Stratovarius

Eagleheart – Reverse Review

By Eldritch Elitist on August 18, 2017 in 2017, Czech Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Power Metal, 54 comments

“As this particular combination of band name and album art has probably deterred the chunk of our visitors who are power metal-phobic, these next words will likely fall on the ears of those who want to hear them least: most power metal is bad. My love affair with the genre will never completely fizzle, but with so many start-ups crutching on knock-off Helloween choruses executed through dreadful vocal performances and robotic rhythm sections, picking out the diamonds in the rough is often a fruitless task.” When the eagle doesn’t cry.

Excalion – Dream Alive Review

By Steel Druhm on July 5, 2017 in 2017, Finnish Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Power Metal, 58 comments

“There was a time not so long ago I would have argued for Excalion being one of the best Euro-power acts out there. 2007s Waterlines was and is one of my most played albums in the genre, and 2010s High Time followup was more polished but no less striking and addictive. It seemed as if the band was on the verge of breaking into the next level and giving Sonata Arctica and Stratovarious some serious competition. Then the guns fell silent and Excalion disappeared. I wrote them off as another promising act that died before reaching their full potential and moved on. Needless to say I was pleasantly surprised to see their name floating in our promo bay and I hoped they could pick up where they left off nearly a decade ago.” Keeping the dream alive.

Theocracy – Ghost Ship Review

By Steel Druhm on November 1, 2016 in 2016, American Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Reviews, Ulterium Records, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, 55 comments

“Though I’ll admit to having steered clear of “Christian metal” over the years due to some silly, small-minded prejudices, there have been exceptions that slowly opened my eyes. Trouble began life as a “white metal” act and I still loved them intensely, and little known Barren Cross caught me in a weirdly inescapable web of hooks with their Atomic Arena album back in 88. Much more recently I was completely blown away by Theocracy’s 2011 opus As the World Bleeds, which mixed bombastic power with prog and classic metal in a way that suited me down to my nonspiritual bones.” It’s high time to get some religion!

Sonata Arctica’s Top 5 Awkward and Unintentional Successes

By Angry Metal Guy on August 15, 2016 in 2016, Blog Posts, 62 comments

“I am stoked for Sonata Arctica’s forthcoming Ninth Hour which will be here on the 14th of October from Nuclear Blast. Now I know you’re probably thinking to yourself: “self, why would AMG write an article about a band’s ‘Awkward and Unintentional Successes’ if he likes that band?” Indulge me a second. See, Sonata Arctica started out as a better version of Stratovarius that was founded with a songwriter at the helm—Tony Kakko—who’s like a weird, Finnish version of Jim Steinman. This means that the band’s sound is epic, quirky, but ultimately it can get a little… awkward.”

Thunderstone – Apocalypse Again Review

By Steel Druhm on April 7, 2016 in 2016, AFM Records, Finnish Metal, Power Metal, Power Metal, 17 comments

“Thunderstone have been around for 15 or so years and for most of that time they’ve labored in the shadow of fellow countrymen Stratovarius. It’s not hard to see why either, since their debut was such a carbon copy of their bigger, better peers. Over time they developed a bit more of a unique identity and proved themselves capable of crafting rollicking Euro-power tunes with big payoff choruses.” Is the apocalypse back again? I thought we sprayed!

Gloryhammer – Space 1992: Rise of the Chaos Wizards Review

By Angry Metal Guy on September 28, 2015 in 2015, English Metal, Napalm Records, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 134 comments

“I have been accused of being boring and touchy because I dislike parody heavy metal bands. Whenever a band like Steel Panther or The Darkness shows up, I get defensive. “Metal is alive and well,” I argue, and honestly, there are bands that are putting out great power metal and hard rock that gets ignored by mainstream press outlets that rave over parody bands and they sell lots of records. I also tend to get annoyed by comedy lyrics; for the most part those songs are funny once or twice, but after a while they just stop being funny and they become uninteresting because, well, that’s the point. Put this together, and a parody band seems like it should have a lot of strikes against it here at Angry Metal Guy. Not only are Steel Druhm and I firmly anti-fun, but I’m defensive about metal because I don’t want real, talented metal bands getting short shrift next to bands who are just making fun of the sound.” Fun will be had.

Stratovarius – Eternal Review

By Steel Druhm on August 26, 2015 in 2015, EarMusic records, Finnish Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Power Metal, 45 comments

“Euro-power is in a bit of rut lately, with very few releases really grabbing my jaded ears with the proper blend of bombast, cheese whizardry and over-the-top exuberance. Stratovarius was once a no brainer when I needed such sonic excesses, but the past few albums have been hit or miss affairs, especially 2013s Nemesis where the band explored a more commercialized, and dare I say it, poppy style.” Can the former Lords of Euro-power regain the Cheddar-Coated Throne of Power?

DarkTribe – The Modern Age Review

By Roquentin on July 22, 2015 in 2015, French Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Scarlet Records, Melodic Metal, Power Metal, 16 comments

“It’s difficult to shake the feeling that among all of metal’s subgenres, power metal remains the one that refuses to grow up, stuck forever in an adolescent state. Barring a few bands, the power metal scene might as well still be living in the middle of the nineties, when Stratovarius’ Visions had just been released, Nightwish were kind of relevant, and Symphony of Enchanted Lands, by that Italian band that used to be known simply as Rhapsody, lurked around the corner.” Ah, the 90s were the good old days for 80s style power metal.

Chaos Magic – Chaos Magic Review

By Steel Druhm on June 25, 2015 in 2015, Chilean Metal, Finnish Metal, Frontier Records, Gothic Metal, Reviews, Gothic Metal, 60 comments

“Timo Tolkki is a busy chap. Sure, he isn’t Vardan busy, but I don’t begrudge anyone time to enjoy of deep vacations, not even the former mastermind of Stratovarius. While maintaining his Timo Tolkki’s Avalon project and manning the writing desk for the Allen/Lande albums, you’d think the man would be all tied up. Yet he found time to team with Chilean songbird Caternia Nix to create Chaos Magic, a mega-melodic goth-metal outfit looking to horn in on the sales of Within Temptation, Sirenia and all the other rack metal denizens.” There’s no chaos to see here, move along.

Cain’s Offering – Stormcrow Review

By Steel Druhm on May 14, 2015 in 2015, Finnish Metal, Frontiers Records, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, Reviews, Heavy Metal, Power Metal, 39 comments

“It is written that man greatly displeased his finicky but beneficent Creator, and thus did God come to curse Mankind with various and sundry plagues of pestilence, locusts, skinny jeans and metal super groups. Over time some of these curses have proven more tolerable than others, but I’ll take a good locust swarm over the typical half-baked, so-called super group.” Super groups may annoy, but Cain is certainly able.