Stratovarius - Visions (1997)^{Release ID: 6151}

Finland is a key country in the power metal scene.  If I had to think of a "Big 4" to describe Finnish power metal just as thrash has Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax as their official four is music discussion and marketting, and just as Germany's "Big Four of Power Metal" is Helloween, Blind Guardian, Gamma Ray and Running Wild, I'd have to say that an official big four for Finland's power scene would be Stratovarius, Nightwish, Sonata Arctica and Children of Bodom.  The most famous album from this group seems to be Nightwish's Once, but the most iconic among metal fans seems to be Stratovarius's Visions, which showcases the band's best efforts and made the efforts look easy.  However, I also feel that it's easier metal to make than most other acts.

I think the biggest reason why Stratovarius are so big is because they are uncannily good at atmosphere.  Sometimes their music just gets otherworldly, and this sometimes makes up of the lack of anything truly spectacular in metal's essential fields of rhythm and force.  As far as I'm concerned, the finest example of Finnish power metal is Sonata Acrtica's sophomore, Silence, for its clever handling of the progressive and neoclassical influences.  But the truth is simple: Stratovarius got their first, and the influences are more noticable because Stratovarius had much more practice by that point.  This is also likely the reason why Visions is considered the finest Finnish power metal album in the world.  The rhythms certainly have a lot of jam-factor and atmosphere, which makes for a beautiful combination here.  But the truth of the matter is that the album isn't perfect for one very good reason: these melodies aren't the most original or outstanding.  You don't have to be a prog band to think of something new, and I don't really feel like the album offers anything new.  It does, however, offer a lot to like, since they make atmosphere look not only easy, but accessible.  So I'd say that this largely unremarkable album is driven by a form of imagery that is exactly what metalheads want in the vein of science fantasy vibes.