Dirkschneiderissa, Circle II Circlessa sekä I Am Morbidissa vaikuttanut ja äskettäin debyyttilevynsä julkaisseessa power metal –yhtye Northtalessa nykyisin esiintyvä kitaristi Bill Hudson on listannut Metal Hammerille omat voimametallisuosikkinsa.

Listalle nousee Helloweenin, Angran ja Blind Guardianin rinnalle kaksi Stratovariuksen klassikkolevyä ”Episode” (1996) sekä ”Visions” (1997). Jälkimmäinen albumi on Hudsonin mukaan yksi kaikkien aikojen parhaista kokonaisuuksista ja kulki vahvasti kitaristin mukana tämän kouluaikoina.

Hudsonin kommentit ”Episode”-levystä:

Finnish guitarist and composer Timo Tolkki had been doing his thing with Stratovarius for a few years. The band had already put out amazing records such as “Fourth Dimension” and “Dreamspace” up to this point. However, it feels to me like that band really reached their true potential on this record.

This is also the first with the “classic” line-up, which included former Yngwie Malmsteen keyboard player Jens Johansson and former Rage, Grave Digger and Running Wild drummer Jörg Michael in addition to the vocalist Timo Kotipelto and bassist Jari Kainulainen. The power metal genre is taken to a new level by adding Rainbow and Yngwie Malmsteen influences to a sound that was, at that point, already 10 years old.

Tolkki admittedly was very influenced by the ”Keeper” sound, as were all of us, but he did his own take on it, and this resulted in one of my favourite albums of all time.

”Visions”-albumista Hudson kertoo seuraavaa:

Improving on the style they created with “Episode”, Stratovarius took their neoclassical power metal to the next level with this album. From the harpsichord intro in “Black Diamond” to the epic ending in the title track, this record is one of the best things ever done in music, if you ask me.

Lyrically, it is a concept album about Nostradamus, but done 11 years before Judas Priest even thought about it. The lead guitar and keyboard work is fantastic, and a huge influence on my own music. To me, every track is a stand out… it’s really hard to pick one moment, as I spent a lot of time listening to this record in high school. Kotipelto’s vocal performance is stellar in this.

Hudsonin top-10 power metal levyt alla:

1.Helloween – Keeper Of The Seven Keys
2.Helloween – Walls Of Jericho
3.Stratovarius – Episode
4.Angra – Angels Cry
5.Blind Guardian – Somewhere Far Beyond
6.Gamma Ray – Land Of The Free
7.Blind Guardian – Imaginations From The Other Side
8.Angra Holy Land
9.Stratovarius – Visions
10.Hammerfall – Glory To The Brave

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Lähde: Metal Hammer
Kuva: Ricardo Fereira