Visions of Europe Vol. 1

Visions of Europe is an album that is kind of special to me, and not alone, since a big part of it has been recorded in my country, Greece. Unfortunately, my voice is not heard among the crowd because I couldn’t go. But anyway, let’s speak of the album itself. First of all, it was a great momentum for Stratovarius to release their first live album. They were at the peak of their popularity due to their last LP, Visions that had achieved a large number of sales and was adored by the fans, particularly those in Europe which are closer to power/speed metal and the bands style.

This double disc is recorded in Athens (Hail Greece!) and Milan. The songs they chose to put in the disc are from the Fourth Dimension and after, albums. Which means you will hear no Chasing Shadows, no Shattered and many more. Seems like they are trying to erase the period when Timo Tolkki was on the vocals. I can’t see a point in that. The production is quite good and the live feeling unexpectedly satisfying as the audience takes part with great energy in many of the songs.

I have never been too big a fan of Stratovarius but their artistic skills and their ability to compose catchy are taken for granted. This means that as in most of their gigs, the songs here are performed very well leaving room for comments only on the composing/authentic side of the band.

It is very difficult to single out any songs. As any live album, it is a compilation of their best tracks, from the second period of the band, I say again. All their metal hymns are in here. Forever Free, Father Time, my favorite one, Against the Wind and many more. Timo Kotipelto, we all admit, is a fantastic singer with tremendous abilities and he proves it in every song. He also knows how to communicate with the audience, giving them the chance to sing along and have fun, which is very important. Generally, the band is perfect form.

The only small flaw is the bit too long, solo duel between the guitar and the keyboards. It is a need for Tolkki to show us how good a guitarist he is. And a rather useless drum solo as well. If you are bored, just skip the Holy Solos track on the CD.

Well, that’s pretty much what I have to say. Stratovarius have been true to their fans and all of us, with a very good live (there seems to be no studio shit) album, representative of the intensity and power they create at their concerts. I suggest you give it a listen if you get the chance.

This album simply kicks ass over and over again. It is unfortunate that Stratovarius has not released another Live album, since they have made some incredible songs since the release of Visions of Europe and it would be nice to hear how these songs pan out in front of an enthusiastic audience--a medium which is famous for bringing new life to old songs. Despite the lack of some of their best songs, this album shows exactly why Stratovarius is a band unlike any other. An interesting introduction leads into a rousing performance of Forever Free, with a straight segue into The Kiss of Judas (much to the delight of the audience). Timo Kotipelto is charismatic and the crowd is wild throughout the entire performance(s). Perhaps the crowning jewel of the album is Holy Solos, which features a jaw-dropping and sometimes amusing call-and-response between the guitar and the keyboard, followed by a brief performance of the high-speed Holy Light, followed by the mother of all drum solos that would, to be frank, make Mike Portnoy green with envy. If you are at all a Stratovarius fan, do yourself a huge favor and pick up a copy of their unbelievable Live album - Visions of Europe.