Tracklist:
01. Fields of Avalon
02. Come by the Hills
03. Santiago
04. Alayna
05. Forevermore
06. Pilgrim Road
07. In Paradisum
08. Rhapsody in Black
09. I Walk In Neon
10. Don't Let Me Go
Country: Finland
Genre: Power metal
Label: Edel Records
Released: March 23:d, 2011
Website: http://www.symfonia.fi
Line-up:
André Matos - vocals
Timo Tolkki - guitars
Jari Kainulainen - bass
Mikko Härkin - keyboards
Uli Kusch - drums
To make a long story short: Timo Tolkki left Stratovarius, formed Revolution Renaissance and released three albums before putting an end to the band. With all the turmoil surrounding his exit from Stratovarius, maybe he didn't find the calm and serenity needed to maximize his songwriting? To say that Symfonia may be his last shot at reedeming himself, however, would be grossly unfair towards the other band members. Symfonia is a veritable all star band, featuring Jari Kainulainen (ex-Stratovarius, Evergrey), Mikko Härkin (ex-Sonata Arctica, Wingdom), Uli Kusch (ex-Helloween, Gamma Ray, Masterplan) and last but not least vocal maestro André Matos (ex-Angra, Viper, Shaman).
Maybe it's being surrounded by other top names in the metal scene, or that he's come to the exact point in his musical career where he feels he doesn't need to prove anything anymore, but In Paradisum feels about as fresh as you could hope for from Tolkki at this point. Sure, you'll say, it's never going to get better than Visions, Destiny or Episode, and yes, this album does not top those, but it's damn close, and that's all that matters to me. With songwriting duties shared by Tolkki and Matos, you get a couple of up-tempo songs, some mid-tempos and two ballads, which makes for a balanced mix in any power metal album.
The opening track "Fields of Avalon" gets all guns blazing immediately and takes no prisoners. It's a real corker, and for those of you who might be worried if Matos still delivers in the higher registers, worry not. He pulls it off, and even though you can hear that he's gotten older there's still power in those pipes. Live is another matter altogether, though. Next is mid-tempo rocker "Come By The Hills" which is a solid song with an enjoyable chorus that, while delivering nothing new, still manages to deliver the goods. "Santiago", another speedy tune sports a bridge/pre-chorus that's cooler than the actual refrain, but then around the three minute-mark you're treated to an acoustic interlude that gives way to some very cool harmonized guitar leads. A subtle nod to the past from Tolkki, mayhaps?
"Alayna" is a sappy ballad that will have the lighters up faster than you can say "November Rain." The song pushes all the right buttons, and André delivers a perfect performance, but I still can't help but wonder what this would have sounded like with Timo Kotipelto singing. "Forevermore", yet another up-tempo song (and at this point I'd like to give a nod of appreciation in the band's direction - you can never get too many fast songs!) and this would be a good example of the best songwriting Tolkki never did for Stratovarius. Sure, run-of-the-mill, some of you will scream, and who am I to contest that, but still, you know how it goes. If it ain't broke ... Somewhere in the middle and towards the song we have some very nice keyboards courtesy of Mr Härkin, sounding almost bluesy in their faux-dirtiness.
"Pilgrim Road" has become a favorite of mine. The shortest song on the album, it still manages to capture the attention with its mid-tempo pacing and folkish melody lines. The guitar solo here gives the song a bluesy and folksy feel that makes it more of a straight up rock song, were it not for the chorus which may put some people off with its immediacy, but to makes the tune all the more appealing. "In Paradisum" is the album's epic, clocking in at 9+ minutes and featuring multi-layered vocals and choirs, going for the bombast of Stratovarius classics such as "Destiny" and "Infinity". It is a moody and quite dark song, and a welcome contrast to the "lighter" side of the previous songs. It ranges from ballad-esque to mid-tempoish groove to speedier passages. Matos shines on this one, and although not my favorite track, it grows on me with each listen. "Rhapsody In Black" and "I Walk In Neon" are among the weaker tracks on the album, "Neon" being the stronger of the two, sporting a vocal melody that needs proper time to sink in, but when it does it works wonders, mainly due to André Matos. Lastly we have the ballad "Don't Let Me Go", which is ok, but pales in comparison to "Alayna". I also question the idea of putting a ballad at the end of an album. Would have been more fitting to end on the same note as you started, that is with a fast as fuck song.
So, to sum things up, a more than decent album from Symfonia. All of the guys have musical chops aplenty and the songwriting is the kind you'd expect from a band of this caliber. Although not a prerequisite, if you're a fan of mid-era Stratovarius and/or the outputs of Andre Matos, don't hesitate. I'm not sure this album would convince a non-believer, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't the intention either.
Maybe it's being surrounded by other top names in the metal scene, or that he's come to the exact point in his musical career where he feels he doesn't need to prove anything anymore, but In Paradisum feels about as fresh as you could hope for from Tolkki at this point. Sure, you'll say, it's never going to get better than Visions, Destiny or Episode, and yes, this album does not top those, but it's damn close, and that's all that matters to me. With songwriting duties shared by Tolkki and Matos, you get a couple of up-tempo songs, some mid-tempos and two ballads, which makes for a balanced mix in any power metal album.
The opening track "Fields of Avalon" gets all guns blazing immediately and takes no prisoners. It's a real corker, and for those of you who might be worried if Matos still delivers in the higher registers, worry not. He pulls it off, and even though you can hear that he's gotten older there's still power in those pipes. Live is another matter altogether, though. Next is mid-tempo rocker "Come By The Hills" which is a solid song with an enjoyable chorus that, while delivering nothing new, still manages to deliver the goods. "Santiago", another speedy tune sports a bridge/pre-chorus that's cooler than the actual refrain, but then around the three minute-mark you're treated to an acoustic interlude that gives way to some very cool harmonized guitar leads. A subtle nod to the past from Tolkki, mayhaps?
"Alayna" is a sappy ballad that will have the lighters up faster than you can say "November Rain." The song pushes all the right buttons, and André delivers a perfect performance, but I still can't help but wonder what this would have sounded like with Timo Kotipelto singing. "Forevermore", yet another up-tempo song (and at this point I'd like to give a nod of appreciation in the band's direction - you can never get too many fast songs!) and this would be a good example of the best songwriting Tolkki never did for Stratovarius. Sure, run-of-the-mill, some of you will scream, and who am I to contest that, but still, you know how it goes. If it ain't broke ... Somewhere in the middle and towards the song we have some very nice keyboards courtesy of Mr Härkin, sounding almost bluesy in their faux-dirtiness.
"Pilgrim Road" has become a favorite of mine. The shortest song on the album, it still manages to capture the attention with its mid-tempo pacing and folkish melody lines. The guitar solo here gives the song a bluesy and folksy feel that makes it more of a straight up rock song, were it not for the chorus which may put some people off with its immediacy, but to makes the tune all the more appealing. "In Paradisum" is the album's epic, clocking in at 9+ minutes and featuring multi-layered vocals and choirs, going for the bombast of Stratovarius classics such as "Destiny" and "Infinity". It is a moody and quite dark song, and a welcome contrast to the "lighter" side of the previous songs. It ranges from ballad-esque to mid-tempoish groove to speedier passages. Matos shines on this one, and although not my favorite track, it grows on me with each listen. "Rhapsody In Black" and "I Walk In Neon" are among the weaker tracks on the album, "Neon" being the stronger of the two, sporting a vocal melody that needs proper time to sink in, but when it does it works wonders, mainly due to André Matos. Lastly we have the ballad "Don't Let Me Go", which is ok, but pales in comparison to "Alayna". I also question the idea of putting a ballad at the end of an album. Would have been more fitting to end on the same note as you started, that is with a fast as fuck song.
So, to sum things up, a more than decent album from Symfonia. All of the guys have musical chops aplenty and the songwriting is the kind you'd expect from a band of this caliber. Although not a prerequisite, if you're a fan of mid-era Stratovarius and/or the outputs of Andre Matos, don't hesitate. I'm not sure this album would convince a non-believer, but I'm pretty sure this wasn't the intention either.
