STRATOVARIUS
Nemesis
Release date: February 22 2013

The second song of this new album is called Unbreakable, and it definitely can describe Stratovarius! They're not down, they are alive alive and well!

Jörg Michael is now with Devil's Train and it certainly wasn't easy to find a replacement. But Stratovarius is used to this kind of challenges and they found Rolf Pilve. Let's hope that he's as good on stage than on the record!

The band, except for Rolf, has been together for some time now. They have had time to know each other and to think about the musical direction they want.
As a result, Nemesis sounds like a band that works together.

Most of the songs are catchy enough to remember the chorus from the first listening. But that doesn't mean they're easy and basic, each song reveals its subtleties little by little.

Abandon is a great tune to start. When I first listened to it I thought "yeah, Stratovarius is back!".
The melody of Unbreakable can stick to your mind for weeks, while the solos of Stand My Ground will make your hair raise.

Halcyon Days was made to be hit on stage. Timo's voice is great on this one and there are several rhythm changes that make this tune very special and unique.
Out Of the Fog is very powerful, probably one the heaviest songs ever recorded by Stratovarius.

Hunter is another great song, but it's a bonus track so it's not available in every version of the album. That's a shame. I think the bonus track should have been Dragons. This horrible song is so kitsch that it could be a parody...
Fortunately, this is an exception. And it's quickly forgotten because this album contains a masterpiece: the title track, Nemesis, is a completely amazing song! And I think it could have been even better... it could have been a long epic song.