Related Directory Categories
- Stratovarius (6)
- Stratovarius (1)
Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Stratovarius
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Stratovarius | |
|---|---|
 Stratovarius and Sentiment in Tavastia, April 5, 2006.
|
|
| Background information | |
| Origin |  Helsinki, Finland |
| Genre(s) | Power metal Neo-classical metal Progressive metal |
| Years active | 1984 – present |
| Label(s) | Nuclear Blast Sanctuary Records Noise Records |
| Website | www.stratovarius.com |
| Members | |
| Timo Tolkki Timo Kotipelto Jens Johansson Lauri Porra Jörg Michael |
|
| Former members | |
| Jari Kainulainen Antti Ikonen Staffan Stråhlman John Vihervä Tuomo Lassila |
|
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1984 and is still active today. Although the German band Helloween is considered the earliest pioneer of the genre, Stratovarius is often regarded as crossing from classic power metal to keyboard heavy modern power metal, influencing numerous bands to emerge during the 1990's.
Contents |
Stratovarius was founded in 1982 in Finland under the name Black Water. The band experienced a number of personnel and stylistic changes before finding its own voice. The founding members were Tuomo Lassila, Staffan Stråhlman, and John Vihervä. By 1983, the name was changed to Stratovarius (a portmanteau of Stratocaster and Stradivarius), a idea of Stråhlman's. In 1984, Timo Tolkki joined the band replacing Stråhlman on guitar and taking up vocal duties as well. Tolkki became the driving force and mastermind of the band, assuming relatively complete control of the song-writing. He brought along not only strong rock influences, but also a neo-classical style. The band released a demo to various record companies by 1987, finally being picked up by CBS Finland. In 1989, their debut album Fright Night was released, followed by two singles.
After being dropped by CBS, the band went through several member changes, but they managed to release the album Stratovarius II on Bluelight Records, which was re-released as Twilight Time through Noise Records. In 1994 they released their third album, Dreamspace, featuring new bass player Jari Kainulainen, who joined the band when 70% of the new material was already recorded. Tolkki decided to stop singing for the band, and they hired a full-time singer, Timo Kotipelto. The release of Fourth Dimension in 1995 was a huge success for the band, but internal differences, particularly of the style the band was going for, prompted the departure of long-time drummer Tuomo Lassila and keyboardist Antti Ikonen. Two new non-Finnish members were recruited: Swedish keyboardist Jens Johansson, of Yngwie Malmsteen fame; and German drummer Jörg Michael. With the fifth release Episode, Stratovarius had finally found its sound and had a strong, diverse line-up. Episode featured a large choir and a string orchestra. It was another commercial success.
This line-up released three albums over the years: Visions in 1997, Destiny in 1998, and Infinite in 2000. With every album, their fame and fan-base expanded, and they started gaining a stronger following outside Scandinavia, particularly in Japan.
In 2003, the band released its most epic project yet, the two album suite named Elements. With these albums, they reached a peak in their progressive and symphonic style of power-metal. The first album, Elements, Pt. 1, was released in early 2003, followed by a world tour. Elements, Pt. 1 was followed by Elements, Pt. 2, also released on Nuclear Blast records in the same year.
In late 2003, the band broke up, with Timo Kotipelto and Jörg Michael leaving after a very vaguely explained conflict. Tolkki hired a new singer, Katriina "Miss K" Wiiala, and Anders Johansson of Hammerfall (Jens' brother) temporarily on drums. The rest of 2004 saw virtually complete silence from the band.
Despite the break up, the band still had to finish off their Elements tour. While touring in Spain Tolkki was announced to be attacked by a furious fan. Rock magazines and tabloid papers showed pictures of the stabbed guitarist. However, some time later news begun to spread that no stabbing actually happened. Around the same time Tolkki was hospitalized because of severe mental illness. In January 2005 it was announced that Stratovarius had reunited with the former line-up. In June 2005, Tolkki announced that the band's bassist, Jari Kainulainen, had left the band due to personal reasons. He was replaced by Lauri Porra, young and talented Finnish musician.
Stratovarius then released the self-titled album Stratovarius in September 2005. During this time, Stratovarius began a world tour, starting in Argentina, which included a North American leg, where they toured the United States and Canada for the first time in the band's history. They played at such events as Atlanta's ProgPower, and in well known venues such as "B.B. King's House Of Blues" in New York and Philadelphia's "Trocadero Theatre". The tour also included European and Japanese cities. The band is set to release a new studio album (Currently codenamed R.... R.....) in early 2008 featuring eleven tracks.[citation needed] Timo Tolkki has stated that the album will be released before a "massive world tour."[citation needed]
Stratovarius's style and lyrical themes are considered influential to modern power metal music. While Helloween, the band most often cited as the founders of the genre, contributed many of the elements commonly used in power metal, Stratovarius are credited with reintroducing keyboards to metal as a routine instrument, not one merely used for backing sounds. They also reinvented its use as a solo instrument, something first pioneered by Van Halen. The band also introduced the "sad rush" sound when Timo Tolkii was the singer, achieving its peak in Dreamspace. The sound was also featured in the following album, Fourth Dimension. Overall, the sound also is featured in the following albums, but the "epic" feeling was more prominent.
Although considered widely influential, some critics and Power Metal fans consider the band as overrated, and consider that their music somewhat deviates from the genre; this was prominent with the release of the 2005 album Stratovarius, with a more Heavy Metal sound than previous releases. Shortly after, Timmo Tolkki declared that the next album will be more closely related to the classic Stratovarius, and that they don't play any songs from it anyway.
Most recently, Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom cited Stratovarius as a huge influence on their music and metal in Finland in general. Alexi has stated;
Basically, without Strato, you would not have Children of Bodom. I mean, maybe you would, but it would definitely be different. We would not be doing the complex guitar and keyboard arrangements that we do, also with the volleying of those leads between the guitar and keyboard would not be done if it wasn't for Stratovarius coming along and pioneering that art of guitar/keyboard volleys. Even the guitar playing that they did, that has an influence on me and Roope, not so much as others but it definitely is there.
Strangely enough, Timo Tolkki has even gone as far as to say Children of Bodom ripped off Stratovarius in 1999, due to the very classical like sound on their album Hatebreeder, which was released two years after Stratovarius released their highly successful concept album Visions. Recently however, he has withdrawn these claims and has cited Children of Bodom as a "very powerful band filled with highly talented musicians."
- Timo Kotipelto - Vocals (1995-2004, 2005-)
- Jens Johansson - Keyboards, Piano (1995-)
- Timo Tolkki - Guitar (vocals up to Fourth Dimension, bass on Twilight Time) (1985-)
- Lauri Porra - Bass guitar (2005-)
- Jörg Michael - Drums (1995-2004, 2005-)
- Jari Kainulainen - Bass guitar (1993-2005)
- John Vihervä - Bass guitar (1982-1984)
- Jyrki Lentonen - Bass Guitar (1985-1990)
- Antti Ikonen - Keyboards (1987-1996)
- Tuomo Lassila - Drums (also vocals until Tolkki joined the band) (1982-1995)
- Sami Kuoppamäki - Drums (1994)
- Staffan Stråhlman - Guitar (1982-1985)
- Anders Johansson - Drums (For a brief period in 2004 when Jörg Michael was out of the band)
- Katriina "Miss K" Wiiala - Vocals (for a brief period in 2004 when Kotipelto was out of the band)
|
|
|
