Even being as big a power metal fan as I am, I find Stratovarius to be a bit hit and miss sometimes when it comes to songwriting. I do agree with the album's UMUR mentioned as all being particularly good, though, with Destiny and Visions being my two favorites. One thing to keep in mind: The particular period you mentioned starting from is certainly their weakest, in part because it started around the time Tolkki was having his meltdowns, which he still to this day hasn't really recovered from, and then with Polaris and Elysium they weren't quite on track, because they needed time to get fully in sync with their new members. Definitely give Nemesis a try if you haven't, though, because I find it to be easily their best since Destiny, and it's the first sign of the new lineup fully clicking and possibly being able to match their best work again.
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