Elysium (Stratovarius album)
Encyclopedia
Elysium is the thirteenth studio album
by power metal
band Stratovarius
, released on January 12, 2011 through Victor Entertainment
(Japan
) and on January 14, 2011 through Edel Music
(worldwide).
Jens Johansson
on the forum of the band's website on November 8, 2010. The album was released on four different formats: a regular CD
; a deluxe digipak
edition with a bonus CD featuring demos of the entire album; a double-disc
collector's edition
with two bonus tracks on a seven-inch single
; and on vinyl
.
"Darkest Hours
" was released as a single, along with "Infernal Maze
", on November 24, 2010. The Collector's Edition+7" Single contains MP3
demos on the CD with the album and a 7" single with two bonus tracks. The album debuted at number one on the Finnish albums chart and is the first album to do so since Infinite
in 2000.
(2000), with both featuring a scene with contrasting worlds: Elysium shows a picturesque lagoon surrounded by natural beauty, whilst "Darkest Hours" shows an industrial wasteland filled with pollution. Also, the star-shaped spacecraft from Polaris
(2009) makes a reappearance.
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...
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 January 12, 2011 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 on January 14, 2011 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...
(worldwide).
Background
The official track listing was first announced by keyboardistKeyboardist
A keyboardist is a musician who plays keyboard instruments. Until the early 1960s musicians who played keyboards were generally classified as either pianists or organists. Since the mid-1960s, a plethora of new musical instruments with keyboards have come into common usage, requiring a more...
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:...
on the forum of the band's website on November 8, 2010. The album was released on four different formats: a regular CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
; a deluxe digipak
Digipak
Digipak is a patented style of CD, DVD or BD packaging, and is a registered trademark of AGI World Ltd., an Atlas Holdings company.-Features:...
edition with a bonus CD featuring demos of the entire album; a double-disc
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
collector's edition
Special edition
The terms special edition, limited edition and variants such as deluxe edition, collector's edition and others, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints or recorded music and films, but now including...
with two bonus tracks on a seven-inch 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...
; and on vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
.
"Darkest Hours
Darkest Hours
"Darkest Hours" is a single by power metal band Stratovarius, released on November 24, 2010 through Edel Music and on November 26, 2010 through Victor Entertainment...
" was released as a single, along with "Infernal Maze
Darkest Hours
"Darkest Hours" is a single by power metal band Stratovarius, released on November 24, 2010 through Edel Music and on November 26, 2010 through Victor Entertainment...
", on November 24, 2010. The Collector's Edition+7" Single contains MP3
MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
demos on the CD with the album and a 7" single with two bonus tracks. The album debuted at number one on the Finnish albums chart and is the first album to do so since Infinite
Infinite (Stratovarius album)
Infinite is the eighth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released in 2000 through Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Timo Kotipelto – vocals*Timo Tolkki – guitar, engineering, production*Jens Johansson – keyboard...
in 2000.
Artwork
Gyula Havancsák's cover art for the album and single appear to have thematic similarities to that of InfiniteInfinite (Stratovarius album)
Infinite is the eighth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released in 2000 through Nuclear Blast.-Track listing:-Personnel:*Timo Kotipelto – vocals*Timo Tolkki – guitar, engineering, production*Jens Johansson – keyboard...
(2000), with both featuring a scene with contrasting worlds: Elysium shows a picturesque lagoon surrounded by natural beauty, whilst "Darkest Hours" shows an industrial wasteland filled with pollution. Also, the star-shaped spacecraft from 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) makes a reappearance.
Track listing
Reception
Personnel
- Timo KotipeltoTimo KotipeltoTimo Antero Kotipelto is the vocalist of the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and is the creator and vocalist of the power metal band Kotipelto...
– vocalsSingingSinging 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 KupiainenMatias KupiainenMatias 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 guitarElectric guitarAn 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...
, productionRecord producerA 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 JohanssonJens JohanssonJens Ola Johansson is a Swedish power metal keyboardist and pianist. He is notable for his high-speed neoclassical and fusion style.-Biography:...
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA 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 MichaelJörg MichaelJörg Michael is a German drummer. He is well-known for his time in the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and several other bands....
– drumsDrum kitA 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 PorraLauri PorraLauri 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...
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mikko Karmila – mixingAudio mixing (recorded music)In audio recording, audio mixing is the process by which multiple recorded sounds are combined into one or more channels, most commonly two-channel stereo. In the process, the source signals' level, frequency content, dynamics, and panoramic position are manipulated and effects such as reverb may...
Release history
| Region | Date | 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... |
January 12, 2011 | 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... |
| Worldwide | January 14, 2011 | 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... |
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish albums chart | 1 |