Episode (Stratovarius album)
1996 studio album by Stratovarius
Episode is the fifth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 22 April 1996 through Noise Records. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature keyboardist Jens Johansson and drummer Jörg Michael, both of whom would form part of the band's most stable line-up for a decade. The album reached No. 21 on the Finnish albums chart and remained on that chart for six weeks.
The album blends heavy, fast-paced songs like "Father Time" with slower tracks and features the memorable "Sibelius String Orchestra" for added atmospheric depth. It is viewed as a high point for the band and features more complex song writing.
Critical reception
The album has received high praise and is considered a classic of melodic speed metal, praised for its intricate instrumental work, Timo Kotipelto's powerful vocals, and the incorporation of classical elements like string orchestras. Antti J. Ravelin writing for AllMusic wrote “Episode is indeed a big step for Stratovarius. It's the album on which they finally reached the sound that would last for years. Larry Griffin writing for Metalcrypt gave the album a perfect score calming “with a lot of innovation that the genre hadn't seen since the glory days of Queensryche and Crimson Glory in the 80s and a songwriting talent great enough to shatter a supernova.
The public source identifies “Episode (Stratovarius album)” as 1996 studio album by Stratovarius. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Episode, Stratovarius and album.
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Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated Apr 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q900962. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1996.
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