Tolkki, this is for you :)

[Mourner of Darkness]

Well, in my opinion Kotipelto is no good songwriter either, Tolkki is the one who makes the great songs. But I also think that Kotipelto's lyrics are better that Tolkki's but that is a whole another issue, but anyway I think that the article about Stratovarius and Tolkki in SRM was great and it cleared up things I didn't know before too..Tolkki is the best there is! Take care of yourself Timo!
You are precious, remember that..!

[voi_vittu_bre!!!]

loztdignity wrote:
You seem to be a really nice person, and I have to tell you, I definately agree that Kotipelto cant write songs lol! I bought Waiting for the dawn the othr day and was so dissappointed with it. Really boring songs.
Thank god you didnt let him write any strato songs :p

Bah!

If you don't like Waiting For The Dawn, don't even consider buying Coldness. I really like some of the songs on Waiting For The Dawn (especially Beginning <great chorus>, Battle Of The Gods, and Beauty Has Come <this one in my opinion can hold a candle to almost any Stratovarius ballad>). There are 5 or 6 songs on the rest of the album that are decent, and the rest sucks.

However, I really don't like Coldness. Most song titles are lame, and the songs themselves are unimpressive. You CAN have too much of a good thing, and of a mediocre thing you can have even more.

But if you are in need of good melodic metal nowadays, hear "Dust to Dust" - the third, newest, and by far the best, album by the French band Heavenly. It is 70 minutes long, and it is GREAT!!!

They have really found their direction, and they have gotten rid of the "Keeper-era Helloween / Gamma Ray Clone" syndrome that their first two albums have suffered immensely of.

Ben Soto has learned how to sing as well as how to write songs, and the drummer Max Pilo is kicking as well as ever.

Lots of keyboards, lots of catchy, almost pop-like or disco-like chorus vocal melodies, a bit of Edguy influence (just listen to the song Miracle and compare the chorus to Edguy's chorus on the song Theater Of Salvation), songs take a lot of different rhythmical and melodic directions (there are at least 3 or 4 rhythm and tempo changes in almost every song), and most songs are over 6 minutes long.

It will make for a very good listen, and it will keep you entertained for a while, since I already got bored of Edguy's Hellfire Club and Nocturnal Rites' New World Messiah and there is not much else new on the market.

Okay, I admit, Heavenly is not quite Lost Horizon, but their last album is definitely far fresher and certainly more respectable than the other two new albums by the other two bands I mentioned.

And then of course on my birthday Therion will release their next two albums - I could not ask for a better birthday gift. That will keep me entertained for a very, very long time.

I wish the same for all of you, too!!!

P.S. Did you know that Poland (after Spain, Honduras, and Dominican Republic) is also moving out of Iraq?

[Avantasia]

Are you all serious? Elements Pt2 was absolutely terrible.

Dreamweaver was about the only memorable song from it, and even then it was so clichéd and derivative of half of the work that Strato did in Elements Pt1.

I'm not claiming that Kotipelto CAN write particularly good songs, i'm just saying that Tolkki is quite possibly the biggest drama queen in the music industry and frankly, his songs aren't good enough to allow him to act like such an ass.

Good guitarist though, for a metal guitarist.

[browneyedgirl]

Avantasia wrote:
Are you all serious? Elements Pt2 was absolutely terrible.

Dreamweaver was about the only memorable song from it, and even then it was so clichéd and derivative of half of the work that Strato did in Elements Pt1.

I'm not claiming that Kotipelto CAN write particularly good songs, i'm just saying that Tolkki is quite possibly the biggest drama queen in the music industry and frankly, his songs aren't good enough to allow him to act like such an ass.

Good guitarist though, for a metal guitarist.

I liked E2 myself.....the songs wre beautiful with meaningful lyrics. And TT claimed he wrote all those masterpieces in 20 minutes!!!! Thats great!
TT may be a drama queen, but he is laughing all the way to the bank with his soap opera!
Move over, JR!

[loztdignity]

ok BEG, I dont think anyone would really call those songs masterpieces...

[browneyedgirl]

loztdignity wrote:
ok BEG, I dont think anyone would really call those songs masterpieces...

Well, I liked them. But, thats just my opinion....
Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one!*





*And,they all stink!
Opinions, I mean...

[loztdignity]

browneyedgirl wrote:

loztdignity wrote:
ok BEG, I dont think anyone would really call those songs masterpieces...

Well, I liked them. But, thats just my opinion....
Opinions are like assholes, everyone has one!*





*And,they all stink!
Opinions, I mean...

liol I mean "masterpieces" is so strong.

[antonio]

strato is tolkki..Koti can write good songs but he's not at the level of tolkki...
I agree with loztdignity...Coldness and waiting for the dawn are boring...

[Luca]

E. pt 2 songs are not so good in my opinion, it's the only album of Strato I don't want to listen anymore, because it doesn't tell me anything.. It's too square...
I'm trying to download some songs of Coldness, because though I liked Reasons and Seeds of Sorrows, I've heard that some others are bad, and I don't want to buy another Waiting for the Dawn, with half great songs and half boring... On Elements Pt.2 Dreamweaver is good, and even the ballad SOFP, some other is good but too... I don't know... meaningless. And BTW I don't care about the lyrics too much... Now I listen to Children of Bodom and their album HATEBREEDER is THE masterpiece! They are genious, and their music is the best, though the voice, that I like, can be disliked...

[browneyedgirl]

I like CoB very much. My son has a compilation of their greatest hits. Imagine that......my son gets me interested in a darkMetal band! :crazy2: But, he likes Strato too,at least a few songs--so, we're even!

[felipe]

People consider the first Strato Albums very influenced by what Helloween was doing. That's so mistaken! Timo Tolkki created a whole new style until the Dreamspace, which is really a maturated songkind... closer to what made Strato big.
I love Chasing Shadowns!

[browneyedgirl]

felipe wrote:
People consider the first Strato Albums very influenced by what Helloween was doing. That's so mistaken! Timo Tolkki created a whole new style until the Dreamspace, which is really a maturated songkind... closer to what made Strato big.
I love Chasing Shadowns!

Dreamspace is a wonderful album, and I do love Tolkki's voice. Its too bad HE did not try to regain the helm during Koti's intermission, but I guess those Tolkki-singing days are over. At least he is still back-up singer. And I hope he does another CVAT-style solo album.

[Gnosis_and_Life]

[browneyedgirl]

It seems Koti, as well as TT seem to be evolving in their musical styles!
I guess that is good....change keeps things fresh, new ideas keeps things from becoming boring. And in music, when things get boring it means almost death to a band. So, both Timos are doing right for themselves, and we must understand&accept it!

[antonio]

in my opinion just one composer isn't good..
the music will become more and more monotonous.. for this reason i would like m.kiske in strato...

[browneyedgirl]

I heard throug the grapevine TT is doing alot better, and that is great! As time goes by it will gradually improve, especially if we keep supporting him and the band! Remember the Song, Destiny--its a brand new day, the sun is risen and shines so bright, and everything's gonna be alright!(I paraphrased it, but you know what I mean!)
Weeping endureth for a night,but Joy cometh in the Morning! THIS is Strato's(and TT'S)Morning!:)