''Polaris'' is the twelfth studio album by

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 co ...

band

Stratovarius 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 ...

, released on 15 May 2009. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature bassist

Lauri Porra (born 13 December 1977) is a Finnish bass guitarist and composer who has written scores for films and other media, as well as commissions from orchestras such as the Lahti Symphony and the Finnish Radio Symphony. He is also known for his wor ...

and guitarist

Matias Kupiainen Matias Kupiainen (born 11 May 1983 in Helsinki) is a Finnish guitarist, songwriter and record producer. He is the current guitarist in Stratovarius. Biography Kupiainen was chosen as the new guitarist for the Finnish power metal band Stratov ...

, following former bassist

Jari Kainulainen Jari "Jartsi" Kainulainen (born 29 April 1970) is a Finnish bass guitarist. He is best known as the former bassist of the power metal band Stratovarius from 1993 to 2005. He is currently the bassist of Masterplan, having joined 2012. After hi ...

's departure from the band in 2005 and former guitarist

Timo Tolkki Timo Tapio Tolkki (born 3 March 1966) is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. With his tenure lasting for more than twenty years, he was the longest standing ...

's departure in 2008.

Timo Kotipelto Timo Antero Kotipelto (born 15 March 1969) is a Finnish musician best known as the lead singer of the power metal band Stratovarius, whom he joined in 1994, as well as fronting his own band Kotipelto. Biography He studied vocals at the pop/ja ...

, 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''. More time passed between the release of Stratovarius' eponymous album ''Stratovarius'' in 2005 and the release of ''Polaris'' than between any other two consecutive albums released by the band. Stratovarius in 2006"TIMO TOLKKI: 'STRATOVARIUS Is No More'"
Blabbermouth. 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2014-12-22. had recorded a demo album called Revolution Renaissance, performed one Revolution Renaissance song live in August 2007 ("Last Night on Earth") and according to Kotipelto had intended to release a completed version of the album in 2008."Stratovarius - Last Night on Earth (WOA 2007)"
YouTube post of a 2007 Wacken Open Air (WOA) concert. 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2014-12-22. However, the songs of that album were re-recorded and released in 2008 as ''New Era'', the first album of Tolkki's new band,

Revolution Renaissance Revolution Renaissance was a multinational power metal band founded by guitarist Timo Tolkki after he left Stratovarius in 2008. The band released three studio albums before disbanding in 2010. History ''New Era'' The studio lineup for the '' N ...

, which acquired the album's prior name. ''Polaris'' reached No. 2 on the

Finnish albums chart The Official Finnish Charts (; ) are national record charts in Finland compiled and published by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. The name ''Suomen virallinen lista/Finlands officiella lista'' (lit. "the Official Finnish Chart"), which is ...

, as well as reaching the top 70 in five other countries.. (in Italian).

FIMI The Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI) or the Federation of the Italian Music Industry is an umbrella organization that keeps track of virtually all aspects of the music recording industry in Italy. It was established in 1992, when ...

. 2009. Archived fro
the original
on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2014-01-09. " Deep Unknown" was released as a single, reaching No. 20 on the

Finnish singles chart The Official Finnish Charts (; ) are national record charts in Finland compiled and published by Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. The name ''Suomen virallinen lista/Finlands officiella lista'' (lit. "the Official Finnish Chart"), which is ...

."Stratovarius - Deep Unknown (song)"
''finnishcharts.com''. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-01-09. In its first week of release, the album sold around 800 copies in the U.S."Stratovarius: 'Polaris' First-Week Sales Revealed"
Blabbermouth. 2009-06-03. Retrieved 2014-01-09.

Track listing

Personnel

Stratovarius

–

lead vocals The lead vocalist in popular music is typically the member of a group or band whose voice is the most prominent melody in a performance where multiple voices may be heard. The lead singer sets their voice against the accompaniment parts of the ...

background vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stat ...

–

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

, background vocals,

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

(vocals, guitar, bass), production *

Jens Johansson Jens Ola Johansson (born 2 November 1963 in Stockholm) is a Swedish keyboardist and pianist. Jens got famous in the early 80's when he and his brother Anders (drums) joined Yngwie Malmsteen's "Rising Force". Jens is the son of the Swedish Jazz ...

–

keyboard Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Mus ...

, background vocals, engineering, production *

Jörg Michael Jörg Michael (born 27 March 1963) is a German drummer who is known for playing with numerous groups, including the power metal band Stratovarius, with whom he played from 1995 to 2011, and Saxon (2004–2005). He has also been a member of Mekon ...

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

, production *

–

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

, background vocals, production

Additional credits

*Seppo Rautasuo –

strings String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

(track 11) *Heikki Hämäläinen – strings (track 11) *Heikki Vehmanen – strings (track 11) *Kari Lindstedt – strings (track 11) *Perttu Vänskä – strings

arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestr ...

(tracks 1, 8), strings

programming Program (American English; also Commonwealth English in terms of computer programming and related activities) or programme (Commonwealth English in all other meanings), programmer, or programming may refer to: Business and management * Program m ...

(tracks 1, 8), engineering (

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

; track 11), additional

Pro Tools Pro Tools is a digital audio workstation (DAW) developed and released by Avid Technology (formerly Digidesign) for Microsoft Windows and macOS. It is used for music creation and production, sound for picture (sound design, audio post-productio ...

editing *Pessi Levanto – strings arrangement (track 11) *Alexi Parviainen – background vocals *Marko Waara – background vocals *Tipe Johnson – background vocals *

Tony Kakko Toni Kristian "Tony" Kakko (born 16 May 1975) is a Finnish musician, composer and vocalist. He is known as the vocalist, primary songwriter, and creative lead of the band Sonata Arctica since 1996. Biography Kakko was born in Kemi, Finland and ...

– background vocals *Tommi Vainikainen – engineering (strings; track 11) *Mikko Karmila – mixing *Mikko Raita – mixing (track 11) *Svante Forsbäck – mastering

Release history

Following ''Polaris original release, a

Digipak Optical disc packaging is the packaging that accompanies CDs, DVDs, and other formats of optical discs. Most packaging is rigid or semi-rigid and designed to protect the media from scratches and other types of exposure damage. Jewel case A ...

edition was reissued on 21 May 2010, containing a bonus disc of live recordings from the 2009–10 ''Polaris'' world tour."Stratovarius: 'Polaris' To Be Reissued With Live CD"
Blabbermouth. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2014-01-09.

Charts

References

External links

Polaris
at stratovarius.com {{Authority control Stratovarius albums 2009 albums Edel AG albums Victor Entertainment albums