Episode

Stratovarius

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 18, 1998)
• Original Release Date: 1996
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Noise
• ASIN: B000007UGZ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #112,018 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Originally released in 1996, their fifth release was a greatsuccess for these masters of melodic metal. For the first time, choirs and a symphonic orchestra are introduced to their music and the effect is amazing. Now includes the bonus track 'When The Night Meets The Day'. 13 tracks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another amazing album from Stratovarius, February 14, 2006

By	Stargazer "Stargazer" (New York) - See all my reviews

Stratovarius is one of the best bands ever. This album is a metal milestone and it's not even there best album! This song has everything fast rockers, slow epics, ballads, amazing vocals, virtuoso guitar work, a great rythym section. The songwriting is excellent too.

1.Father Time- 10/10 A great fast opener. The riff is awesome and Timo Kotipelto's vocals are excellent. An excellent guitar solo too. This is a classic

2.Will the Sun Rise?- 10/10 Another great song. The riff is excellent and Kotipelto hits some very high notes. The classic section is great too which leads right into an explosive guitar and keyboard trade off.

3.Eternity- 10/10 The intro is awesome and the riff is one of the best I've ever heard. The soft part which Kotipelto singing has an 80's feel to it. The keyboards are great in this song and Timo Tolkki throws in god like guitar solo.

4.Episode- 10/10 A beautiful instrumental. The keyboards are excellent and Timo Tolkki's guitar work has a lot of feel to it. A great intro to the next song too.

5.Speed of Light- 10/10 Another classic. The riff is excellent. There's one guitar fill in here so fast you'd swear it was sped up but it's not! Timo Kotipelto's vocals are great and Timo Tolkki's guitar solo is incredible and it is one of the best guitar solos I've ever heard.

6.Uncertainty- 10/10 A great song with an awesome riff. The pounding rythym section sounds great too. The soft part is excellent and Kotipelto's vocals are great. Another great guitar solo too.

7.Season of Change- 9/10 A great ballad with amazing vocals by Kotieplto. A very well written song with a great chorus. A great keyboard solo too. Timo Tolkki's solo is great too.

8.Stratosphere- 10/10 An awesome instrumental with excellent guitar work. The opening line is great but it gets even better when it explodes into a fast solo section. The soft part is beautiful and features some of Timo Tolkki's best guitar work ever.

9.Babylon- 10/10 An excellent Rainbow influenced epic. This sounds a lot like the Rainbow songs Stargazer, Gates Of Babylon and Eyes OF Fire. The vocals are excellent and I don't even need to say that the music is great too. The scream beofre the solo is excellent too. The solo sounds like a mix of Ritchie Blackmore, George Lynch and Yngwie and the keyboard solo is great too.

10.Tomorrow- 9/10 Another great song. The riff is awesome and the vocals are great. Timo Tolkki's solo is excellent too.

11.Night Time Eclipse- 10/10 A classic song with one of the best guitar riffs I've ever heard. The soft part is beautiful and Timo Kotipelto's vocals are excellent. More great guitar work. An excellent epic.

12.Forever- 10/10 A beautiful ballad with amazing vocals. This has a real mideval feel to it.

13.When the Night Meets the Day- 10/10 Another great song. This song is very slow and it's a ballad. The vocals are amazing and the guitar solo is very touching.

If you like power metal than this album is essential. There best album is Visions but this album is great too. Timo Tolkki plays fast but plays with a lot of emotion too so the guitar solos are almost perfect. If you like Helloween, Queensryche, Rainbow, Dio, Iron Maiden or any other Stratovarius album than you need this album.

Timo Kotipelto- Vocals
Timo Tolkki- Guitar
Jorg Michael- Drums
Jari Kainulainen- Bass
Jens Johansson- Keyboards

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I don't know why people give it less than 4 stars., February 2, 2006

By	Fredward Drewdarf "Halfback661" (Santa Clarita CA) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent cd. It's quite a jump from their original cds and songwriting however, it's for the better. I love the musicality and intricacies. I also like the addition of an epic feel to songs like Eternity and Stratosphere. The singing is a little different but I grew accustomed to it. Overall I would recommend this to any power metal fan.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece!, July 1, 2005

By	AAK (Lapland, Finland) - See all my reviews

This is it! The Strato album with loads of emotion and most thoughtful compositions. Goes almost hand to hand with Dreamspace for the best Strato album ever. Songs like "Father Time", "Will the Sun Rise" and "Speed of Light" were fantastic and fresh at the time. "Eternity" and "Night Time Eclipse" deliver amazing lyrics and emotions. "Season of Change" being maybe my favourite track with "Eternity" on this album. Listening to it is like waiting a flower to burst to all its glory. Kotipelto's performance might also be at its best in this song and he is singing some fantastic lyrics in the end that go directly in your heart and soul.

Episode is remarkable album that changed the musical style of the band into more melodic and symphonic. I think this is "the" album where to start listening (or maybe Visions) the band if haven't heard anything from them. Anybody who claims this is an uninspired album doesn't understand anything about music! PERIOD! Musicianship from the whole band is top notch and Tolkki is one of the best guitarists/songwriters ever! I've spoken.