From what Ive listened to, its looking awesome!

A little more than half way through it and it's pretty good so far, especially Higher We Go. That song is really good.

They still haven't learned to mix drums conveniently. Drums, especially the snare, are still too high in the mix.

Terrible album.

There are two things that make me unable to stand Stratovarius anymore, even their old albums: I started to hate Kotipelto's vocals a few years ago. And drums. They're recorded way too loud since "Destiny". The snare gets fucking annoying after a few songs. (it's a recurrent problem in Powermetal productions)

Well then don't listen to it I guess. Some like it some don't. Accept it and get on with your lives

I just listened to 8 of the 11 songs, really bad album for Stratovarius...

Kotipelto is extremely disappointing, seems like he was to busy with legal affairs for keeping his voice in shape, the drumming sounds very annoying because of the mix, the keyboard annoys me because it sounds way to synthetic and lifeless in my opinion and the guitars are average at best, the songwriting bores me most of the time,

The song "Forever Is Today" was great though, I liked that one a lot, but that's it. It really is a shame though.

I have listened to it enterely and i think is great there are only two songs i don't like but it doesn't mean those are bad songs... Polaris is such a great album, just like old good strato

Just sounds really generic.

Generic is the right word, intros are (for the most part) too long as well, some good moments but I was disappointed overall. I immediately went back and checked out Age of Aquarius by Revolution Renaissance and actually preferred several of the tracks on Timo Tolkki's project more than what I found on Polaris...

Written by Vanwarp on 23.05.2009 at 17:15

I immediately went back and checked out Age of Aquarius by Revolution Renaissance and actually preferred several of the tracks on Timo Tolkki's project more than what I found on Polaris...

I disagree, as I think "Polaris" is better than "Age Of Aquarius" (a piece of crap, imo). But none of them is good, imo.

I viewed the music video for Deep Unknown yesterday (I felt like listening to some post-Tolkki Stratovarius) and I thought it was a great song. The music video was nice, although the song itself was better than the music video, in my opinion. I think it was very cool that they utilized 7/4 timing in one part of the song.

Written by Symmachus on 23.05.2009 at 21:13

I viewed the music video for Deep Unknown yesterday (I felt like listening to some post-Tolkki Stratovarius) and I thought it was a great song. The music video was nice, although the song itself was better than the music video, in my opinion. I think it was very cool that they utilized 7/4 timing in one part of the song.

What is 7/4 timing???

Stupid horrible album... but the coverart is excellent!

Written by Symmachus on 23.05.2009 at 21:13

I viewed the music video for Deep Unknown yesterday (I felt like listening to some post-Tolkki Stratovarius) and I thought it was a great song. The music video was nice, although the song itself was better than the music video, in my opinion. I think it was very cool that they utilized 7/4 timing in one part of the song.

Yep, you're right, they utilized 7/4 timing in the bridge!
The album is very good but it's emotionless (so I miss Tolkki's songwriting).

Much better than the Self Titled album.

Written by Enissa on 23.05.2009 at 21:34

Written by Symmachus on 23.05.2009 at 21:13

I viewed the music video for Deep Unknown yesterday (I felt like listening to some post-Tolkki Stratovarius) and I thought it was a great song. The music video was nice, although the song itself was better than the music video, in my opinion. I think it was very cool that they utilized 7/4 timing in one part of the song.

What is 7/4 timing???

The 7/4 time signature is a time signature that contains three more beats than 4/4 timing. The seven equals seven beats in a measure and four equals the whole note representing four beats. For a visual display, 4/4 timing is sort of like this:

dum dum dum dum | dum dum dum dum

while 7/4 timins is like this:

dum dum dum dum dum dum dum | dum dum dum dum dum dum dum.

Examples of songs that utilize 7/4 timing are Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel and The Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthews Band, among many others.

Written by Symmachus on 24.05.2009 at 05:46

Written by Enissa on 23.05.2009 at 21:34

Written by Symmachus on 23.05.2009 at 21:13

I viewed the music video for Deep Unknown yesterday (I felt like listening to some post-Tolkki Stratovarius) and I thought it was a great song. The music video was nice, although the song itself was better than the music video, in my opinion. I think it was very cool that they utilized 7/4 timing in one part of the song.

What is 7/4 timing???

The 7/4 time signature is a time signature that contains three more beats than 4/4 timing. The seven equals seven beats in a measure and four equals the whole note representing four beats. For a visual display, 4/4 timing is sort of like this:

dum dum dum dum | dum dum dum dum

while 7/4 timins is like this:

dum dum dum dum dum dum dum | dum dum dum dum dum dum dum.

Examples of songs that utilize 7/4 timing are Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel and The Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthews Band, among many others.

Oh Thanks a lot, You didnt have to trouble yourself, Though I dont understand it cause I never had any muscial studies!!

7/4 is very hard to work into a piece of music...

This album is much better than the self-titled, Elements I and II, and both RR albums, IMHO.
I find many of the tracks reminiscent of the Episode album..
When Mountains Fall as the final track reminds me a lot of Forever.
Episode being my favourite album by them of course i would rate this release highly. Nothing sounds more Strato to me than Kotipelto screaming out a power ballad. I've always loved his style.
The two Emancipation Suite tracks written by Porra have a small fragment of an early Strato track.
Also tracks no one seems to mention that tracks really grow on you, like 'Somehow Precious'.
And i like the drum sound with the heavy snare.. thats what Euro power is meant to sound like. Business as usual. Great lyrics, memorable songs.
All in all 8/10 for me.

Written by Shadowcross on 24.05.2009 at 17:59

And i like the drum sound with the heavy snare.. thats what Euro power is meant to sound like.

Maybe that's how European PM sounds nowadays but it hasn't always been like that. I find it fucking annoying, honestly. After some time, all you hear is this tac-tac-tac snare (that hits at the exact same interval most of the time so it gets extremely repetitive). No matter how hard you try to forget it and focus on something else, you can't do it for long before it invades your mind again.
I heard so many times "I hear only drums in this music". It's a bit exaggerated but I can easily see why some people are saying this.

Imagine if Black Metal drums were so immensely badly produced as in European PM. It would be absolutely unlistenable, with the blasting and all.

By the way, not all European PM bands have drums as badly produced as Strato's (way too loud).

Written by Lord_Regnier on 24.05.2009 at 19:13

Written by Shadowcross on 24.05.2009 at 17:59

And i like the drum sound with the heavy snare.. thats what Euro power is meant to sound like.

Maybe that's how European PM sounds nowadays but it hasn't always been like that. I find it fucking annoying, honestly. After some time, all you hear is this tac-tac-tac snare (that hits at the exact same interval most of the time so it gets extremely repetitive). No matter how hard you try to forget it and focus on something else, you can't do it for long before it invades your mind again.
I heard so many times "I hear only drums in this music". It's a bit exaggerated but I can easily see why some people are saying this.

Imagine if Black Metal drums were so immensely badly produced as in European PM. It would be absolutely unlistenable, with the blasting and all.

By the way, not all European PM bands have drums as badly produced as Strato's (way too loud).

I think it is very exaggerated by some of the users above. Maybe I am just more used to this. The snare falling like that has been in this music since Rainbow's Light In The Black. Even in those early days Cozy Powell was nice and high up in the mix. I can't see how Dark Moor, X Japan, Gamma Ray, Wizard, early Edguy, Blind Guardian, early Nightwish are any different in terms of having the drums 'behind' the rest of the music.
I've always loved the crisp clean sound Jörg Michael gets... the man can get such an intensely perfect sound out of just a 4/4 when you look at studio docos.
Even stuff thats almost US power like Kiuas has drums nice and loud.
I'm listening to tracks from Keep Of Kalessin's Armada album right now. The drums are so fucking loud. And its great!

Keep of Kalessin is a bad example to use, in terms of BM production, simply because their prodiuction belongs much more to Death than Black Metal.

Written by Enissa on 24.05.2009 at 12:41

Written by Symmachus on 24.05.2009 at 05:46

Written by Enissa on 23.05.2009 at 21:34

Written by Symmachus on 23.05.2009 at 21:13

I viewed the music video for Deep Unknown yesterday (I felt like listening to some post-Tolkki Stratovarius) and I thought it was a great song. The music video was nice, although the song itself was better than the music video, in my opinion. I think it was very cool that they utilized 7/4 timing in one part of the song.

What is 7/4 timing???

The 7/4 time signature is a time signature that contains three more beats than 4/4 timing. The seven equals seven beats in a measure and four equals the whole note representing four beats. For a visual display, 4/4 timing is sort of like this:

dum dum dum dum | dum dum dum dum

while 7/4 timins is like this:

dum dum dum dum dum dum dum | dum dum dum dum dum dum dum.

Examples of songs that utilize 7/4 timing are Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel and The Dreaming Tree by Dave Matthews Band, among many others.

Oh Thanks a lot, You didnt have to trouble yourself, Though I dont understand it cause I never had any muscial studies!!

No problem, dude.

Written by Shadowcross on 24.05.2009 at 20:33

I can't see how Dark Moor, X Japan, Gamma Ray, Wizard, early Edguy, Blind Guardian, early Nightwish are any different in terms of having the drums 'behind' the rest of the music.

Drums are lower in the mix and the snare is less crisp and loud in Gamma Ray and Blind Guardian. It's never as disturbing and distracting as in Strato. The snare has some depth and resonance in these bands (Strato's drums don't have it).
As for the other bands, I almost never listened to them since years, so I don't remember well enough to comment. What I can tell is almost each time I check new PM songs, I think drums are recorded too loud and the snare gets on my nerves.

Written by Lord_Regnier on 24.05.2009 at 21:49

Written by Shadowcross on 24.05.2009 at 20:33

I can't see how Dark Moor, X Japan, Gamma Ray, Wizard, early Edguy, Blind Guardian, early Nightwish are any different in terms of having the drums 'behind' the rest of the music.

Drums are lower in the mix and the snare is less crisp and loud in Gamma Ray and Blind Guardian. It's never as disturbing and distracting as in Strato. The snare has some depth and resonance in these bands (Strato's drums don't have it).
As for the other bands, I almost never listened to them since years, so I don't remember well enough to comment.

That is fair enough, and you are right, Keep of Kalessin wasnt the best example. Most of the more traditional or ambient black metal has drums in background, definitely. I guess i just don't find it 'disturbing'.

It might be because I'm too used to BM, so I'm 'spoiled' about this thing, if you know what I mean. I prefer drums in the background, indeed. Imo, drums is a background instrument.

Also, as I grew up listening to metal during the 80s, I've been used to drums being rather low in the mix, since it was very frequent (the norm I would say) back then. It can explain why loud drums, high in the mix, get on my nerves more easily than it does for other people. I think younger people in general have less trouble with this matter because they've been used to drums being high in the mix (according to me) with 90s and more recent productions.

And I've been trained to decipher drum parts as I played drums when I was younger, so I really don't need drums to be loud to be able to have a very good idea of what the drummer does.

Written by iMorphball on 23.05.2009 at 23:22

Much better than the Self Titled album.

Yes definitely, but still far away from visions.

Strato's last good album was Infinity, but this one is better than "stratovarius" and the elements project, specially elements part II. But this one is far far away form the episode - destiny era....This is not a bad album, its just diferent

Written by Uller on 25.05.2009 at 05:57

Strato's last good album was Infinity

This is not a bad album

Something doesn't fit. If "Infinity" was Strato's last good album, then "Polaris" is a bad album, no? It can't be good if "Infinity" is Strato's last good album and it was released years before "Polaris".

And am I the only one who thinks of a snowmobile or an ATV each time I hear this title (Polaris)?

Written by Lord_Regnier on 25.05.2009 at 06:47

Written by Uller on 25.05.2009 at 05:57

Strato's last good album was Infinity

This is not a bad album

Something doesn't fit. If "Infinity" was Strato's last good album, then "Polaris" is a bad album, no? It can't be good if "Infinity" is Strato's last good album and it was released years before "Polaris".

And am I the only one who thinks of a snowmobile or an ATV each time I hear this title (Polaris)?

lol i know, lets say that polaris is a good albums but not as good as the old strato albums (.......,visions, episode, destiny, infinity)