Nemesis

Stratovarius' fifteenth album "Nemesis" is the first to feature their current (at time of writing) lineup. The only difference in lineup between this album and the last is Jorg stepped down, and in his place Rolf Pilve sits behind the kit. On one hand, I appreciate that Rolf's drum sounds aren't QUITE as 'fake' sounding as Jorg's always were, but Rolf is without question the least technically skilled drummer the band ever had. It's pretty astounding to me that he has not one moment across this whole album where he is at all memorable. Rolf is quite honestly just one step above a drum machine here. As I've said about the other replacement Strato members, it's pretty clear to me that Rolf is nothing more than a yes man for Kotipelto's solo band that he dug out of the name Stratovarius. However, even though I say that, I must admit that "Nemesis" is definitely better than their previous two efforts.

"Nemesis" tries to take a much different approach than the first two post-Tolkki Strato albums take. While it is still very characteristically Strato, the guitar tone and a lot of the song structure tries to take a slightly darker and more 'modern' sound. Doing this is commendable, as it definitely gives this new lineup its own identity (which is something I complained they were severely lacking prior), the holes in their songwriting structure being an absolute snooze hasn't improved very much. After the debacle that was "Elysium," Kotipelto and the gang learned from their 18 minute mistake, too. Instead of a shorter album in terms of track number with an incredibly long waste of space at the end, the band realizes they're not built for that, and just adds a slightly longer track number of more tolerably length songs. While the album is never really terrific, it certainly stays solid and enjoyable for most of its runtime. "Nemesis" is incredibly smart the whole way through about how long each track is to hide each weakness.

Two tracks in a row ("Stand My Ground" and "Halcyon Days") are the clearest examples of this lineup developing their own very unique identity. "Stand My Ground" is the first post-Tolkki song that I could never see Tolkki playing on. It's the first song that doesn't sound like a poor attempt at copying what he'd done in the past. While Matias still isn't a good riff writer, at least he can own this song and call it his own work entirely. The main riff is a rather varied, frenzied, and hungry sounding riff. Kotipelto's melodies are in some of his darkest places here, and he sings in a style we haven't heard since his first album with the band. The chorus is also quite catchy. The solo is marked by Jens meshing with Matias well, and lets them both show their chops. "Halcyon Days" is just too "modern" for my taste. It's not a terrible track by any stretch, but Jens' keyboards just scream of some modern rock or EDM band. It's a fairly typical track besides that. Once again, Kotipelto sounds very good, and has a different approach to vocals on this song. He's not just rehashing the same old tired approaches. "Halcyon Days" is fairly inoffensive, but I don't think it's really a standout. Something about it just stinks of a band poorly attempting to hit some radio play and garner some modern attention.

The title track is another fantastic breath of fresh air, too. The opening shows some impressive technical chops from Matias and Jens again. It's not the same perfect and precise way Tolkki and Jens harmonized, but they finally realized it doesn't NEED to be. The track is a fantastic 'epic' without trying to have the bloated length of an 'epic.' "Nemesis" shows a lot of restraint from the band to not reach above their pay grade. It is an amazingly powerful and driving track with a great showcase of the band's talent. I only truly wish that Matias was a better riff writer. I honestly believe that if this song had some more solid and memorable riffs scattered throughout, it could have been a legendary track. But that's a small complaint on an otherwise fine track. "One Must Fall" is another track that I feel just needed some better riffs to elevate it more. While the title track was still very good, and riffs just prevented it from being great, "One Must Fall" is only okay, and could have risen to "great" with better riffs. The opening riff is so weak and paper thin, and Kotipelto sounds so out of place when he comes in over it. The verses are really where the song is lacking, because the pre-chorus and chorus are both very good. They have that sing-able and memorable Strato energy, but just don't have anything to follow them up with. This one definitely just needed some more time in the oven.

For me, "Dragons" is the highlight of the album. Jens reigns supreme across the entire song, and Matias' guitar work, while still not memorable, is just enough to back Jens up and compliment him. Usually the keys elevate the guitar, but in this case, the guitar elevates the keys perfectly. The chorus has a really nice juxtaposition between being uplifting and catchy, and also darker and forlorn. Again, I praise the restraint of the band, because if "Dragons" was a longer song, its weaknesses might have shown, but it does what it needs to do, does it well, and gets out. "Fantasy" is another song that I often come back to when listening to this album. Jens' keyboard sound is pretty different on this track, but he really drives home the song's theme perfectly with the sound. The verses take on a very, very different feel than most other Strato songs. The way they flow and bounce between each other is very atypical and rewarding. The chorus might be the best on the album, too. It's catchy and memorable, and just has the right amount of power metal cheese. "Fantasy" is a wonderful take on a Stratovarius classic. It sounds like the Strato you're used to, but is still different enough for this lineup to have its own identity.

"Castles in the Air" is probably the album's weakest point. Jens' piano work is beautiful, but the song is perhaps too operatic for the band to do justice. Kotipelto's vocals are horrible here. He sounds bored and uninspired on the verses, and the fact that he's just singing over bass playing with nothing else behind him really makes his lack of melody stand out harder. The track is very formulaic in that sense, and just never hits its stride. It has a decent enough chorus, and actually has solid progression, but it really just misses the mark due to how typical it is and how bad Kotipelto sounds on the verses. "Unbreakable" also just has way too much pandering for me. A band couldn't write a song while screaming "THIS IS OUR SINGLE" any harder than Strato did when making "Unbreakable." Again, is it awful? Certainly not. But it's so amazingly formulaic and lacking in any originality that you'll want to gag. From the cliche piano behind the band to the traditionally predictable 'verse chorus' formula, this one just makes me roll my eyes.

"Nemesis" definitely ends up being the best of the first three post-Tolkki Strato albums, and is an overall solid and enjoyable effort. The biggest compliment I can possibly give is that this album truly has its own identity and isn't just trying to ride coattails of prior success. It finally sounds like the members are all comfortable with each other and gelling as they should. That being said, I equate this album to giving a brand new paint job to a car with a dying engine. Everything seems wonderful until you look under the hood. The fact that Stratovarius still doesn't have an anchor of a songwriter that really understood what works and what doesn't still shines through on this album. "Nemesis" holds its own weight, but still leaves a lot to be desired.