Maniac Dance
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band. Formed in 1984, they have released sixteen studio albums, six DVDs and six live albums. The band's line-up has changed many times, with no founding member left since the departure of drummer Tuomo Lassila in 1995, and no member from their early recording days left following guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994. The band was founded in August 1984 as Black Water, consisting of Lassila as singer and drummer, guitarist Staffan Stråhlman, bassist John Vihervä, and, later, keyboardist Antti Ikonen. In Summer 1985, the band changed its name to Stratovarius, which was soon followed by line-up changes. Tolkki replaced Stråhlman and with this line-up, the band released its first album ''Fright Night'' in 1989, with Tolkki as sole songwriter. While going through many bassists, the band released the albums '' Twilight Time'' in 1992 and ''Dreamspace'' in ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
Tuska Festival, (previously Tuska Open Air Metal Festival), commonly shortened to Tuska (), is a Finnish Heavy metal music, heavy metal rock festival, festival taking place annually in Helsinki. The first Tuska took place in 1998 and the festival has since grown larger every year. The location of the festival has been in Kaisaniemi park in the middle of the city from 2001. However, since 2011, Tuska has taken place at the Suvilahti event field in the Kalasatama neighbourhood of the Sörnäinen Subdivisions of Helsinki, district. The festival dates have always been in either June or July. In recent years the attendance has grown and the festival has drawn up to 63,000 people in 2023. In 2006, the festival was almost sold out and over a combined three-day total of 33,000 attendees arrived to watch 32 artists, including for example Anathema (band), Anathema, Celtic Frost, Opeth, Sodom (band), Sodom, Venom (band), Venom, and Finland's own Amorphis and Sonata Arctica. In 2024 there we ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Power Metal
Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contrast with the heaviness and dissonance prevalent in, for example, extreme metal. Power metal bands usually have anthemic songs with fantasy-based subject matter and strong choruses, thus creating a theatrical, dramatic and emotionally "powerful" sound. "Riffs became labyrinthine, vocals scorched higher altitudes—and they even managed to crank out some more volume." The term was first used in the mid-1980s and refers to two different but related styles: * the first largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal; * a later, more widespread and popular style based in Europe "American metal such as Queensrÿche, Attacker, Jag Panzer, Iced Earth, Liege Lord, and Savatage; European bands such as Helloween, Gamm ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Visions (Stratovarius Album)
''Visions'' is the sixth studio album by Finnish power metal band Stratovarius, released on 28 April 1997 through Noise Records. The album reached No. 4 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for 23 weeks. It is a concept album about Nostradamus. Critical reception Steve Huey at AllMusic gave ''Visions'' four stars out of five, calling it "as ambitious as neoclassical metal gets" and saying "there are some fine moments on the record", but also remarking that "too much of the material sinks under its own weight, particularly the ten-minute title track." In 2005, the album was ranked No. 297 in '' Rock Hard'' magazine's book ''The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time''. ''Loudwire'' named the album at sixth in their list "Top 25 Power Metal Albums of All Time." ''Metal Hammer'' also named the album in their list "The 10 essential power metal albums." Track listing Personnel *Timo Kotipelto – lead vocals *Timo Tolkki – guitar, background vocals, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Polaris (Stratovarius Album)
''Polaris'' is the twelfth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 15 May 2009. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature bassist Lauri Porra and guitarist Matias Kupiainen, following former bassist Jari Kainulainen's departure from the band in 2005 and former guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008. Timo Kotipelto, who at the time of ''Polaris'' release had been a member of Stratovarius the longest (since 1994) among the current members, considered ''Polaris'' to be "the album that saved the band" and said that "without it there would not be any Stratovarius."Timo Kotipelto photocard released with Digipak edition CD of Stratovarius' Elysium (Stratovarius album), ''Elysium''. More time passed between the release of Stratovarius' eponymous album Stratovarius (album), ''Stratovarius'' in 2005 and the release of ''Polaris'' than between any other two consecutive albums released by the band. Stratovarius in 2006 [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Episode (Stratovarius Album)
''Episode'' is the fifth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 22 April 1996 through Noise Records. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature keyboardist Jens Johansson and drummer Jörg Michael, both of whom would form part of the band's most stable line-up for a decade. The album reached No. 21 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for six weeks. Track listing Personnel *Timo Kotipelto – lead vocals *Timo Tolkki – guitar, background vocals, arrangement (except track 12), engineering, mixing, production *Jens Johansson – keyboards *Jörg Michael – drums *Jari Kainulainen – bass guitar *Pasi Puolakka – flute *Sibelius String Orchestra – strings *Sibelius Choir – choir *Pop/Jazz Conservatory Choir – choir *Reijo Harvonen – conducting, arrangement (track 12) *Kimmo Blom – background vocals *Richard Johnson – background vocals *Marko Vaara – background vocals *Richard Johnson – vocal consultation, lyrical ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Yngwie Malmsteen
Yngwie Johan Malmsteen (; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, on 30 June 1963) is a Swedish-American guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical metal, neoclassical playing style in heavy metal music, heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning over 40 years. Early life Malmsteen was born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck in Stockholm, Sweden, the third child of a musical family. In 1975, his mother reverted to her mother's (Yngwie's maternal grandmother Maud's) maiden name Malmsten, a Swedish noble name, which Yngve promptly also started using as his surname. Later he slightly changed it to Malmsteen and altered his third given name Yngve to "Yngwie". Malmsteen played his first show when in 6th grade, on May 11th, 1976 with his first real band, Track on Earth, consisting of himself, his cousin Erik Lannerbäck and a friend from school playing the drums. Later his brother Björn joined on drums. As a teenager he was heavily influenced by ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Rage (German Band)
Rage is a German Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in 1984 by Peter "Peavy" Wagner. They were part of the Music of Germany#Heavy metal, German heavy/speed/power metal scene that emerged in the early to mid-1980s and are considered part of the scene's "big four" alongside Grave Digger (band), Grave Digger, Helloween, and Running Wild (band), Running Wild. Rage was formed in 1984 under the name Avenger. After releasing their debut album ''Prayers of Steel'' and the ''Depraved to Black'' EP in 1985, the band changed their name to Rage due to the existence of another band in England with the same name. Over the years, 17 musicians have been part of Rage, with the most successful lineup emerging during the period now known as the Refuge years, featuring Manni Schmidt and Chris Efthimiadis. The second notable lineup included Mike Terrana and Victor Smolski. Throughout their career, Rage has established themselves as a notably successful band and pioneers of the power metal s ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, ) is a Germany, German Electronic music, electronic band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk was among the first successful acts to popularize the genre. The group began as part of West Germany's experimental krautrock scene in the early 1970s before fully embracing electronic instrumentation, including synthesizers, drum machines, and vocoders. Wolfgang Flür joined the band in 1973 and Karl Bartos in 1975, expanding the band to a quartet. On commercially successful albums such as ''Autobahn (album), Autobahn'' (1974), ''Trans-Europe Express (album), Trans-Europe Express'' (1977), ''The Man-Machine'' (1978), and ''Computer World'' (1981), Kraftwerk developed a self-described "robot pop" style that combined electronic music with pop melodies, sparse arrangements, and repetitive rhythms, while adopting a stylized image including matching suits. Following the rele ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Stradivarius
A Stradivarius is one of the string instruments, such as violins, violas, cellos, and guitars, crafted by members of the Stradivari family, particularly Antonio Stradivari (Latin: Antonius Stradivarius), in Cremona, Italy, during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. These instruments are known for their craftsmanship, tonal quality, and lasting legacy, and are considered some of the finest ever made. Stradivari's violins, in particular, are coveted by musicians and collectors, with many selling for millions of dollars. Antonio Stradivari made over 1,100 instruments, with approximately 650 surviving today. The exact methods Stradivari used to produce the instruments' famed sound remain unknown, with theories ranging from the unique quality of the wood used during the Little Ice Age to the varnishes and chemical treatments applied. Despite extensive scientific research, including modern acoustic analysis and CT scans, no one has been able to conclusively replicate or fully expl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously manufactured the Stratocaster since 1954. The guitar's distinctive body shape was revolutionary when introduced in the mid-1950s, and the first time a mass-market electric guitar did not resemble earlier acoustic models. The double cutaway, elongated horns, and heavily contoured back were all designed for better balance and comfort to play while standing up and slung off the shoulder with a strap. The three- pickup design was a step up from earlier one- and two-pickup guitars, and a responsive and simplified vibrato arm integrated into the bridge plate, which marked a significant design improvement over other vibrato systems, such as those manufactured by Bigsby. However, Stratocasters without the vibrato system (" ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together.Garner's Modern American Usage p. 644. English examples include '' smog'', coined by blending ''smoke'' and ''fog'', and '''', from ''motor'' ('' motorist'') and ''hotel''. A blend is similar to a [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
|
Fourth Dimension (Stratovarius Album)
''Fourth Dimension'' is the fourth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 11 March 1995 through Noise Records."Stratovarius - Fourth Dimension (album)" ''finnishcharts.com''. Hung Medien. Retrieved 14 July 2021. The album is the band's first to feature vocalist as well as the last with keyboardist Antti Ikonen and drummer Tuomo Lassila, thus being the last Stratovarius album to date featuring an all-Finnish line-up. Founding member and guitarist [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |