Timo Tolkki is a power metal icon. Leader and great composer of the mytic band Stratovarius, great person and musician, it's been a long time since he didn´t surprised us with a solo album.The last one, "Classic Variations and themes" album put him between the 6 string guitar virtuosos, and let me tell you there aren´t too many. But year 2002 arrived and the giant gives us "Hymn to life", an album lot of people (including me) was really waiting for. But lets go to the point, any Stratovarius fan will be disapointed since this is not a power metal album. Instead it´s a hard rock one, wich sometimes sounds weird if you realize that this is the same guy who wrote "Black Diamond" and so many power metal tunes and now he plays this slow stuff... but well he maybe thought it was time to slow things a little bit. It´s important to notice the excellent Michael Kiske vocals on "Key to the universe" wich make this one sound incredible.This album has lot of rocker songs, like in Kiske's albums. One thing is clear, this album is just for open minded listeners or die-hard Stratovarius fans

Score:7/10

Review by Judas