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.[1]
| Episode | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 22 April 1996[1] | |||
| Recorded | October 1995 – February 1996 | |||
| Studio | Finnvox Studios, Helsinki | |||
| Genre | Power metal[2] neoclassical metal | |||
| Length | 62:56[3] | |||
| Label | Noise | |||
| Producer | Timo Tolkki | |||
| Stratovarius chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Episode | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Father Time" | Timo Kotipelto, Richard Johnson | Timo Tolkki | 5:01 |
| 2. | "Will the Sun Rise?" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | 5:06 |
| 3. | "Eternity" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | 6:55 |
| 4. | "Episode" | (instrumental) | Tolkki | 2:01 |
| 5. | "Speed of Light" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | 3:03 |
| 6. | "Uncertainty" | Kotipelto | Kotipelto | 5:59 |
| 7. | "Season of Change" | Tolkki | Tolkki | 6:56 |
| 8. | "Stratosphere" | (instrumental) | Tolkki | 4:51 |
| 9. | "Babylon" | Tolkki | Tolkki | 7:09 |
| 10. | "Tomorrow" | Johnson | Tolkki | 4:51 |
| 11. | "Night Time Eclipse" | Kotipelto | Tolkki | 7:58 |
| 12. | "Forever" | Tolkki | Tolkki | 3:06 |
| Total length: | 62:56 | |||
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "When the Night Meets the Day" | Tolkki | Tolkki | 5:30 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14. | "Future Shock '96" | Tuomo Lassila, Tolkki | Lassila, Tolkki | 4:27 |
Personnel
edit- 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 consultation
- Timo Oksala – engineering
- Rene Siren – engineering
- Erol Sakir – tape operation
- Mikko Karmila – mixing
- Mika Jussila – mastering
Charts
edit| Chart (1996) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[5] | 21 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6] | 20 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Stratovarius - Episode (album)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
- ^ 10 greatest power metal albums as chosen by Northtale
- ^ Episode (CD release "TT 022-2").
- ^ Ravelin, Antti J. "Episode - Stratovarius". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2014-11-05.
- ^ "Stratovarius: Episode" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved June 20, 2024.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
External links
edit- Episode at stratovarius.com