Stratovarius
Darkest Hours

Just over twenty-four hours have passed since, driven by curiosity and the excitement that "Polaris" gave me a year and a half ago, I purchased this (eagerly awaited by me) Extended Play at the Fnac in Genoa.
In the meantime, I took the train (a damned dirty local one, late and with additional stops compared to the established route: as if it didn't already make enough stops on the regular journey...), dozed off, and woke up at the Recco stop "thanks" to the ringtone of a guy, which was nothing less than the opening riff of "Angelwitch" by Angelwitch, from the album "Angelwitch" (!): one of those ten albums I'd take to a desert island if I had to live there for quite some time.

I came back home, listened to the EP, had dinner, then evening fell, and I watched "Out of sight" for the millionth time, but couldn't stay awake, overwhelmed by fatigue and indolence, I collapsed on the couch: for the second time in my humble existence I dreamed of attending a reunion of the Pink Floyd as improbable as it was wonderful (yes, the late Mr. Wright was there too), the first time I dreamed of this was in the pleasant summer of 2002, in August and the heat must have played strange tricks on my mind, as on that occasion I replaced Roger on bass (incidentally, he played mine) during the performance of "Money" where he only sang: the five of us, at the end of the concert, went to eat together, I think Mr. Waters settled for a meager sandwich.
Well, quite a few things happened in just twenty-four hours, but the one that deserves the most importance is undoubtedly the emotion evoked by listening to this preview of the upcoming album "Elysium" (expected in about a month).

The album under review contains five tracks, the first two are set to appear on the aforementioned album coming out in January 2011, the third is a demo version of the first track and the title track of the entire EP, while the last two are live versions of two previously released songs, among the band's most famous: they are "Against the wind" (first track of the sublime "Fourth dimension" from '95, and first album with Kotipelto on vocals) and "Black diamond" (from the absolute masterpiece "Visions" of '97).
Let's clarify from the outset that I do not consider this band to be Stratovarius, as this name will always and exclusively belong to the revived Tolkki for me, who had the bright idea of selling the usage rights (along with the history it carries) to his eponymous Kotipelto, who (with all due respect to the person, who in any case deserves my utmost respect as a vocalist) had no scruples in using it and taking advantage of its prestige.
Thus, I do not consider this formation to be Stratovarius, at most its direct offshoot.

The title track of this EP had been running through my mind for about ten days, featuring a captivating melody and a vocally expressive delivery, a quality that, alongside his performance capability, the forty-one-year-old singer from Lappajärvi doesn't lack: it becomes loved at first listen.
Equally noteworthy, also due to the meticulously arranged tracks, is the following piece, "Infernal maze", a resonant -indeed- infernal maze that in its introduction echoes a contemporary “Tubular bells” worthy of the best Oldfield, which William Friedkin used for “The Exorcist”, but where the beginning is slow and solemn, the continuation of the track is different, with the keyboard break between the introduction and the rest of the song, it proceeds at a relentless pace for the remaining duration.
An excellent solo by the young recruit Kupiainen and an even more solemn break of the introductory section further embellish this gem.
We arrive at the third track, the demo version of “Darkest hours”, the differences from the original are barely noticeable, the recording is good if not -rightfully- as excellent as that of the previous two tracks one listened to.

Let’s move on to the last two delicacies of this work.
“Against the wind” is well executed, as it should be, but indeed appears neither praiseworthy nor blameworthy, played as on the record with the addition of applause and Kotipelto’s initial presentation who only announces its name without adding anything more.
More worthy of attention and deserving praise is “Black diamond”, longer than the original version, opened not by the usual keyboard riff, but by a minute and a half of guitar noodling by the twenty-seven-year-old Finnish axeman, a worthy instrumental and performance substitute, but not spiritual, for the “good” Tolkki.

Everything seems to be proceeding for the best, following in the footsteps of the valid predecessor “Polaris” (and fortunately not following the model of the eponymous 2005 album: the worst of the worst, a mockery to fans), the rest will be seen in time, see you in five weeks for “Elysium”.

Good luck (Finnish style) Strato!