"Darkest Hours" is a single

Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...

 by power metal

Power metal

Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...

 band Stratovarius

Stratovarius

Stratovarius are a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984. Since their formation they have released 13 studio albums and one live album. Along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, Rhapsody of Fire and Gamma Ray, Stratovarius are considered one of the leading groups of the power metal and symphonic...

, released on November 24, 2010 through Edel Music

Edel Music

-History:Edel Music was founded in 1986 by Michael Haentjes in Germany as a mail order record company selling mostly soundtracks. With artists such as Scooter, SASH!, Holly Johnson and many others, it became a very successful pop music label...

 (Finland

Finland

Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...

) and on November 26, 2010 through Victor Entertainment

Victor Entertainment

is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...

 (Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 and worldwide). It contains two tracks from their thirteenth studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

, Elysium

Elysium (Stratovarius album)

Elysium is the thirteenth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on January 12, 2011 through Victor Entertainment and on January 14, 2011 through Edel Music .-Background:...

, along with a demo

Demo (music)

A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...

 version of the title track, and live performances of two classic songs taken from the tour of their previous album, Polaris

Polaris (Stratovarius album)

-Japanese track listing:On 7" Vinyl Collector's Edition:- Reception :-2010 Re-Release:On May 21, 2010, Polaris was re-released along with a live album called "Polaris Live" with the following track listing:# Destiny# Hunting High and Low# Speed of Light...

(2009).

Track listing

Personnel

• Timo Kotipelto
  Timo Kotipelto
  Timo Antero Kotipelto is the vocalist of the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and is the creator and vocalist of the power metal band Kotipelto...
  
   – vocals
  Singing
  Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
  
  
• Matias Kupiainen
  Matias Kupiainen
  Matias Kupiainen is a Finnish guitarist and producer.Kupiainen was chosen as the new guitarist for the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius after Timo Tolkki's departure from the band in 2008...
  
   – electric guitar
  Electric guitar
  An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
  
  , production
  Record producer
  A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
  
  
• Jens Johansson
  Jens Johansson
  Jens Ola Johansson is a Swedish power metal keyboardist and pianist. He is notable for his high-speed neoclassical and fusion style.-Biography:...
  
   – keyboard
  Keyboard instrument
  A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
  
  
• Jörg Michael
  Jörg Michael
  Jörg Michael is a German drummer. He is well-known for his time in the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and several other bands....
  
   – drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
  
• Lauri Porra
  Lauri Porra
  Lauri Porra is a Finnish bassist and composer. Best known for his work in Stratovarius and Sinergy. Lauri Porra is a fourth generation musician, He is the great grandson of the famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. He started to study music at age 6 when he started to play cello in a local music...
  
   – bass
  Bass guitar
  The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
  
  

Release history

Region	Date	Label
Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...	November 24, 2010	Edel Edel Music -History:Edel Music was founded in 1986 by Michael Haentjes in Germany as a mail order record company selling mostly soundtracks. With artists such as Scooter, SASH!, Holly Johnson and many others, it became a very successful pop music label...
Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... , worldwide	November 26, 2010	Victor Victor Entertainment is a subsidiary of Japan Victor Company that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It was formerly known as...