As of 2022, Stratovarius have been doing this for 37 years, but their aptly-titled new album, “Survive,” sounds as current and Power-Metal-relevant as ever. This album is all about the speed and the melody, from the performances to the production. In a different studio with a different engineer, songs like “Demand” and “Broken” could have come across with a much heavier punch, but that doesn’t seem to have been the intent here. These tunes may sound much crunchier when played in a live setting, but on record, they keep the low-string power chords and bends a bit thin. Even when the lyrics are full of bite and anger, the emotions are cool and melody-focused.

For all the bands they’ve influenced, I’m definitely hearing echoes of modern North American, Australian, and European Power Metal - - strong sounds of Vanishing Point, Unleash the Archers, Seven Kingdoms, Blind Guardian, Battle Beast, Beast in Black, and a bit of Helloween and Gamma Ray. “Survive” definitely brings less of the virtuoso and Prog Metal vibes that we’ve seen from them in the past, and a bit more straightforward Power Metal.
There’s a lot of classic Stratovarius excellence on display, all throughout “Survive.” It’s a bit of an uneven experience, because the album is bookended with the strongest songs, with a few misses here and there in between. The grand closing number, “Voice of Thunder,” is a perfect encapsulation of the “Survive” experience, with some stellar riffs, some eloquent guitarwork and inspired element construction, but a by-the-numbers chorus that keeps it from leveling up.
This is a good and welcome addition to the Stratovarius catalogue, but I’ll probably go back to their “Nemesis” (2013) and “Eternal” (2015) albums more frequently.