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Stratovarius - To Return In 2009


Stratovarius have issued the following update:

"Finnish melodic power metal "legends" Stratovarius are breaking the silence since guitar player Timo Tolkki left the band. They will return with a new studio album in 2009. It is a positive and powerful record that the band's fans all over the world are certain to take to their hearts.

"After Tolkki gave his blessing for us to go on without him, and after writing music together again this summer and a lot of thought, we have decided to carry the legacy of Stratovarius into the future", says keyboardist Jens Johansson.

"We are all very excited about the record and about playing Stratovarius music live to our fans. We can't wait.", adds vocalist Timo Kotipelto.

The new guitar player is 25-year old Finnish guitar phantom Matias Kupiainen. Drummer Jörg Michael says, "in Matias we found new character who fits perfectly with his way of melodic guitar shredding, he is a killer player, a 'Wunderkind' from Finland!"

The first two festival dates for 2009 have been confirmed already:
Wacken Rocks, Kreuth / Aurich, May 22, 2009
Wacken Rocks, Kreuth / Aurich, May 23, 2009

More 2009 festivals are planned and will be announced soon. These dates will be followed by a concert tour."


In the meantime, also Timo Tolkki couldn't help but meddling in and posted the following reaction to whom it may concern:

"I, like everybody, read today that Kotipelto, Michael and Johansson are continuing their new band as "Stratovarius". I have really nothing else to say except to comment the quote of Jens Johansson "After Tolkki gave his blessing for us to go on without him". I have never gave them any "blessing" to continue as Stratovarius. As I have said many times, I think it is wrong and I would never have continued Stratovarius without Timo Kotipelto, Jörg Michael or Jens Johansson. What Johansson calls a "blessing" was that I gave them the rights to the name I owned and the rights to something like 14 Stratovarius albums. But not as a gift, but as to cut all the ties to them because I was told then that they will continue as Stratovarius which I though was totally wrong towards the fans and of course to me.

They write that they continue the Legacy of Stratovarius, but it cannot be continued. Even I cannot really continue it because it existed only when we were together. It's a shame to see that they cannot start from the clean table like me, but are just using the name. Without that name, they know that they would have it much harder. They took a long time in deciding if they will use the name or not and some of them were totally against using that name. Now that has apparently changed. It is timed very well also to the release of the website of my new band Revolution Renaissance.

It is a sad day for me, because I believe that Stratovarius as a band died to the publicity stunt the whole band, management and record company organized in 2004 when nothing that was happening was true. After that nothing was the same and the truth could not be told before I told it some days ago in an interview with ontrackmagazine.com.

Finally to sum it up: I do not think that the band that now calls itself "Stratovarius" is the band that its fans came to know as "Stratovarius". I think it is a sad way to make a financial use of the name and shows lack of courage to stand on their own feet and music and instead going on as a new band with a new name that I believe would have been the right way. Stratovarius is dead, Long live Stratovarius!"

Source: blogs.myspace.com
Band profile: Stratovarius
Posted: 24.10.2008 by SlaytallicA


Comments

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Comments: 23   [ 2 ignored ]   Visited by: 217 users
24.10.2008 - 23:55
Urizen367

The opera continues
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I will not reason and compare, my business is to create.
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25.10.2008 - 00:31
White Winter Sun
Laboratory's Rat
A new episode, it was a long time...
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25.10.2008 - 00:38
insanity.peppers

"Stratovarius is dead, Long live Stratovarius!"

If there was one line to sum up Timo's bat-shit insane bipolarism it would be that ^
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25.10.2008 - 01:08
Symmachus

Written by insanity.peppers on 25.10.2008 at 00:38

"Stratovarius is dead, Long live Stratovarius!"

If there was one line to sum up Timo's bat-shit insane bipolarism it would be that ^


I couldn't help but laugh when you said that. That's a unique way of putting it.


Anyways, I think it is irresponsible for those three dudes to continue using the Stratovarius name without Timo Tolkki. The real Stratovarius is sort of in the past as of now.
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25.10.2008 - 01:15
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Now i know what i will post and vote f someone open poll/tread about moust overated band in 2009 and seems Timmo and band are in ''war'' good
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Life is to short for LOVE, there is many great things to do online !!!

Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
[image]
I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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25.10.2008 - 04:43
Fhuesc

Tolkki just can't let it go. In his tombstone the next message will be read: "Timmo Tolkki lovely father and husband... and Stratovarius died the moment i left them, bitches!"
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Hasta la victoria, siempre!
Until victory, always!
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25.10.2008 - 05:48
Elijah
Dance, bitch!
R.I.P Tolkki's dignity.
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25.10.2008 - 05:55
Mystic Ice
Account deleted
I understand Tolkki was a very important part of Stratovarius. But it would not be the first and probably not the last time and important member has left a band and been replaced. There really isn't any need for this much drama. I also see that there is no mention of all the money and resources Tolkki wasted on his failed side project. That situation put a lot of strain on the band and the other members didn't even have a part in it aside from the grief it caused.

Important or not, Tolkki alone isn't Stratovarius. The fiasco that was Miss K should have taught him that. I am looking forward to the new album. There is still a lot of talent to go around and maybe some fresh blood will be a positive thing. I am a little concerned about the songwriting since Tolkki was mainly in charge of that but maybe there will be more total band envolvment now.
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25.10.2008 - 09:29
Shadowcross
The Summoner
Written by Elijah on 25.10.2008 at 05:48

R.I.P Tolkki's dignity.

It is getting ridiculous.. "Stratovarius is dead, Long live Stratovarius!" -TT ... you are right, clinical bi-polar pretty much there..
He needs to let it go and stop embarrasing himself.
Check my review of RR's New Era..
http://www.metalstorm.ee/pub/review.php?review_id=6046
I honestly think the surviving members will give us a much better release than this pathetic record.
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25.10.2008 - 12:33
DreamNightmare

Stratovarius is dead, long live Stratovarius - WTF?? Tolkki the king of contradiction. It's a shame that he's such an idiot that he'd send an official document that was posted on the Stratovarius website saying that he hands over ALL rights to Stratovarius, and then deny thats what it REALLY meant.
By responding with statments like the one above he's only alienating more people and starting (albeit very small) another media storm.
Atually this time i think nobody cares - get on with the music. If Stratovarius make a better or worse album than Tolkki it still has nothing to do with him anymore.
I think i speak for most when i say lets hear some MUSIC!!! from now on it's Power Metal as opposed to handbags at dawn.
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25.10.2008 - 14:06
YoreLore

Good luck with the new album. Tolkki is a fat wank
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"I'm rising in power through murdering rain
Stronger than Faith allows
Braver than heroes vows
...My head is bloody
but I am unbowed
I am power..."
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26.10.2008 - 02:36
Hyvaarin

I love that the word "legends" is put in inverted commas hahhhahahaa.
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"Summoned By Words Never Spoken Before..."
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26.10.2008 - 05:30
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
Woow theyre finally back.. cant wait
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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26.10.2008 - 15:35
GT
Coffee!!
That statement by Tolkki is just ridiculous
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Dreams are made so we don't get bored when we sleep
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26.10.2008 - 16:09
Elio
Red Nightmare
Written by Hyvaarin on 26.10.2008 at 02:36

I love that the word "legends" is put in inverted commas hahhhahahaa.


I laugh at that too. And at Tolkki's last sentence.
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IntoPlighT said: "Slipknot is 15 years old how the fuck is that Nu metal?"

BEST. QUOTE. EVER.
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26.10.2008 - 19:52
Arçaliz
Account deleted
And the Legend Return......
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27.10.2008 - 02:06
LeChron James
Helvetesfossen
If this doesnt win the biggest drama award in the MS awards this year im gonna be pissed.
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Kick Ass, Die Young

Less is More
Stay Pure
Stay Poor

Music was my life, music brought me to life and music is how I will be remembered long after I leave this life. When I die there will be a final waltz in my head that only I can hear.
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27.10.2008 - 06:53
Dark Cornatus
Powerslave
Hehe funny shit.
The band can continue in the asme vein as before without a songwriter anyway. Its not as if they will dramatically change style because Tolkki left. They still want the Stratovarius sound. Thats where Tolkki doesnt see the big picture, he sees himself as king of Stratovarius, when he is just a part, a big part nonetheless, but he is only one member. If 3 left, perhaps a new name is a good idea.

I reckon they will come back strong, i havent liked any of their newer stuff so i cant wait.
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27.10.2008 - 12:38
Enissa

Written by Dark Cornatus on 27.10.2008 at 06:53

Hehe funny shit.
The band can continue in the asme vein as before without a songwriter anyway. Its not as if they will dramatically change style because Tolkki left. They still want the Stratovarius sound. Thats where Tolkki doesnt see the big picture, he sees himself as king of Stratovarius, when he is just a part, a big part nonetheless, but he is only one member. If 3 left, perhaps a new name is a good idea.

I reckon they will come back strong, i havent liked any of their newer stuff so i cant wait.


I agree with u
Shame on Timo to say that, Im sure they will come back strong & more powerful
He thinks that when he left the band, it all ended, but thats not true, Stratovarius isnt just about Timo Tolkki, its about Timo Ktipelto, Jens Johansson & Jorg Michael.
I know it will sound different without Tolkki, but thats not a reason to talk like that...
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27.10.2008 - 16:27
juanopereira

I understand Tolkki's feelings and I like his new band, but he shouldn't be angry because the rest of the band want to use the Stratovarius name. Anyway, I believe Stratovarius allready has the first place in the "Best Drama" category for the 2008 metalstorm awards XD.
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27.10.2008 - 19:38
Balls of Jericho

First off i dont know alot about stratovarius, but im pritty sure that it was timo's brain child and he was the front man if this is true then i am well informed if not then this comment is a waist of time but here i go. i think that it was incredibaly rude that the other members of stratovarius took the name after all timo said that he didnt like Kotipelto's writing style so now if he is continueing on the "lagacy" he is just smearing timos brain child to the ground. it would be like if nightwish kicked toumas out of the band and decided to continue on. also to all you commentors have some respect and i dont see why your so harsh to timo about his ilness he had we have all had our hard times, how would you like it if some one made fun of you just because of one bad insadint you had, jesus i hate you guys just have som respect for other people

thats all
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27.10.2008 - 21:45
Talvi

Guess we already have the drama of the year!

Stratovarius... they always were a fucking joke of a band.
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My account on other musical pages:
http://www.last.fm/user/Pozito/
http://rateyourmusic.com/~Talvi
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28.10.2008 - 21:54
PM
Hail Lusitânia
Looking forward to listen to the new album...

Then I'll take my conclusions.

But you guys are right, a band is much more than a person.
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PM is a pink elephant, and can be found at the bamboo forests of Greenland...
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