I was considering shoe-horning this into Frog’s ‘Length Matters’ segment, although this song’s length is laughable compared to the material in that section – however, I’d like to discuss power metal band Stratovarius’ attempt at a progressive epic: ‘Elysium’.
At 18 minutes, the song displays clear progressions in motifs and a shifting in tempo and mood to effectively convey the song’s ‘Valhalla’-esque concept. Where the band’s iconic power metal vibe lacks in technical complexity typical of progressive metal, the grandiose style more than makes up for it in portraying such a song of epic proportions. Even if it’s not your particular cup of tea, I feel that Stratovarius’ attempts to adopt a progressive flair in their music should be commended.
What do you think of ‘Elysium’? I personally think it’s one of Stratovarius‘ best songs, and perhaps one of my favourite metal songs ever – even with it not being explicitly progressive.
Post originally published on the Prog Talk FB page on 22/08/2015 by ~Cerpin Taxt.
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