HuntingHighAndLow
Stratovarius
Infinite:Special Edition
Neoclassical power metal takes flight on wings of existential freedom and relentless pursuit.
I feel the wind in my hair
And it's whispering, tellin' me things
Of the storm that is gathering near
Full of power, I'm spreading my wings
Now I'm leaving my worries behind
Feel the freedom of body and mind
I have started my journey
I'm drifting away with the wind, I go
I am hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
I'm hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
After the storm there's a calm
Through the clouds shines a ray of the sun
I am carried from all of my harm
There is no one that I can't outrun
Now I'm leaving my worries behind
Feel the freedom of body and mind
I have started my journey
I'm drifting away with the wind, I go
I am hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
I'm hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
I am hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
I'm hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
Hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
Hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
Hunting high and low
Hunting high and low
Hunting high and low
I feel the wind in my hair
And it's whispering, tellin' me things
Of the storm that is gathering near
Full of power, I'm spreading my wings
Now I'm leaving my worries behind
Feel the freedom of body and mind
I have started my journey
I'm drifting away with the wind, I go
I am hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
I'm hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
After the storm there's a calm
Through the clouds shines a ray of the sun
I am carried from all of my harm
There is no one that I can't outrun
Now I'm leaving my worries behind
Feel the freedom of body and mind
I have started my journey
I'm drifting away with the wind, I go
I am hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
I'm hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
I am hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
I'm hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
Hunting high and low
Diving from the sky above
Looking for more and more once again
Hunting high and low
Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose
It's just a game that I play
Hunting high and low
Hunting high and low
Hunting high and low
“Neoclassical power metal takes flight on wings of existential freedom and relentless pursuit.”
By the time Stratovarius entered the studio to record what would become 'Infinite' in 2000, the Finnish power metal titans were riding a wave of creative momentum that had been building since the mid-1990s.
Guitarist and principal songwriter Timo Tolkki was channeling a period of intense personal reflection — the band had weathered internal tensions, lineup shifts, and the relentless demands of the European metal touring circuit.
'Hunting High And Low' emerged from Tolkki's desire to capture something primal: the sensation of absolute liberation, of casting off earthly burdens and surrendering to the vast, indifferent sky.
Recorded at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki with additional work done at Tolkki's own facility, the track was shaped during sessions that saw the band operating at peak cohesion, with vocalist Timo Kotipelto, keyboardist Jens Johansson, drummer Jörg Michael, and bassist Jari Kainulainen locking into a chemistry that felt almost telepathic.
Sonically, 'Hunting High And Low' is a masterclass in the Stratovarius aesthetic — a breathless 133 BPM surge in D minor that marries neoclassical precision with raw emotional power.
The energy rating of 0.91 tells only part of the story; from the opening salvo, Tolkki's layered guitar harmonies cascade over Johansson's shimmering keyboard orchestrations, creating a wall of sound that feels simultaneously massive and crystalline.
The production, helmed by Tolkki himself, favors a bright, almost cinematic clarity — every double-bass drum pattern from Jörg Michael cuts through with surgical precision, while the bass provides a muscular foundation that never overwhelms the melodic interplay above.
The key of D minor lends the track its characteristic bittersweet tension, a harmonic darkness that paradoxically fuels the song's soaring, triumphant feel.
Kotipelto's vocal performance is nothing short of operatic, his tenor climbing through the registers with an ease that belies the technical demands of the melody.
Lyrically, the song operates on a deceptively simple metaphorical plane that rewards deeper contemplation.
The narrator is a figure of flight — wind in hair, wings spread, drifting with the currents — but this is no idle daydream.
The 'hunting' of the chorus reframes freedom as an active, almost predatory pursuit.
There is a philosophical stoicism woven through the verses: 'Sometimes I may win, sometimes I'll lose / It's just a game that I play' reveals a worldview that accepts the fundamental uncertainty of existence without bitterness or resignation.
The storm imagery in the second verse — calm after chaos, sun piercing clouds — evokes the cyclical nature of struggle and reprieve.
The valence of 0.36, notably low for such an energetic track, speaks to this undercurrent of melancholy; this is liberation born not from innocence but from having known suffering and choosing to transcend it.
Upon its release as part of 'Infinite' in 2000, the track and its parent album were received as a creative high-water mark for Stratovarius.
The album debuted at number one in Finland and charted strongly across Europe and Japan, where the band had cultivated a particularly devoted following.
Critics praised the record's ambition and polish, with 'Hunting High And Low' frequently singled out as a standout deep cut that encapsulated everything the band did best.
In the broader landscape of European power metal at the turn of the millennium — a scene that included contemporaries like Sonata Arctica, Rhapsody of Fire, and Blind Guardian — Stratovarius occupied a unique niche, blending the genre's bombast with a melodic sophistication rooted in classical music.
The track became a fan favorite at live shows, its anthemic chorus inspiring mass singalongs in arenas from Tokyo to São Paulo.
The legacy of 'Hunting High And Low' extends well beyond its initial release.
It has become one of those tracks that serves as a gateway for listeners discovering power metal for the first time — its accessibility and emotional directness making it an ideal entry point into a genre that can sometimes feel impenetrable to outsiders.
For the Special Edition reissue of 'Infinite,' the track takes on renewed significance, inviting both longtime devotees and new listeners to appreciate the meticulous craft behind what might initially seem like straightforward metal bombast.
In the arc of Stratovarius's career, it represents a moment of perfect equilibrium — the band's technical prowess, melodic instincts, and emotional depth all firing in unison.
Two decades on, it remains a testament to the enduring power of music that dares to take flight, to hunt for meaning in the vast sky between triumph and loss, and to find in that endless pursuit something that feels remarkably like freedom.
