Artist: Stratovarius CD Title: "Infinite" Reviewed by: Nick Martinelli Reviewed: 5/16/200

    Infinite from Stratovarius released early 2000, currently available. Where do I start... This is one of the finest and best metal releases of this year!  I own every album from this band, and can't wait for the next to become available!

    Very catchy, melodic, and moving.  None of the songs ever get stale.  Great Guitar work from Timo Tolkki as always.  His leads are phenomenal! The are keeping the power/melodic metal thriving with there killer chops.  Timo Kotipelto (vocals) again has did a great job with his part of the record.  If you can get past his Finnish accent you'll become a huge fan of his vocal styling.  Keyboards really stand out on this CD.  Jens Johansson (of early Yngwie Malmsteen fame) has got the best keyboards chops in the business.  He's fast, melodic and straight to the point. You gotta love a pianist that can shredd as fast as the lead guitarist.  Again doing trade off leads with Timo Tolkki through out the record.  As far as the drums go, their well defined as well and they stand out a lot on this record.  Jörg Michael has again put in a stellar performance!  He has a wider variety of beats on this record, I think its his best work on a Stratovarius CD yet.  He has a wider beat range on this record, more than just double bass that is used on a Stratovarius.  This guy is my favorite drummer, period.  Jari Kainulainen as always gives a great bass performance.  Every melodic, smooth and upbeat!  He does a great variety of playing on this record.  His lines really stand out in the songs.  At times he fallows the drums or guitar, or on slow songs follows his own grove.  He is such a versatile player!   Were do I begin!!! "Hunting High and Low" is the best song to start the CD out with! Fast and moving, with melodic clean passages during the verses.  The songs builds perfectly the whole way through.  The best past is the very catchy, sing along chorus. It's a killer track, makes you bang your head, and sing along all the way through.  Timo Tolkki's lead in this track might just be my favorite from the whole record.  Very tasty and catchy, well put together.  It almost talks...

    Track two, "Millennium" is a typical (no in a bad way, please remember I LOVE THESE GUYS!!!!) its starts with a great guitar riff that's carried very well through the song.  Another head banging track!  The solo section is wild, trade off keyboard and guitar leads!!!  so you though only Yngwie did that huh?  Well, we got Jens now!!!  Very interesting choices of runs and lines both ways. 

    Track three, is "Mother Gaia."  Defiantly a Jens and Timo Kotipelto song.  Main instruments are the keys and vocals in this tune.  Very feelings and emotion orientated, a song about mother earth if you will.  My favorite part is at the later part of the track (6:47+) where symphonic elements double Timo Tolkki's guitar leads.  There slow and very progressive fallowing a a pattern.  This is a long tune clocking in at 8 minutes and 18 seconds, but its worth every second!

    Track four, "Phoenix" is a .... I'M AT A LOSS FOR WORDS.  Its just good!  Starts off with classic Strato guitar riffing and carries from there.  Interesting sections in this one, the song stops and hits into a progressive Dream Theater like scheme (1:11). Very different for this band.  The pulled if off with flying colors!  Very cool leads in this song too both from keyboards and guitar.

    Track five "Glory of the World" is a total rocker!!!  Power fast guitar, drums, bass and a keyboard solo! AH YEA! Fast guitar riff double bass what else can you ask for?  Great vocals! I'm jumping all around the office here.  Songs like this just remind me why I like this band so much!  Very catchy chorus, sing along time! Great keyboards through out the song, fast and colorful!  I wish I could play as good as Jens!  Timo Tolkki does a great solo.  The beginning of the lead is very neat using a odd phrasing to start it.  Then moves into ripping lines as him and Jens do a few trades.

    Track six "A Million Light Years Away" is a great mid-tempoed tune.  Great repeating keyboard line. Great choice of guitar playing during the verse clean with moving chords.  The pre-chorus really builds up the song into a peak at the chorus parts.  Again that catchy keyboard line surrounds the vocals during the chorus lines.  Great lyrics in this song as well.  Timo Tolkki gives a great lead in this track, defiantly worth checking out!

    Track seven Freedom, is simply breath taking!  Its a very HAPPY, sunny day, driving in the car kinda song.  This track will put you in a good mood!  Very upbeat, moving, each part just slides into the next part.  Great guitar work, nice tasty keyboard line again by Jens!  Jens is really shinning in this band, I think he has more room to breathe than he ever did with Yngwie.  The lyrics are very happy and powerful.  Again this song will put you in a great mood.  Makes you happy to enjoy what you have in life. Timo Tolkki gives a shredding guitar lead in this song that's for sure! Lots of trade off soloing between Jens and Timo, they are a great combo here, both doing very interesting movements as they swap.

    Track eight "Infinity" is well though out tune.  Very intelligent written song, also clocking in at the albums longest track at a sharp 9 minutes and 21 seconds! WOW! Cool guitar lines, very jumpy.  Keyboards are great in this song as well, giving that full church chorus affect.  This track also features great symphonic elements as well! Timo Tolkki's lead work are great he presents a very good solo.

    Last but not least track nine "Celestial Dream." A very cool acoustic track with some symphonic highlights.  Great vocals and cool lyrics.  Guitar works is simply wonderful well put together.  If this song doesn't mellow you out, I don't know what will!!! Very short track only 2 minutes and 29 seconds, but it brings its point across.

    Other Recommended albums:  Destiny, Visions, Episode, Forth Dimension, Dreamspace.  Ok, that's almost every album from them!  There all great! Timo Tolkki does the singing on Dreamspace,  Fright night and also Twilight Time. Just get them all!