STRATOVARIUS need no introduction. As the founding fathers of the Finnish power metal scene, they released a string of albums in the second half of the '90s that are rightfully considered among the best in the genre. In the new millennium, the band managed to record three albums, yet both critics and fans noted a regression compared to the earlier works. The second part of the conceptual opus "Elements," in many people's opinion the weakest studio effort from the Finnish power metallers -- relations within the band were extremely strained at the time, and at the end of 2003 a scandal erupted when frontman Timo Tolkki announced the firing of vocalist Timo Kotipelto and drummer Jorg Michael. Attempts to find a replacement for Kotipelto were unsuccessful, and in April 2004 came more shocking news -- Tolkki was hospitalized after a failed suicide attempt... December. The first rumors of a reunion surface. And then, in early 2005, the band returns in its classic lineup. Tolkki publishes a lengthy statement on the website, full of remorse. The musicians record a new album -- "Stratovarius" -- which is planned for a September release...
And one more thing. Before discussing the single under review, one must mention a recent interview with Kotipelto in which he speaks very harshly about the second part of "Elements" and talks about significant changes in the musical direction that should have happened sooner. Thus, the disc at hand contains two songs -- "Maniac Dance" and "United." Instead of speed power metal with vocals in the upper register, we hear measured heavy metal with a calm, non-shrill vocal delivery. The music has truly undergone dramatic changes. The technical execution and sound are excellent. At the same time, these songs cannot be called extraordinarily original. Everything is fairly straightforward. The compositions are not complex in structure and are free of pretension. The track "United," somewhat reminiscent of a victory march, bears an "edit" note, so most likely the album version will be longer.