🎸 Stratovarius – Infinite (2000)
📀 Album Overview
Infinite is the eighth studio album by Stratovarius, released in 2000. It marks the end of the band’s classic 1990s golden era and the beginning of a more modern, polished 2000s sound.
The album expands further into symphonic and progressive structures, featuring longer compositions, heavier orchestration, and more cinematic arrangements than Destiny (1998). It is also one of the most ambitious Stratovarius releases in terms of production scale.
🎵 Tracklist
- Hunting High and Low
- Millennium
- Mother Gaia
- Phoenix
- Glory of the World
- A Million Light Years Away
- Freedom
- Infinity
- Celestial Dream
🎶 Music Genre
- Power Metal
- Symphonic Metal
- Progressive Metal (elements)
The album is defined by layered orchestration, fast melodic guitar work, and expansive song structures, with a stronger emphasis on atmosphere and dynamics.
👥 Credits
Band Members:
- Timo Tolkki – guitars, production, songwriting
- Timo Kotipelto – vocals
- Jari Kainulainen – bass
- Antti Ikonen – keyboards
- Jörg Michael – drums
Production:
- Produced by Timo Tolkki
- Recorded in Finland
🎸 Musical Direction & Sound
Infinite pushes Stratovarius into a more cinematic and symphonic direction:
- “Hunting High and Low” – iconic anthem with uplifting melody and major commercial success
- “Millennium” – fast, aggressive opener with classic power metal energy
- “Mother Gaia” – epic, environmentally themed composition with progressive structure
- “Phoenix” – emotional and uplifting mid-tempo track
- “Infinity” – expansive closing piece with orchestral atmosphere
The album blends speed metal precision with large-scale symphonic ambition, making it one of their most polished works.
🤓 Fun Facts & Trivia
- “Hunting High and Low” became one of Stratovarius’ most commercially successful songs.
- The album features some of their longest and most cinematic compositions.
- It is often considered the final album of their classic peak-era continuity (1995–2000).
- The production is notably more layered and polished than earlier releases.
🧠 Did You Know?
- Timo Tolkki described Infinite as one of the most ambitious productions in Stratovarius’ history.
- Timo Kotipelto’s vocal performance here is among his most controlled and versatile.
- The album’s themes include nature, freedom, and human aspiration.
- It helped cement Stratovarius as one of the most internationally recognized power metal bands.
- It marked a transition point before lineup and stylistic changes in the early 2000s.
