s more, »Elysium« shot to number one on the Finnish charts a week after release, a first for Stratovarius since »Destiny« in 1998. And »Elysium« is a seriously ambitious record: the band even squeezed the longest composition of their career onto it, an 18-minute title epic.
The time also came for Jörg Michael, a veteran drummer of the Euro power metal school, to step aside. The man who co-created an important chunk of Euro power metal history, having played not only with Stratovarius but also with bands like Saxon, Grave Digger, Rage, Axel Rudi Pell and Running Wild, parted ways with the band last year for personal reasons. He was replaced by Rolf Pilve. That leaves just two from the old guard: Timo Kotipelto, the vocalist whose voice and approach are, at least on the surface (and to the ear), just as vital to Stratovarius as Timo Tolkki ever was, and the one-of-a-kind keyboard master Jens Johansson – a guy who in his day worked with Ronnie James Dio and Y.J. Malmsteen, among others. Alongside them, the lineup now has three potent young guns itching to prove themselves. Surely a good thing, because Stratovarius need fresh blood.
A proven formula is demonstrably effective, but the thing you keep serving up can easily get predictable and worn out. Stratovarius have found a way to dodge that effectively. »Nemesis« is a darker album than its predecessor, with an even more cranked-up production and a more prominent, riff-heavy vise of guitars. The ominous title »Nemesis« already hints that it’s a darker record than »Eysium«.
Timo Kotipelto is deliberately run through a distortion effect a few times, like the verse in Stand My Ground. The band also shakes up its tried-and-tested formula with programmed samples, something they’ve almost never done before (Halcydon Days – the instrumental middle section nearly borders on an electro-trance detour).
As arrangers, Stratovarius are maturing deftly and proving that the shake-ups they’ve been through in their career have toughened them up and given them extraordinary staying power as well as artistic growth. »Nemesis« is an exceptionally mature album. Sonically, it makes superb use of its space. The often irritating, coldly sterile production of past albums, especially from the Tolkki era, is forgotten. In that respect »Nemesis« builds on the direction laid out by »Elysium«. The sonic spectrum is dense in the low end too, the dialogue between keyboards and guitar in building a massive wall of background sound works perfectly, and the mood-building is full of spark. Stratovarius remain the epitome of ravenous bombast, which peaks in instantly infectious choruses. All of that on »Nemsis« too, of course. It’s becoming more and more obvious that Tolkki’s departure was almost necessary for the band to start moving forward and growing artistically.
»Nemesis« is an excellent album that keeps the band’s recognizable face from past works while effectively trying out sonic novelties and folding them into its sound in a way that never, not for a second, threatens that recognizable face, and instead gratefully widens the band’s creative range in new compositions. Kupiainen is a »crazy« musician with multifaceted chops and a guitarist who’s fast as lightning, yet he brings even more »shredding« culture than the strict classicist Timo Tolkki did before him in his Stratovarius career. Today’s Stratovarius are the epitome of a terrific density in blending symphonic elements with power metal punch, and the word »terrific« is justified above all by the thoroughly updated production, which gives the band much-needed liveliness, organic feel and sonic warmth.
Idea-wise, Stratovarius have passed their exam with flying colors once again. Some of it is routine, some of it is experience. But as I said. Three young guys itching to prove themselves, paired with two »wise men«, hours of polishing and practice, and above all, freshly found creative inspiration. Stratovarius keep their knack for outstanding catchiness while once again combining it brilliantly with symphonic drama theater and the fired-up, cranked production that power metal demands. They’ve caught up with the times and keep pace with them effectively on »Nemesis«.
»Nemesis« is an album that keeps the listener firmly glued to it from start to finish. You’ll find your own favorites, but I’d go for the epic piece of just under seven minutes, Out Of The Fog, where the band strings together a hugely symphonic drama in a run of theatrical shifts in motif and atmosphere, without losing the red thread or the tightness of the composition for even a moment. And the whole album is like that. From Castles In The Air, cloaked in Russian melodies, and the anthemic tracks Dragons, Abandon, Unbreakable and Fantasy, to the successful experimenting in Halcyon Days. The ultra-bombastic punch of the album stands out especially in the mood-rich, mid-tempo One Must Fall and Stand My Ground. The power-ballad pomp of If The Story Is Over is full of spark too, while the cataclysmic grip of the closing title track will make you spin the whole album again from the top.
A bomb of an album that leaves no room to breathe for anyone who loves infectious melody combined with punch! Hands down the strongest Stratovarius album of the post –Tolkki era. The guys have found incredible creative power and a common denominator of effective idea-sharing that feeds and fuels itself creatively. A thoroughly ravenous album. Full of bombast and drama theater. With it, Stratovarius grow into true godfathers, or better yet shamans, of European power metal, who are enjoying a second spring.
Lineup
Timo Kotipelto – vocals
Jens Johansson – keyboards
Matias Kupiainen – guitar
Lauri Porra – bass
Rolf Pilve – drums
Production
Mathias Kupiainen
Tracklist
01. Abandon
02. Unbreakable
03. Stand My Ground
04. Halcyon Days
05. Fantasy
06. Out Of The Fog
07. Castles In The Air
08. Dragons
09. One Must Fall
10. If The Story Is Over
11. Nemesis
