Twilight Time (album)
| Twilight Time | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | Early 1992 | |||
| Recorded | Millbrook Musiikki in Helsinki | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 41:59 | |||
| Label | Shark | |||
| Producer | Stratovarius | |||
| Stratovarius chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
 Original cover | ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 1992 reissue | ||||
| Singles from Twilight Time | ||||
| ||||
Twilight Time is the second studio album by the power metal band Stratovarius. The album was originally recorded and released in the band's native Finland as Stratovarius II in early 1992 by Bluelight Records.[2]
Stratovarius got a new international record deal from Shark Records later in the same year. The album was released worldwide under a new name, Twilight Time, and different artwork, although it remained musically unchanged.[3] In June 1993, the album was also released in Japan by Victor Entertainment as Twilight Time.[4]
Bluelight Records made two reissues of the album in Finland, retaining the name Stratovarius II. Released in 1992 and 1993, these reissues changed the cover artwork by replacing the original "feet" picture with a picture of the band members.[5][6] That same picture can be found on the back cover of the Twilight Time releases.
The Stratovarius II releases, especially the ones with the original "feet" cover, are considered somewhat collector items. The initial Finnish pressings of the album were small, and it has never been repressed or released internationally with the original name or cover.[7]
Bassist Jari Behm appears in the band photos of the release and is credited with playing, but all bass parts on the album were actually performed by the guitarist and then-bandleader Timo Tolkki.[2]
Critical reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
Steve Huey at AllMusic notes that Twilight Time significantly helped to establish Stratovarius' popularity in Japan, and that the band's "melodic, retro-British/power metal sound really started to jell."[8]
Track listing
[edit]All music is composed by Timo Tolkki
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Break the Ice" | Tuomo Lassila | 4:42 |
| 2. | "The Hands of Time" | Tolkki, Lassila | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Madness Strikes at Midnight" | Tolkki | 7:19 |
| 4. | "Metal Frenzy" | (instrumental) | 2:20 |
| 5. | "Twilight Time" | Tolkki, Lassila | 5:50 |
| 6. | "The Hills Have Eyes" | Lassila | 6:19 |
| 7. | "Out of the Shadows" | Tolkki, Lassila | 4:09 |
| 8. | "Lead Us into the Light" | Tolkki | 5:45 |
| Total length: | 41:59 | ||
Personnel
[edit]- Timo Tolkki – vocals, guitar, bass guitar,[2] production
- Antti Ikonen – keyboard, production
- Tuomo Lassila – drums, percussion, production
- Juha Heininen – engineering, mixing
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[9] | 43 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Stratovarius – Break The Ice (song)". finnishcharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 November 2014.
- ^ a b c "History". stratovarius.com. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- ^ Jari M Behm (2017-06-02). Stratovarius Live in Tullikamari 1992. Retrieved 2024-12-14 – via YouTube.
- ^ Stratovarius - Twilight Time, 1993-06-23, retrieved 2024-12-14
- ^ Stratovarius - II, 1992-02-20, retrieved 2024-12-14
- ^ Stratovarius - II, 1993, retrieved 2024-12-14
- ^ Stratovarius - II, 1991, retrieved 2024-12-14
- ^ a b Huey, Steve. "Twilight Time - Stratovarius". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 17 January 2014.
- ^ Oricon Album Chart Book: Complete Edition 1970–2005 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. 2006. ISBN 4-87131-077-9.
External links
[edit]- II at stratovarius.com
- Twilight Time at stratovarius.com
