"Elysium" is linked to my liking something more on the really good works such as "Kiss of Judas" or "Destiny". After very streaky predecessor "Polaris" (for me too much average, too many compromises and a bit too much of unnecessary bells and whistles on it), I see a clear improvement in terms of "on-the-spot-come", straightforwardness and Fresh.
Here we go with "Darkest Hours", a crisp opener in the best Stratovarius tradition that comes with a slight acceleration right to the point and the bombastic-tinged and easily in the ear lasting chorus (including atmospheric keyboard and double bass deposits) a that unmistakable typical Stratovarius anthems brought that I personally love about this band so.
It is equal to merrily with the rather fast and even straighterem "Under Flaming Skies", the inferior to its predecessor in every way. Beautiful double bass runs and melodies, a few bombastic deposits doubled and quite high vocals. Otherwise, see "Darkest Hours" horny song!
The third song "Infernal Maze" begins with an atmospheric, slow song and effect insert, then turn swing a strong minute in a quick, very playful, laden with some Breaks Song, from which the middle part very ecstatic playful guitar solo by Matias Kupiainen stands out.
Track No. 4 "Fairness Justified" is a rather slow, very powerful song, with a striking chorus, a very beautiful solo of Kupiainen in the second third. This shows, for example, what I initially thought "get to the point" with. This song is loaded with effects and intensity, but which are targeted and used appropriately and not in a nondescript jumble, like most of the last albums that come along.
It follows the rapid, catchy "The Game Never Ends" (with quite blatant Keyboard insert at the end), which personally something too simple, therefore, comes to me with its polyphonic chorus. Well, just goes like that.
It continues with the very dark, deep, very haunting "Lifetime In A Moment", a for Stratovariusverhältnisse almost as very "heavy" to be designated song. Relatively low-tuned guitars, a great groove thanks wummerndem Bass, great vocals (where Timo Kotipelto shows what he's got) and a very dark, catchy chorus make this song a very intense experience. Out tip !!
Track No. 7 called "Move the Mountain" and can easily be called the Metal ballad because basic tempo very worn and the guitar parts are mostly played undistorted or only slightly distorted. The song has a fairly positive mood, with very nice keyboard and guitar parts. Perfect it would be if Timo Kotipelto would go out in the vocals a bit more off / could, quasi something would shouten more. Since gabs already intense and geilere ballads of Finns. Still beautiful song!
It follows the very fast, catchy "Event Horizon", where the Stratovarius-striking game-like chamber can be heard for the first time parts (sorry folks, just do not know how the instrument or the type of effect is called). Personally, I'm standing there not soo on it, even though they are as I said very typical of the band. Okay, the song ultimately falls to my taste somewhat because so lacks a bit of overkill and the chorus.
Finally, there's still the 18-minute title epic "Elysium" which starts very moderate, very quickly turns into a singing intensive part and opens into a first solo, before resulting in a beautiful melodic lines of the chorus is repeated again. Timo's voice is on almost the entire song in a very high, sometimes a bit annoying pitch. Here are a few faster parts before 7:40 to 8:10 a fairly grippy Part comes, the return follows the chorus and the pace is picked up again. All described is repeated nor the one time or another. At 11:30 there a dark, beautifully sung part before it reaches the end of successful solo and chorus repeats. I'm generally not a big fan of songs with extreme length and over here, too, show a few weaknesses, particularly in the suspense of the individual parts.
CONCLUSION: Stratovarius anno 2011, again more returned to the path of virtue straightforwardness, catchiness and intensity. The band has always lived by their own slightly dark, accusatory but also positively tuned atmospheric density, which had both whipped up in fast, catchy, incredible with Kotipelto singing fortune for vocal Overdrive, as well as the slower, very atmospheric, gloomy, getrageneneren songs that were in their complexity sometimes more or less succeeded.
What, however, been slightly suggested on the previous "Polaris", but often came along too complicated and overloaded, and was absent from the faster numbers of overkill, is much better managed here in "Elysium".
This album also contains a high level of bombastic effects, lots of very concise keyboard parts, one once again very demanding and varied drum play our German drummer-Koriphäe Jörg Michael, a very convincing and mature vocal performance by Timo Kotipelto and especially a very successful compositional power and very strongly reacted to practice guitar playing of Matias Kupiainen which slowly but surely plays out from the shadow of his great and powerful predecessor and come out with a constant development at the latest with the next album from his footsteps, because I'm sure.
"Elysium" is all in all a very good album (also as usual as far as the ingenious cover artwork), which missed the five points from me only therefore very scarce, because I lack the first place, only a single song that myself fully and to 100% kicks (such. as the "Destiny" -Titelsong or the subsequent ingenious SOS) and I have the great hope and it was also somehow in the sense that the next Stratovarius album will be a masterpiece, at the there will be almost nothing to criticize - :) I'm curious!
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