http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=1632&lang=en
Ferdi: One of the highlights of 2002 was when this ezine organised the annual Dutch metalquiz, and the DJ decided to play Stratos Hunting High And Low from the cd Infinite. Suddenly all boundaries between black, death and power metalfans faded, and a hundred metalheads raised their glasses in unity to sing along to the chorus of the song. Let there be no doubt over the fact that Infinite was one stunning cd. Virtually every note on that cd was on the right place, and each song was an entity on its own. Of course its nigh-on impossible to top such a splendid cd. But still I was hoping for something a lot better than Elements Pt 1. Because I wouldve settled for something a tad less perfect than Infinite, but to tell the truth I wasnt prepared for the sub-standard songwriting on this cd. Elements Pt 1 is a guided tour through the musical gutter of uninspired songwriting, with only a couple of decent songs being able to disrupt the everlasting sequence of mediocrity. It seems like songwriter Timo Tolkki was deprived of every form of inspirational thoughts when he took the task of writing this cd upon him. Amidst all these boring songs, a mere three songs stand out in a positive way. The opening track Eagleheart desperately tries to be a second Hunting High And Low, and although it fails in its primary task, it remains a good song. The tarantella-esque shredding of Stratofortress also offers a nice challenge to the listener, as does the epic song Elements (clocking a whopping twelve minutes!) which is literally stuffed with good material. The rest of the cd is filled with songs that wouldnt even be interesting as a b-side. For example: Soul Of A Vagabond (a nice intro of one minute followed by six minutes of boring metal), Find your Own Voice (a dull arranged nobody of a song), Fantasia (slow song without any spectacular highlights), Learning To Fly and Papilion; theyre all songs that never shouldve left the preproduction-stages in their current form. And the closing track A Drop In The Ocean takes the cake, is it even possible to that this slow, dull song serious? It looks like Tomo Tolkki has continued the sub-standard songwriting of his last solo-cd on this album, and thats a royal bummer. I dont know what feeling he is trying to bring across, because the only feeling that I get from this cd is boredom. Boredom, and disappointment. Two years ago Strato announced a break to recharge their batteries. I reckon they shouldve stayed away a bit longer, because this cd is far below the capabilities of this band.
Rating: 70/100
Well..not impressing..cool cover though!
Ferdi: One of the highlights of 2002 was when this ezine organised the annual Dutch metalquiz, and the DJ decided to play Stratos Hunting High And Low from the cd Infinite. Suddenly all boundaries between black, death and power metalfans faded, and a hundred metalheads raised their glasses in unity to sing along to the chorus of the song. Let there be no doubt over the fact that Infinite was one stunning cd. Virtually every note on that cd was on the right place, and each song was an entity on its own. Of course its nigh-on impossible to top such a splendid cd. But still I was hoping for something a lot better than Elements Pt 1. Because I wouldve settled for something a tad less perfect than Infinite, but to tell the truth I wasnt prepared for the sub-standard songwriting on this cd. Elements Pt 1 is a guided tour through the musical gutter of uninspired songwriting, with only a couple of decent songs being able to disrupt the everlasting sequence of mediocrity. It seems like songwriter Timo Tolkki was deprived of every form of inspirational thoughts when he took the task of writing this cd upon him. Amidst all these boring songs, a mere three songs stand out in a positive way. The opening track Eagleheart desperately tries to be a second Hunting High And Low, and although it fails in its primary task, it remains a good song. The tarantella-esque shredding of Stratofortress also offers a nice challenge to the listener, as does the epic song Elements (clocking a whopping twelve minutes!) which is literally stuffed with good material. The rest of the cd is filled with songs that wouldnt even be interesting as a b-side. For example: Soul Of A Vagabond (a nice intro of one minute followed by six minutes of boring metal), Find your Own Voice (a dull arranged nobody of a song), Fantasia (slow song without any spectacular highlights), Learning To Fly and Papilion; theyre all songs that never shouldve left the preproduction-stages in their current form. And the closing track A Drop In The Ocean takes the cake, is it even possible to that this slow, dull song serious? It looks like Tomo Tolkki has continued the sub-standard songwriting of his last solo-cd on this album, and thats a royal bummer. I dont know what feeling he is trying to bring across, because the only feeling that I get from this cd is boredom. Boredom, and disappointment. Two years ago Strato announced a break to recharge their batteries. I reckon they shouldve stayed away a bit longer, because this cd is far below the capabilities of this band.
Rating: 70/100
Well..not impressing..cool cover though!
Oh damn! Hmmm.... When does Kamelot's new album come out?
