Stratovarius - Visions
| Release date: | 28 April 1997 |
| Style: | Power metal |
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Owners: |
967 have it 110 want it |
01. The Kiss Of Judas
02. Black Diamond
03. Forever Free
04. Before The Winter
05. Legions
06. The Abyss Of Your Eyes
07. Holy Light
08. Paradise
09. Coming Home
10. Visions (Southern Cross)
11. Black Diamond [demo] [Japanese bonus]
12. Uncertainty [live] [Japanese bonus]
Top 20 albums of 1997: 4
02. Black Diamond
03. Forever Free
04. Before The Winter
05. Legions
06. The Abyss Of Your Eyes
07. Holy Light
08. Paradise
09. Coming Home
10. Visions (Southern Cross)
11. Black Diamond [demo] [Japanese bonus]
12. Uncertainty [live] [Japanese bonus]
Top 20 albums of 1997: 4
Guest review
Lyrics Recorded at: Finnvox Studios (Oct 1996 - Feb 1997)
Label: Noise Records
Produced by: Timo Tolkki
Mixed by: Mikko Karmila
Engineered by: Mikko Karmila
Cover by: Andreas Marschall
Logo by: Markus Itkonen
Photography: Dick Lindberg
All Music, melodies and songtitles by: Timo Tolkki
Length: 1:00:59
Concept:
"The Kiss Of Judas" is about Jesus Christ and Judas Iscariotes.
"Black Diamond" is about beauty and eternal love.
"Legions" is a song dedicated to the fans of Stratovarius.
"Paradise" is about ecology and how the world are slowly dying.
"Coming Home" is about returning to home after a long time away.
"Visions (Southern Cross)" is based around prophesies of the fourteenth and fifteenth century prophet Nostradamus.
Some first press CD versions have a hidden enhanced section with the video for "The Kiss of Judas."
Rating:
9.1
9.1
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Rating: 9.1 |
In tribute to their nth top quality release, the techno-like Nemesis, I decided to return to the album that made me love Stratovarius, the masterpiece: Visions. Already quite famous, thanks to the good Episode, the Finnish fivesome improved every aspect of their music: technically, emotionally and on the songwriting level. This album contains many of the songs which became Stratovarius classics, and I relate this with the perfect synergy between the two virtuosos of the band: the ex-genius (sob) Timo Tolkki and Jens Johansson, one of the best - maybe the best - keyboardists ever in the history of power metal. They do not simply work as single elements, but as parts of the same organism: together with some charming intros - see Jens' harpsichord in "Black Diamond" or Timo's killer riff in "Legions" - the two unite themselves in continuous chases during the solos, a Stratovarius trademark that has been imitated, often unsuccessfully, by many bands. Read more ›› |
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Comments
Comments: 15
Visited by: 1330 users
| Dangerboner Lactation Cnslt Posts: 7262  |
Has anyone noticed that Paradise sounds exactly the same as 22 Acacia Avenue by Iron Maiden? Well, the beginning at least. Holy shit I'm posting in a power metal thread what is this I don't even
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| Zuzuz0r Posts: 507  |
Quote: This this the best concept I've ever heard. Quote: Damn, now I know the real meaning of this song, how stupid I was that I didn't guessed it earlier.
---- If this grand panorama before me is what you call God Then God is not dead.
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| Uirapuru Liver Failure Posts: 2955  |
Written by Zuzuz0r on 22.06.2010 at 06:28   That was really insightful
----  ---- member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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| Asunder Posts: 60 |
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| Pedro Pereira Posts: 17 |
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| LordHypnos Account deleted |
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| M C Vice ex-polydactyl Posts: 3407  |
It'd be better if the drummer wasn't riding that one drum piece (snare?) through most of the disc. It got very annoying.
---- "Another day, another Doug." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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| Ørion Posts: 5  |
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| Ruchesko Posts: 435  |
It's always refreshing to find a metal "classic" that actually lives up to its hype.
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| The Icedlake Posts: 3  |
Stratovarius' albums have possibly the worst lyrics ever among the whole host of metal bands, and yet I voted "Visions" with a 9! It could have been a 10. Anyway, great sound!
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| Mountain King K i K o Posts: 1361  |
No need to introduce perhaps what I would call the 2nd most famous power metal album of all time. After years of listening to different genres within and outside of metal, this album still has one of the highest quality, production, vocals and memorable compositions out of the myriad of metal albums releases throughout the last 40 years. A landmark for other power metal albums. Just a word of advice to any new melodic/power/prog power/ whatever metal band out there, don't copy or make this music. Just appreciate it and find your own way.
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| mikeprado30 Posts: 1284  |
Nice that ref on the last part of your comment, Mountain King  Great album indeed. Through some time I didn't understand why it was so praised (my favorite one is Destiny, even I like Episode much more), but listening more properly those last weeks I could get more understanding of the quality inside this album My favorite one indeed is Legions.
---- BARDS WE ARE, BARDS WE WILL BE!
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| SebaRaven36 Posts: 678  |
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| Metal Rasputin Posts: 1259  |
This is a definitive power metal classic and a landmark album of Finnish metal music in general. Back in the late 90's everyone tried to sound either like this of Hatebreeder-era Bodom. The craze produced even more great bands like Sonata and Nightwish, but (mostly) without the silly lyrics and embarrassingly happy choruses that plagued Strato even during their golden years.
---- You've got a lot of guts. Let's see what they look like!
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| AndyMetalFreak A Nice Guy Contributor Posts: 5301  |
The amazing vocals is clearly the highlight of this album for me, despite it being ridiculously cheesy, I thoroughly enjoy the album, especially the songs "Judas Kiss", "Black Diamond", and the closing epic "Visions", it's a true flower power metal classic, within the realms of Flame Beneath The Ground, only not as good IMO. Cool album cover too 
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