Fourth Dimension

Fourth Dimension is an important transitional work on which Stratovarius, newly welcoming Timo Kotipelto as vocalist, pulls fast rhythm, fluid keyboards and a soaring, powerful voice into one clear form. The arrival of Kotipelto’s clear high vocal was a great step that defined the band’s sound. The flamboyant interplay of guitar and keyboards gives the songs a bright, powerful drive. In the speed of the opener “Against the Wind,” the drama of “Distant Skies” and cuts like “Galaxies,” “Nightfall” and “Winter,” while keeping a roughness particular to the early days, the clear blueprint of the melodic power metal that would symbolize the later band can already be clearly seen. A record marking a truly important milestone, on which the band ran powerfully forward by gaining a new — and finest — counterpart voice. The core direction leading to the golden era that followed is established on this work. Born from the encounter with the rare vocalist Kotipelto, it is a fulfilling record foreshadowing a brilliant future — a new opening for the band.