Stratovarius

MikeEnRegalia wrote: I guess that the impending addition of Blind Guardian will add some heat to this discussion ...

^ It's ... a very unique album. It's most certainly not just power metal with prog elements ... they blended folk/medieval elements with melodic power metal, added very complex vocal arrangements and use unusual song structures (there are still choruses and verses though). They also managed to make the music fit the lyrics/mood ... the whole album has a very tight concept, based on the Silmarillion (Tolkien) with some narrative parts too.

Have a listen: http://www.myspace.com/blindguardian

Nightfall is to Blind Guardian what Queen II is to Queen.

The T wrote: Elements is not their best album... DESTINY is much better....Prog related wouldn't be out of place... Blind Guardian? Why not Stratovarius? And hell, nobody has heard the prog-related efforts by another finnish band, Amorphis, whose music is not limited to TALES OF A THOUSAND LAKES and are NOT death metal.... This band is even more prog-related than blind guardian or stratovarius... but in this discussion, I would have said no if blind guardian wasn't going to be included, but if they are, Stratovarius is more melodic, slightly more progressive (or related)... Yes, their structures are simple.... but that shouldn't be the only measure.... great bands like Blackfield couldn't be simpler than they are...

Blind Guardian will be included mainly for Nightfall in Middle-Earth - have you heard that album? I mean properly, with multiple listens ...

No.

you call their songs boring? dude your tastes are limited to progressive and progressive only if you make a statemant like that. Their songs are far from simple, but then again all you know is stuff that is SOO complicated that you cant just have fun listening to music once in awhile. I like the complicated stuff alright but i know where to draw a line in fun and complex. Open your minds perhaps.... a centimeter and let the light in, there is more to music than just over-analysis.  I like Progressive music, but i am not about to prove a stereotype that progressive listeners are stuck up and snobby about how great their music is, because it isnt the only thing worth listening to.

I guess that the impending addition of Blind Guardian will add some heat to this discussion ... 

NO



My gosh they are just plain boring- and like Mike said above, rather simple.

1800iareyay wrote: no, power metal often sounds like it has proggy elements, but very rarely do they exist (i.e. Symphony X)

If they do, using Symphony X as an example, why are they in this site? or Kamelot?

Honestly, it seems some of the people here have there head in the sand and will rate music cause they have heard one album. While Statovarius' self titled album and a few othewrs may be far from progressive, they have some albums that are atleast prog-related, such as both Elements albums. And on that note,  How can Queensryche (whcih even most fans dont consider that progressive) be called prog-metal and not prog-related yet most of the people here wont even let Stratovarius INTO the lists, when they have even more progressive elements than them. The people dont consider them even the slightest bit "proggy" need to listen up  and lower their noses about 3 inches out of the air.


Edited by Skoojoo - June 26 2007 at 17:14

I'd say some albums of theirs could probably be catagorized as prog-related, especially considering bands like Masterplan, Blue Oyster Cult, and especially Nightwish being in these archives at all. I'd probably consider Elements Part 1 more progressive than most albums from any of those bands. The only justification I can see for NOT puting these guys in is that their music clings very much to power metal, but than again so do Kamelot, Symphony X, who are considered completely progressive metal. They have good song writing, some compositions on the longer side, and pretty well extended solos (especially from the keyboard) and varying tempo and mood changes within compositions.  I say Stratovarius should be placed in prog-related, but I definetly don't consider them progish enough to be in prog-metal subgenre, even if Queensryche is.