The Nordic countries are the holy land of metal music, and Finland is the Jerusalem. For the past few decades, Finland – and the rest of the Nordic countries – have been putting out phenomenal folk and power metal.

Stratovarius is a classic Finnish power metal band. They’re very popular in Finland, and I’m always interested when I hear about a new release of theirs. Their newest release, “Nemesis,” was one of my most anticipated albums of the last several months.

This album is phenomenal. It’s refreshing to hear a power metal release that strays away from the trend of alienating older fans. The rhythm guitar is brutal at times, the lead guitars scream and shred and the drums assault my eardrums in the best way that only a metal-head can understand. The keyboards range from an 80’s synth-pop style to perfectly subtle strings and icy chimes. Vocals are recorded over each other to create a choir of one man in a manner reminiscent of Freddie Mercury’s work in Queen.

The lyrics are of love and medieval fantasy. Such is the norm for power metal lyrics, as the genre celebrates European heritage. Many tracks feature powerful rock anthem choruses that have been stuck in my head for days. “Fantasy, fantasy, can become reality…” of “Fantasy,” and “No one can bring me down/ I will defend my beliefs…” of “Stand My Ground” come to mind.

Standout tracks include the aggressive opener “Abandon,” the powerful “Unbreakable,” the upbeat “Dragons” and the progressive title track “Nemesis.” “Abandon” is the perfect introduction to a live show: drawn-out power chords building into a pounding snare drum with a thrashy power metal guitar hook. It all drops into bass, keyboard, drums and vocals, and it’s at this moment that I knew that this was a Stratovarius record. “Unbreakable” features a catchy hook – you’ll know the one when you hear it – accompanied by an emotional chorus: “You carry me away/ ‘til tomorrow we’re unbreakable/ I hold my breath and wait/ this moment is unbreakable…” I’ve loved this song since I heard the preview of the single. “Dragons” begins with sweeping synths and continues with impressive guitar riffs, Judas Priest-esque chugging during the verses and fantastical lyrics. At the moment, “Dragons” is my favorite, save for maybe “Nemesis.” “Nemesis” is the most engaging track on the album. The instrumentation is so progressive, and unpredictable, at times that I’m excited during the entire song. It’s a very satisfying ending to the album.

It’s difficult to pick out least favorite tracks, since there aren’t any that stick out as weak. “One Must Fall,” is rather boring and repetitive, as is “Fantasy.” However, I like these tracks enough to listen to them every time, so it’s not a huge deal.

Stratovarius isn’t the best power metal has to offer. They’re often a little bit generic (though one could argue that they’re just so influential), so I’ve strayed away from them as I’ve become more seasoned with metal. With this release, Stratovarius has broken the traditional pop structure of power metal songs and added in variation and complexities that aren’t found in the recent releases from Hammerfall or Amaranthe. However, it’s not without a couple generic tracks, so I’ll award it a strong four out of five stars.