Stratovarius - Episode Review

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Tracklist:
1. Father Time
2. Will the Sun Rise?
3. Eternity
4. Episode
5. Speed of Light
6. Uncertainty
7. Season of Change
8. Stratosphere
9. Babylon
10. Tomorrow
11. Night Time Eclipse
12. Forever
13. When the Night Meets the Day [Bonus Track]

Ranking: #34 for 1996

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3.9
excellent

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Masterofpuppetz12875 (4.5)
...

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On 5 Lists

4.5
superb

Hardhat USER (6 Reviews)

2006-12-12 | 11 comments | 10,010 views

Summary: Stratovarius didn’t revolutionize a genre by making mediocre music. Stratovarius is a band of great musicians and songwriters, and this CD has something for every Power Metal fan; from face melting speed to lonely ballads, even a fair amount of gui

3 of 3 thought this review was well written

One of the most influential bands of the last 15 years, in any genre, is most definitely Stratovarius. For over two decades they have been making great, groundbreaking music, and forging new territory in the genre of metal.

Formed under the name Black Water in 1984, Stratovarius was influenced by classic bands such as Black Sabbath and Ozzy Ozbourne. After many lineup changes, they found a solid group of musicians. With this lineup, they created the sound that would make Stratovarius famous. Under this group of supremely talented musicians, Stratovarius recorded four great Power Metal albums: Visions, Destiny, Infinite, and of course, Episode. The lineup during the making of the album was this:

Vocals- Timo Kotipelto
Guitar- Tim Tolkki
Bass- Jari Kainulainen
Keyboards- Jens Johansson
Drums- Jorg Michael

Listen to any Power Metal band today, and their sound can be traced back to Stratovarius. They developed the standards for Power Metal, and almost every band in the genre today has inherited the traits that Stratovarius had; high soaring vocals, lots of fast-tempo guitar and drumming, epic keyboards, and just the right amount of cheese; enough to make it power metal but not enough to make your friends question your sexual orientation (Alright, so maybe bands didn't pick up on that one).

Episode has this classic Power Metal sound, while having so much more. Although it has it’s share of lightning fast, high-tempo songs like Speed of Light and some of Stratosphere, it also has sorrowful ballads and slower songs, such as Forever and Episode. Still then, there’s more to this CD. Powerful mid-tempo songs like Night Time Eclipse and Father Time act as a barrier between the fast and the slow, so that the listener doesn’t get bored. Even the mid-tempo songs, though, are generally fast.

One of the highlights of this CD is the ever-building quality Stratovarius has. The songs are always rising, and reaching new points in intensity. Night Time Eclipse starts off with some acoustic guitar playing, and then the guitar and drums come in, and the song keeps building from there. Eclipse is another building song, starting out with only keyboards then gaining momentum until the music drops out, and starts building right up again.

That leads me into another great attribute of this album, it’s constant ability to change the pace of it’s songs without losing the feel or emotion of the song. You think you’re listening to a lighting- speed tune only to have the music drop out into a soft, emotional passage that leads to another epic and heavy section. It’s like boiling water in a pot; one second that water is still, then it boils and starts to get near the top and you turn the heat down so the water is low again. Stratovarius has the ability to change the “water level” of their songs constantly, and then, by the climax of the song, Stratovarius has turned the boil to high and water is pouring out the pot.

Ok, it would be unfair to write this whole review without saying anything negative. As in a lot of power metal, the drumming is fast but void of a lot of substance. It also seldom changes within songs. Only having one vocal style might bore some people, even if it is power metal. And the biggest flaw for a lot of people is, basically, that this is Power Metal. You like it or you don’t. There are no outstanding flaws in this album looking at it from a Power Metal standpoint, and that is the standpoint most fans will have when they get this album.

Stratovarius didn’t practically revolutionize a genre by making mediocre music. Stratovarius is a band of great musicians and songwriters, and this CD has something for every Power Metal fan; from face melting speed to lonely ballads, even a fair amount of guitar shredding, Stratovarius makes Power Metal as good as anyone, and better than many. This is a superb release by an extraordinary band, and if you’re any kind of Power Metal fan then I suggest picking this up.

Standout Tracks:
Father Time
Speed of Light
Eternity
Night Time Eclipse

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