After listening through Elysium a couple of times, I can confirm that this is an amazing album, lightyears ahead of Polaris. Matias has simply done wonders for these guys, they can confidentely move forward out of the shadows of Tolkki. I really don't think anyone should be feeling disappointed that Tolkki isn't in the band anymore, Matias is a monster player and this album is fresh and fantastic.
Raziel, you are right, this album is definitely a grower, each song opens itself more and more on each listen. The title track is simply one of the greatest things they have ever done, it has all the classic Strato epic elements and more, great melodies. One thing I was impressed with was the quality of the solos on this record, Matias and Jens are on fire the whole way through.
Also, Castaway is a worthy edition to the album, even though the intro is almost identical to Black Diamond, but we will forgive Lauri for that since he also is a crucial part to this lineup.