Stratovarius has been laid to rest, and a new era begins with Revolution Renaissance. Only time will tell if this is the right move for Timo Tolkki... have the stars aligned for him, or does he have a bumpy ride ahead of him...

'New Era' has his strong signature written all over the album, and isn't that remote from a few Stratovarius albums, 'Destiny' is probably the one it has the most in common with. The three vocalists sharing the vocal duties gives the album a different feel and I think Michael Kiske get's away with it with the best result. The other two; Tobias Sammet and Pasi Rantanen do at times sound a bit misplaced...

After listening to this album for a couple of weeks, I must admit that the jury is still out on this one, and the next Revolution Renaissance and the Saana project will decide if this was the right move for Timo... for now we have to settle for a solid album that is sadly leaning most towards mediocrity.