Stratovarius - Dreamspace (1994) WMA320

It took a bit longer than expected, but I finally got my copy of 'Dreamspace' (1994), the third studio record from Finland's metal gods, Stratovarius. I must say that I own 'Visions' as well as this, and I must say, comparing this to 'Visions' is like comparing apples to oranges.

1. There are only four members, just two of which played on anything after 'Fourth Dimension' (1995).
2. Antti Ikonen is more of a backing keyboardist, there are no keyboard solos.
3. The basic sound of the guitar and bass is COMPLETELY different than the more modern Stratovarius. The bass sounds much cleaner (as opposed to a more slapstick sound used on later releases), and the guitar sounds a lot crunchier.

All those differences aside, 'Dreamspace' is a terrific album, and for the time, the production by Timo Tolkki is certainly far from bad. Timo Tolkki is not as good of a singer as Timo Kotipelto, but when listening to this record, I could instantly picture Kotipelto singing a vast majority of the songs from this album. Jari Kainulainen is his usual self, though at the time of this record's release, it would be hard to say that, since this was the band's first recording with him on bass. I really must say, I don't pay as much attention to Antti Ikonen as I would to the godly keyboardist Jens Johanssen (who replaced Antti not long after 'Fourth Dimension.') Drummer Tuomo Lassila is actually a lot better than his replacement, Jorg Michel. It's not that he's BAD, it's just that Tuomo has a bit more technical skills.

And now, the highlights of this album. Opener "Chasing Shadows" is a typical power metal opening tune: fast and frantic. Very heavy, with a bone chilling intro riff. Track 4, "Hold On To Your Dream," is my personal favorite of the album, the little lead at the beginning is really cool, and I love the buildup of the song, it begins with the lead, then for the first part of the verse, we get no guitar, just a simple bassline, but then the guitar kicks in for a simple tune that crunches along at a perfect tempo. Then, there's the title track (track 8), which has a very interesting intro. The riff is one I can expect to hear in a planetarium, and the bass line...I picked it up right off the bat, it's not hard at all. However, it is one of the lengthiest tunes on the album (a straight 6 minutes) and really shifts around a lot. Ultimately, this is the band's most unpredictable album, and I would highly recommend it to fans of any of Stratovarius' other albums: 'Fright Night,' 'Twilight Time,' 'Fourth Dimension,' 'Episode,' 'Visions,' 'Destiny,' 'Infinite,' and the Elements series. Also recommended for fans of Finnish metal like Nightwish, Thunderstone, Sonata Arctica, and Children of Bodom or power metal like Helloween, Edguy, Blind Guardian, and Gamma Ray.

by Sam Allen "A zealous individual"

TRACKLIST:

01 - Chasing Shadows.wma
02 - 4th Reich.wma
03 - Eyes Of The World.wma
04 - Hold On To Your Dream.wma
05 - Magic Carpet Ride.wma
06 - We Are The Future.wma
07 - Tears Of Ice.wma
08 - Dreamspace.wma
09 - Reign Of Terror.wma
10 - Thin Ice.wma
11 - Atlantis.wma
12 - Abyss.wma
13 - Shattered.wma
14 - Wings Of Tomorrow.wma

WMA 320Kbps 44100Hz STEREO

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