Infernal Masquerade caught up with STRATOVARIUS drummer Jörg Michael in Rome, Italy on the band's current European tour. They discuss Stratovarius' touring plans, which might include North America, and Michael offers his opinion on the music industry and younger bands that try to be the fastest in the world. Check it out here.

Stratovarius' new album, Elysium was released on January 12th via JVC in Asia, on January 14th via Edel/EarMusic in Europe, and January 18th in North America. Audio samples from the entire album are available at this location, and a new e-card for the album has been launched at this location.

The band recently released 'Under Flaming Skies', a track from the new album. 'Under Flaming Skies' finds the Finnish metal masters firing on all cylinders with a particularly impassioned performance from vocalist Timo Kotipelto, who wrote the track along with Kupiainen.

Check it out below:

Elysium is available as a regular CD, two-CD Deluxe Version, Collector's Edition with 7" (pictured below) and LP. Details of the deluxe digipak edition are as follows:

CD 1:

'Darkest Hours'

'Under Flaming Skies'

'Infernal Maze'

'Fairness Justified'

'The Game Never Ends'

'Lifetime In A Moment'

'Move The Mountain'

'Event Horizon'

'Elysium'

CD 2:

'Darkest Hours' (demo)

'Under Flaming Skies' (demo)

'Infernal Maze' (demo)

'Fairness Justified' (demo)

'The Game Never Ends' (demo)

'Lifetime In A Moment' (demo)

'Move The Mountain' (demo)

'Event Horizon' (demo)

'Elysium' (demo)

7" Single:

'Last Shore'

'Hallowed'

The first single, 'Darkest Hours', was released on November 26th.

The following tracks are part of the single:

'Darkest Hours' (from Elysium)

'Infernal Maze' (from Elysium)

'Darkest Hours' (demo version)

'Against The Wind' (live recording, Sofia, Bulgaria)

'Black Diamond' (live recording, Göteborg, Sweden)

Check out BW&BK;'s new interview with Stratovarius frontman Timo Kotipelto here.