12
« on: February 15, 2013, 04:30:17 AM »
Since I already ordered my copy anyway, I decided it couldn't heard to give Stratovarius' new album Nemesis which has already leaked in its entirety a little pre-listening before getting the physical copy and just get some of my thoughts about it out. My opinions can always change, but these are some first thoughts on the album.
First of all, Nemesis does not come close to beating Elysium as my favorite Stratovarius album and what in my opinion is their best work overall. Most of of the reviews I've seen of this album have critics hailing this as a really good one, some even going as far as "This is the best Strato album since Visions!" I really don't see it, honestly. Maybe it's just the perhaps all-to-common fallacy in this genre that heavier is automatically better. Nemesis is definitely the darkest and heaviest Stratovarius have ever sounded, even taking to account the earliest of their albums. But so what?
All right, the positives first: the new style of riffing definitely works, and I'm picking up on a lot of thirds harmonies (key to Iron Maiden and Swedish melodeath bands) which I love. Matias Kupiainen delivers many excellent riffs - one personal highlight for me is the crazy opening riff of "Halcyon Days" - but seems to hold back with the solos on quite a few of the songs here, which is something I thought I would note. I'm not usually one to whine about the lack of solos, but when you have a guitarist like Matias in the band; it seems like a waste of his talent. Other than "Halcyon Days," I'm also really enjoying the opener, "Abandon"; and the track that follows it, "Unbreakable." All three of those songs have incredibly infectious choruses and probably the best rhythms. The title track, "Nemesis" is also noteworthy.
I've also noticed the inclusion of a lot more electronic, perhaps also industrial, elements on the album. I think they work well at times (such as the verse of "Unbreakable") but at others seem strange and out-of-place (the midsection of "Halcyon Days"); personally, I think they work best on the title track. The guitars, keys, and vocals sound good (apart from maybe the vocal effects on "Stand My Ground") sonically; but the drums are really bothering me. The way they've been produced... this is a big step back from the way they sounded on Elysium, which I think is one of the best sounding albums I've heard. My biggest gripe is that the crash cymbals sound like they had a budget of $20 and got the completely cracked cymbals! As a drummer, I know exactly what a cracked cymbal sounds like (much shorter sound and very trashy) and I hear that sound every downbeat. I have no idea what's up with that, but it really bothers me. The drums are also too loud in the mix, which becomes evident in the softer sections.
Elysium was perfect in the sense that it was well-produced and covered the entire spectrum of Stratovarius - from the addictive, mid-tempo power metal anthems; to the Strato-typical slow, groovy, 6-7 minute track; to the ballads; to the quintessential lightning fast song; to the long, epic title track at the end of the album. Nemesis seems very homogenous in character compared to its predecessor, with most of the tracks here following the tempo set by "Unbreakable." The lightning quick song (okay, now I'm definitely starting to miss Jörg Michael) and long epic are both completely omitted from the formula here; and the closest thing you'll get to that slower, groovier track (like "Soul Of A Vagabond" or "Lifetime In A Moment") is "Castles In The Air." Nothing else from here really sticks into my head as much as "Unbreakable" (which I admit is a fantastic song), "Halcyon Days," and "Abandon," of which two out of three were already released prior to the album's release date, do.
The final verdict? Unlike Elysium, which was a compact package summarizing Stratovarius with fantastic production and quality songwriting; Nemesis is a relatively disappointing effort that ultimately sounds bland as it lacks variety, turning it into an hour of fairly similar songs. Despite this, there are gems here and it could always grow on me as just an enjoyable, easy listen rather than a challenging but fulfilling one.
Summary of good and bad points:
+ The heavier, almost melodeath-influenced riffs still manage to work in Stratovarius' music
+ The guitars tuned to D standard (or C#, I can't really tell) have helped Timo Kotipelto stay comfortable in his new, lower vocal range
+ Performances from all members are still good
- Matias Kupiainen does not play to his amazing potential
- Drums are produced annoyingly loud and the cymbals sound awful
- Electronic elements are a tasteful addition in some cases, but don't always work and are perhaps sometimes overshadowing the guitars
- There is a lack of variety, something that had set Stratovarius aside from many other power metal bands IMO
Show Posts
