Stratosphere Fire Flight
by Joe Mis
Staff Writer
There is definitely something in the water over in Gothenburg, Sweden that encourages the creation of superb music. Stratosphere is one of the latest in a long line of powerful Scandinavian bands, and will be releasing their debut CD entitled Fire Flight on Escape Music.
Masterminded by well-respected keyboardist Jeppe Lund, Stratosphere blends elements of orchestral and progressive metal together with a huge dose of melodic rock to come up with a tight and polished sound that is sure to impress anyone who likes melodic metal. Fronted by the familiar and distinctive voice of Goran Edman (Malmsteen, Street Talk, John Norum), Stratosphere makes classically influenced metal that is not overly pretentious or highbrow and is easily accessible to the casual listener. The music from start to finish is dominated by vocals, guitar and keyboards, and each song is well crafted and well performed. The engineering is crisp and clear giving the entire album a polished and unified sound no matter the intensity or musical arrangement.
The members of Stratosphere are all immensely talented and work together as a team. Goran Edman’s voice is as solid as ever whether singing softly or pushing the limits of his range. He gets to sing with varying levels of intensity across a broad range of rock styles and handles everything well. Guitarist Jonas Larsen is a fine classical player, but he is not a one trick pony. Larsen can lay down wonderful Malmsteen-esque classical fills, and just as easily blast out some super heavy but simple lines. He is a fine soloist and is not hung up on playing “fast” and adjusts his style to suit the music. Jeppe Lund’s keyboard work is awesome without doubt. His work is a solid counterpoint to Larsen’s guitars and is as important to the overall feel and structure of the music as any other member of the band. Jim McCarty (drums) and Anders Borre Mathiesen (bass) are both capable players as well, but are so overshadowed by the other members of the band that they only really get to shine during the band’s two instrumentals.
“Russian Summer” opens the disc and sets the tone for the balance of the album. The keys dominate the intro while the guitars lay down a simple but hooky rhythm line. Once Edman’s vocals kick in there is no doubt that this is razor sharp Scandinavian metal. “The Battle Within” is a high-energy track with a very classical feel that provides an introspective look at a soldier’s post-duty life and the problems he may face. The intro to “Enemy Of My Soul” is a quiet and haunting symphonic passage that breaks out into a huge vocal chorus, but the band switches to a more conventional hard rock style when they visit the “Streets Of Moscow.” Edman’s vocals are particularly strong and expressive on both tracks. The instrumental “Rendezvous” gives Edman a breather and lets the other guys really show their chops. It is very classical and very intense, allowing everyone to blend together in layer upon layer of music.
“Shining Star” opens the second half of the disc. It is a very arena friendly AOR love song – a bit syrupy and overly sentimental, but Edman’s vocals are at their best throughout, and Larsen lays down some great guitar fills. “China Girl” has a “pop metal” feel to it, not fitting in fully with the rest of the album, perhaps added as a time filler, but it does feature some nice guitar work. “Princess of the Night” is a very soft ballad built around the vocal but featuring amazing guitar and keyboard teamwork underneath it all. “VIP” starts off light and melodic, but quickly becomes a very gritty song that paints a less that flattering look at the “celebrity” lifestyle and gives Goran a chance to growl a little. The sweeping instrumental “Fire Flight” wraps the album in fine style – big keyboards, soaring guitar riffs, great bass and drum rhythm lines, and is musically the strongest track on the release.
On the whole, Fire Flight should be on the “must have” list of every orchestral / classical / symphonic metal fan. The big hooks and catchy rhythms will easily appeal to any hard rock fan, and be instantly familiar to anyone who has ever listened to Yngwie. The quality of performance, solid teamwork and overall enthusiasm make Stratosphere’s debut a winner all around. Even though some of the elements of Fire Flight are a bit predictable, the plusses easily outnumber the minuses. A good listen from start to finish, and very highly recommended!
Genre: Orchestral/Progressive Metal
Band:
Goran Edman (vocals)
Jonas Larsen (guitar)
Jim McCarty (drums)
Anders Borre Mathiesen (bass)
Jeppe Lund (keyboards)
Track Listing:
1. Russian Summer
2. The Battle Within
3. Enemy Of My Soul
4. Streets Of Moscow
5. Rendezvous
6. Shining Star
7. China Girl
8. Princess Of The Night
9. VIP
10. Fire Flight
Label: Escape Music
Website: www.myspace.com/stratospherehere
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5/10