Stratovarius - Visions (1997)

Stratovarius' sixth album would be their best to date, I think. There's still something about them that doesn't grab me the whole way through, but at their best, they are most enjoyable, whether with rousing songs like "Forever Free" and "Legions", or the ballads "Before The Winter" and "Coming Home". The concluding, ten minute title track is taken up half the time by Nostradamus prophecies (metal likes the old coot, doesn't it?), while songs like "Paradise" are very obvious in their 'save the world' lyrics, but this positivism, which puts a lot of people off when it comes to power metal, is one reason why I like the genre.  Also, Timo Tolkki's guitars and Jens Johannson's various keyboards work wonderfully well together.
Stratovarius is yet to release (up to 1997, I mean) a truly consistent album, but there's usually something worthwhile in their work, and that's certainly the case with Visions.

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