REVIEW: STRATOVARIUS - DREAMSPACE RE-RELEASE

STRATOVARIUS - DREAMSPACE (Century Media Recs., 2002 )

Produced By: Timo Tolkki

Tracks: 1- Chasing Shadows, 2- 4th Reich, 3- Eyes of the World, 4- Hold on to your dream, 5- Magic Carpet Ride, 6- We Are the Future, 7- Tears of Ice, 8- Dreamspace, 9- Reign of Terror, 10- Thin Ice, 11- Atlantis, 12- Abyss, 13- Shattered, 14- Wings of Tomorrow

Cover Art by Markus Itkonen

Recorded at Soundtrack Studios

Century Media Brazil is rereleasing part of the history of metal with this Stratovarius release. This is one of the first albums of the finnish band. In fact of the most famous Stratovarius lineup we have only Timo Tolkki on guitars and voice and Jari Kainulainen on bass. Yes, on this album Tolkki was singing (before Timo Kotipelto entered the band) and his vocals are a little bit weaker than Kotipelto´s. But all the elements that made the band famous, such as the hooks in the choruses and the guitar and vocal melodies are present on this release. Plus, here are Tolkki´s ultra fast solos with a rawer sound and we have in the keyboards Antti Ikonen who is a really underrated keyboardist (they used to mix him very low in the recordings). This is to know the beginning of one of today´s top power/heavy metal bands.

Favorite tracks: "4th Reich", "We Are The Future" and "Reign of Terror"

Contact: www.centurymedia.com