''Twilight Time'' is the second studio album by the

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 ...

. The album was originally recorded and released in the band's native Finland as ''Stratovarius II'' in early 1992 by Bluelight Records."History"
stratovarius.com. Retrieved 17 January 2014. Stratovarius got a new international record deal from Shark Records later in the same year. The album was released worldwide under a new name, ''Twilight Time'', and different artwork, although it remained musically unchanged. In June 1993, the album was also released in Japan by

Victor Entertainment is a subsidiary of JVCKenwood that produces and distributes music, movies and other entertainment products such as anime and television shows in Japan. It is known as JVC Entertainment in countries where Sony Music Entertainment operates the RC ...

as ''Twilight Time''. Bluelight Records made two reissues of the album in Finland, retaining the name ''Stratovarius II''. Released in 1992 and 1993, these reissues changed the cover artwork by replacing the original "feet" picture with a picture of the band members. That same picture can be found on the back cover of the ''Twilight Time'' releases. The ''Stratovarius II'' releases, especially the ones with the original "feet" cover, are considered somewhat collector items. The initial Finnish pressings of the album were small, and it has never been repressed or released internationally with the original name or cover. Bassist Jari Behm appears in the band photos of the release and is credited with playing, but all bass parts on the album were actually performed by the guitarist and then-bandleader

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 ...

Critical reception

Steve Huey at

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

notes that ''Twilight Time'' significantly helped to establish Stratovarius' popularity in Japan, and that the band's "melodic, retro-British/power metal sound really started to jell."Huey, Steve
"Twilight Time - Stratovarius"
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''.

All Media Network RhythmOne , a subsidiary of Nexxen, is an American digital advertising technology company that owns and operates the web properties AllMusic, AllMovie, and SideReel. Blinkx was founded in 2004, went public on the AIM market of the London St ...

. Retrieved 17 January 2014.

Track listing

Personnel

–

vocals Singing is the art of creating music with the voice. It is the oldest form of musical expression, and the human voice can be considered the first musical instrument. The definition of singing varies across sources. Some sources define sing ...

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 ...

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

, production *Antti Ikonen – keyboard, production * Tuomo Lassila –

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 ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

, production *Juha Heininen –

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 ...

, mixing

Charts

References

External links

''II''
at stratovarius.com
''Twilight Time''
at stratovarius.com {{Authority control Stratovarius albums 1992 albums 1993 albums Victor Entertainment albums