Visions (Stratovarius album)
1997 studio album by Stratovarius
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Visions is the sixth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released on 28 April 1997 through Noise Records. The album reached No. 4 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for 23 weeks.[1] It is a concept album about Nostradamus.[5]
| Visions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 April 1997[1] | |||
| Recorded | October 1996 – February 1997 | |||
| Studio | Finnvox Studios, Helsinki | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 61:01[2] | |||
| Label | Noise | |||
| Producer | Timo Tolkki | |||
| Stratovarius chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Visions | ||||
The album is viewed as a turning point for the Finnish power metal scene and a reference point for many emerging bands of the time.
Critical reception
Steve Huey at AllMusic gave Visions four stars out of five, calling it "as ambitious as neoclassical metal gets" and saying "there are some fine moments on the record", but also remarking that "too much of the material sinks under its own weight, particularly the ten-minute title track."[5]
In 2005, the album was ranked No. 297 in Rock Hard magazine's book The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time.[8]
In 2016 Metal Hammer named the album in their list of "The 10 essential power metal albums."[9] Stating “Visions is simply a classic power metal record: preposterous, slick, immaculate and bursting with killer tunes."[9]
In 2017 Loudwire named the album at sixth in their list "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time."[10]
Track listing
All music is composed by Timo Tolkki, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Kiss of Judas" | Timo Kotipelto | 5:49 |
| 2. | "Black Diamond" | Kotipelto | 5:39 |
| 3. | "Forever Free" | Kotipelto | 6:00 |
| 4. | "Before the Winter" | Tolkki | 6:07 |
| 5. | "Legions" | Tolkki | 5:43 |
| 6. | "The Abyss of Your Eyes" | Kotipelto | 5:38 |
| 7. | "Holy Light" | (instrumental) | 5:45 |
| 8. | "Paradise" | Tolkki | 4:27 |
| 9. | "Coming Home" | Tolkki | 5:36 |
| 10. | "Visions (Southern Cross)" | Tolkki | 10:17 |
| Total length: | 61:01 | ||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Black Diamond" (demo) | Kotipelto | 5:07 |
| 12. | "Uncertainty" (live; music by Kotipelto) | Kotipelto | 6:13 |
Personnel
- Timo Kotipelto – lead vocals
- Timo Tolkki – guitar, background vocals, mastering, production
- Jens Johansson – keyboards, harpsichord
- Jörg Michael – drums
- Jari Kainulainen – bass guitar
- Kimmo Blom – background vocals
- Marko Vaara – background vocals
- Richard Johnson – background vocals, lyrical consultation
- James M. Johnson – spoken vocals
- Mikko Karmila – engineering, mixing
- Pauli Saastamoinen – mastering
Charts
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[13] | 4 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[14] | 18 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Finland (Musiikkituottajat) | Gold | 20,000[15] |