Polaris (Stratovarius album)

Polaris is the twelfth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 15 May 2009. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature bassist Lauri Porra and guitarist Matias Kupiainen, following former bassist Jari Kainulainen's departure from the band in 2005 and former guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008.

Polaris
Studio album by Stratovarius
Released	15 May 2009[1]
Recorded	September–December 2008 at Finnvox Studios, Hästfittan Studios and 5 by 5 Audio in Pitäjänmäki; Musicworks; Timo Kotipelto's home; Der Bunker
Genre	Power metal progressive metal neoclassical metal
Length	54:55[2]
Label	Edel
Producer	Stratovarius
Stratovarius chronology
Black Diamond: The Anthology (2006) Polaris (2009) Elysium (2011)
Alternative cover
Vinyl edition
Singles from Polaris
"Deep Unknown" / "Higher We Go" Released: 29 April 2009[3]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]

Timo Kotipelto, who at the time of Polaris' release had been a member of Stratovarius in the earliest year (1994) among the current members, considered Polaris to be "the album that saved the band" and said that "without it there would not be any Stratovarius."[5] More time passed between the release of Stratovarius' eponymous album Stratovarius in 2005 and the release of Polaris than between any other two consecutive albums released by the band. Stratovarius in 2006[6] had recorded a demo album called Revolution Renaissance, performed one Revolution Renaissance song live in August 2007 ("Last Night on Earth") and according to Kotipelto had intended to release a completed version of the album in 2008.[7] However, the songs of that album were re-recorded and released in 2008 as New Era, the first album of Tolkki's new band, Revolution Renaissance, which acquired the album's prior name.

Polaris reached No. 2 on the Finnish albums chart, as well as reaching the top 70 in five other countries.[1][8] "Deep Unknown" was released as a single, reaching No. 20 on the Finnish singles chart.[9] In its first week of release, the album sold around 800 copies in the U.S.[10]

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Deep Unknown"	Timo Kotipelto	Matias Kupiainen	4:28
2.	"Falling Star"	Lauri Porra	Porra	4:33
3.	"King of Nothing"	Jens Johansson	Johansson	6:43
4.	"Blind"	Johansson	Johansson	5:28
5.	"Winter Skies"	Johansson	Johansson	5:50
6.	"Forever Is Today"	Porra	Porra	4:40
7.	"Higher We Go"	Kotipelto	Kotipelto, Kupiainen	3:47
8.	"Somehow Precious"	Kotipelto	Kotipelto, Kupiainen	5:37
9.	"Emancipation Suite Part I: Dusk"	Porra	Porra	6:57
10.	"Emancipation Suite Part II: Dawn"	Porra	Porra	3:40
11.	"When Mountains Fall"	Porra	Porra	3:12
Total length:				54:55

Digipak edition bonus track

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
12.	"Deep Unknown (Mikko Raita Vinyl Mix)"	Kotipelto	Kupiainen	4:46

Japanese edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Deep Unknown"	Kotipelto, Kupiainen	4:28
2.	"Falling Star"	Porra	4:33
3.	"King of Nothing"	Johansson	6:43
4.	"Second Sight"	Kotipelto, Kupiainen	4:25
5.	"Blind"	Johansson	5:28
6.	"Winter Skies"	Johansson	5:50
7.	"Forever Is Today"	Porra	4:40
8.	"Higher We Go"	Kotipelto, Kupiainen	3:47
9.	"Somehow Precious"	Kotipelto, Kupiainen	5:37
10.	"Emancipation Suite Part I: Dusk"	Porra	6:57
11.	"Emancipation Suite Part II: Dawn"	Porra	3:40
12.	"When Mountains Fall"	Porra	3:12

7" vinyl collector's edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Second Sight (Mikko Karmilla Polycarbonate Mix)"	Kotipelto, Kupiainen
2.	"King Of Nothing (Matias Kupiainen Death Star Mix)"	Johansson

Digipak edition reissue live bonus disc

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Destiny"	Timo Tolkki	Tolkki	10:12
2.	"Hunting High and Low"	Kotipelto	Tolkki	5:07
3.	"Speed of Light"	Kotipelto	Tolkki	3:14
4.	"The Kiss of Judas"	Kotipelto	Tolkki	6:54
5.	"Deep Unknown"	Kotipelto	Kupiainen	5:08
6.	"A Million Light Years Away"	Tolkki	Tolkki	5:33
7.	"Bach: Air Suite"	(instrumental)	Johann Sebastian Bach	2:17
8.	"Winter Skies"	Johansson	Johansson	5:19
9.	"Phoenix"	Tolkki	Tolkki	6:08
10.	"SOS"	Tolkki, Kotipelto	Tolkki	3:55
11.	"Forever is Today"	Porra	Porra	5:15
12.	"King of Nothing"	Johansson	Johansson	6:39
13.	"Father Time"	Kotipelto, Richard Johnson	Tolkki	5:19
14.	"Higher We Go"	Kotipelto	Kotipelto, Kupiainen	4:07
Total length:				75:07

Personnel

Stratovarius

• Timo Kotipelto – lead vocals, background vocals, production
• Matias Kupiainen – guitar, background vocals, engineering (vocals, guitar, bass), production
• Jens Johansson – keyboard, background vocals, engineering, production
• Jörg Michael – drums, production
• Lauri Porra – bass, background vocals, production

Additional credits

• Seppo Rautasuo – strings (track 11)
• Heikki Hämäläinen – strings (track 11)
• Heikki Vehmanen – strings (track 11)
• Kari Lindstedt – strings (track 11)
• Perttu Vänskä – strings arrangement (tracks 1, 8), strings programming (tracks 1, 8), engineering (acoustic guitar; track 11), additional Pro Tools editing
• Pessi Levanto – strings arrangement (track 11)
• Alexi Parviainen – background vocals
• Marko Waara – background vocals
• Tipe Johnson – background vocals
• Tony Kakko – background vocals
• Tommi Vainikainen – engineering (strings; track 11)
• Mikko Karmila – mixing
• Mikko Raita – mixing (track 11)
• Svante Forsbäck – mastering

Release history

Following Polaris' original release, a Digipak edition was reissued on 21 May 2010, containing a bonus disc of live recordings from the 2009–10 Polaris world tour.[11]

Region	Date	Label
Europe	15 May 2009	Edel[1]
Japan		Victor[12]
United States		Armoury[11]
Europe (reissue)	21 May 2010	Edel[11]

Chart performance

Album

Year	Chart	Position
2009	Finnish albums chart	2[1]
	Italian albums chart	47[8]
	German albums chart	55[10]
	Swiss albums chart	57[1]
	Billboard Heatseekers	57[10]
	French albums chart	62[1]

Singles

Year	Title	Chart	Position
2009	"Deep Unknown"	Finnish singles chart	20[9]

References

1. "Stratovarius - Polaris (album)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
2. Polaris (CD release "0196732ERE").
3. "Stratovarius: 'Deep Unknown' Video Available". Blabbermouth. 2009-04-21. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
4. Prato, Greg. "Polaris - Stratovarius". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
5. Timo Kotipelto photocard released with Digipak edition CD of Stratovarius' Elysium.
6. "TIMO TOLKKI: 'STRATOVARIUS Is No More'". Blabbermouth. 2008-04-02. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
7. "Stratovarius - Last Night on Earth (WOA 2007)". YouTube post of a 2007 Wacken Open Air (WOA) concert. 2007-08-04. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
8. "Classifica settimanale dal 15/05/2009 al 21/05/2009 (Negozi specializzati)" at the Wayback Machine (archived April 4, 2012). (in Italian). FIMI. 2009. Archived from the original on 2012-04-04. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
9. "Stratovarius - Deep Unknown (song)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
10. "Stratovarius: 'Polaris' First-Week Sales Revealed". Blabbermouth. 2009-06-03. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
11. "Stratovarius: 'Polaris' To Be Reissued With Live CD". Blabbermouth. 2010-04-30. Retrieved 2014-01-09.
12. "Stratovarius: 'Polaris' Artwork Unveiled". Blabbermouth. 2009-03-13. Retrieved 2014-01-09.

External links

• Polaris at stratovarius.com