Visions

Visions is Stratovarius’s finest masterpiece, combining high-speed guitar, fluid, flamboyant keyboards and Timo Kotipelto’s soaring high vocal as vividly as possible. The songs dash briskly yet widen their scale endlessly with a mysterious, grand air and widely opened melody. A monumental record symbolizing the band’s golden era. From the grand drama of the eleven-minute epic “The Kiss of Judas” and the overwhelming speed of the signature classic “Black Diamond” to the lift of “Forever Free,” every song boasts perfect polish, while cuts like “Legions” and “Paradise” convey the work’s fullness. There is very much high neoclassical technique, yet at its center is always a strong hook anyone can remember at a single listen. Its immense value lies in uniting transcendent playing technique and memorable, accessible melody at an extremely high level. As one ideal form of Nordic power metal, it keeps giving off a strong radiance that has not faded even now, long after release. An enduring masterpiece representative of the genre — an essential record for fans.