Maybe or desterwegen begins - Elysium - entitled - Darkest Hour - extremely gloomy, without leave the band thereby miss their classic and famous musical recognition features. Graces the album, like already the predecessor, a great spaceship-like star, on the cover, making music actually exactly up where - Polaris - ceased with Stratovarius in the songs - Under Flaming Skies, The Game Never Ends, Event Horizon and particularly on the title track again a shovel bombast and hardness drauflegen. So we expect to - Elysium - nine very varied songs, which are mainly characterized by the magnificent singing of Timo Kotipelto this time, the on - sings consistently crystal clear in all the ups and downs - Elysium. Darkest Hour, Fairness Justified, Lifetime In A Moment - and - Move The Moutain - stay me already at the first hearing in the ear hanging, and automatically generated a great anticipation for the repeated listening. The 18-minute title track, however, as the English saying goes "Not A Cup Of Tea For Everyone" because Stratovarius present ourselves in the longest song of their career so far a very complex title which exerts its actual class only after repeated listening. This epic track by singer Timo Kotipelto tells a very instructive story, contains many different musical facets, with the prog-metal predominates, and the play of its structure somewhat reminiscent of Dream Theater.
Conclusion: - Elysium - Stratovarius are exactly gone the way I look after - have wished - Polaris. If at this point only to be hoped that the band a worthy successor to Jörg Michael think I want to take this opportunity to wish all the best here.