STRATOVARIUS, one of the most influential, successful and enduring power metal bands in the world, will release their new Best Of album on May 6th via earMUSIC.
What started in 1985 under the name BLACK WATER left a trail of 16 studio albums, ten Top 5 chart positions in their native country of Finland and more than 40 top chart positions around the globe. Their distinguished mix of fast progressive metal and a melodic approach made symphonic metal originators Stratovarius one of the top names in the world.
After a few bumpy steps and stones in the band’s line-up, STRATOVARIUS’ song writing found its peak in their recent studio works Elysium, Nemesis and Eternal, all milestones in sound, creativity and song writing.
It happens rarely nowadays, especially in metal, that a band creates one magic song after the other. STRATOVARIUS are surely one of the few exceptions, now presenting 29 hits and fan favorites (and there could have been more!) on their Best Of album, which is going to be released as 2CD Standard Edition, 3CD Limited Edition and Download.
Both CD editions are released in a high quality packaging with liner notes written by exceptional keyboardist Jens Johansson and rare picture material from the band’s private archive. The Limited edition also includes the exclusive 60 minute bonus CD Live At Wacken 2015. As a special treat, the Best Of features the brand new song “Until The End Of Days” from the current band lineup consisting of Timo Kotipelto, Jens Johansson, Mattias Kupainen, Lauri Porra and Rolf Pilve.
All hand-picked by the band and adding up to 2 ½ hours of pure STRATOVARIUS bliss, the songs give metal fans and those to be, a great selection of the band’s impressive work, including classics such as “Black Diamond”, “Hunting High And Low” and “Speed Of Light” as well as more recent material such as the most streamed song in the band’s history, “Unbreakable” and “Shine In The Dark” from their recent studio album Eternal.
All songs are remastered by the band’s long-time companion Mika Jussila of Finnvox Studios.
Jens Johansson explains: “It's been 20 years since the Episode album, we're all getting older but this stuff sounds as fresh as ever. Could it be that STRATOVARIUS has discovered the fountain of Eternal Youth!? You may feel younger, but we can't actually (legally) promise you'll be younger after listening to this best-of album, but we can guarantee one thing: when you put it through your speakers, it will play Until the End of Days!!
To me it's a testament to the fact that paying attention to song writing and production was expensive, but so worth it. The songs, the sound and the performances really have stood the test of time.”
Timo Kotipelto adds: “Wow! 20 years in STRATOVARIUS have passed at the speed of light! I still remember when I joined the band and was happy to do some power metal. And I am very happy to still be able to do it after all these years! This collection of songs is an excellent selections and a cool way to remember the history of the band from the past to the present! I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did while selecting the songs. Rock the Metal!”
All STRATOVARIUS albums will be re-released throughout 2016 and 2017, including extensive booklets and a lot of bonus material.
Best Of tracklisting:
CD1
- “Until The End Of Days” (brand new song)
- “My Eternal Dream”
- “Eagleheart”
- “Speed Of Light”
- “S.O.S”
- “Forever Free”
- “Wings Of Tomorrow”
- “No Turning Back”
- “Break The Ice”
- “Distant Skies”
- “Will The Sun Rise?”
- “A Million Light Years Away”
- “Under Flaming Skies”
- “Darkest Hours”
- “Winter Skies”
- “I Walk To My Own Song”
- “Maniac Dance”
CD2
- “Halcyon Days”
- “Will My Soul Ever Rest In Peace?”
- “Destiny”
- “Paradise”
- “Deep Unknown”
- “Elysium”
- “Black Diamond”
- “If The Story Is Over”
- “Unbreakable”
- “Forever”
- “Shine In The Dark”
- “Hunting High And Low”
CD3 - Live at Wacken 2015 (only available on Limited Edition)
- “Intro”
- “Black Diamond”
- “Eagleheart”
- “Against The Wind”
- “Dragons”
- “Legions Of The Twilight”
- “Paradise”
- “Shine In The Dark”
- “Speed Of Light”
- “Unbreakable”
- “Hunting High And Low”
