Elysium

Elysium is a work on which Stratovarius layers glittering, beautiful keyboards, fluid guitar and a soaring high vocal many times over to draw straight-ahead power metal holding both lyricism and brisk speed. The vivid briskness of the dashing songs and the majestic scenery spread by the grand eighteen-minute epic coexist beautifully in one album. A record that pushes the fullness of the new lineup further. From the powerful speed of the opener “Darkest Hours” and the drama of “Under Flaming Skies” to the grand epic title track “Elysium,” every song boasts high polish, while cuts like “Move the Mountain” and “The Game Never Ends” convey the work’s fullness. Technical, complex parts are placed to powerfully strengthen the lift of the melody. A large-scale record letting you fully savor the band’s translucent beauty and grand, symphonic drama. It powerfully proves that the new lineup after Matias Kupiainen’s arrival was fully on track. Concentrating the appeal of traditional melodic power metal at high polish, it is a fulfilling, powerful work — highly rated by fans.