Stratovarius Community

I just think whatever happens next should be very interesting indeed.

'Last Night on Earth' with Kiske on vocals is great. He's a very good vocalist, I think his vocals on the Avantasia stuff is great as well (Promised Land especially), he and Sammett make a good duo.

well!
why dont we give a tought to think nothing?
it's not that im calling to quit the forum, but
let's leave it a little bit to whatever it comes ahead XD!
for a new guitar player in the Stratoband, how i wish it was Stefan Forté (adagio), but.....who knows? theres too much talent
for future projects with Strato, none knows, not even the band
lauri porra is excited, well of course, hes gonna pop out another record!

i also hope strato comes alive and WITH MUUCH MORE to give!
but, let's leave it a little to whatever !

Also, a GREAT co-writer!
ride like the wind, fantasia, find your own voice!
thats the reason johansson is my BIGGEST idol !

MetalAngel wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:

cliff wrote: Great news! I'm really looking forward to hearing new material made by Kotipelto & Jens & Lauri & Jörg.
Lauri is a real genius, a real musician. You can check his solo stuffs to see what I'm talking about. Same thing about Jens. A couple of days ago I heard his Last Viking album, this is uncredibly good! Jörg is an amazing drummer, probably the best drummer ever. I know many people thing that Kotipelto doesn't write good songs, but I think he does... besides, his last album Serenity is MUCH better than any Stratovarius album made during the last 8 years.

Ah, I wish I could see Porra in his clinic.
I just hate that Musamaailma store, I think they're just a bench of incompetent sellers.

Ah I dunno, I really love Elements pt.1 and think it's way better than Serenity, but other than that I agree with all you wrote. Lauri really is something special, a rare talent and it will be interesting to hear what his effect on the songwriting of the band would be like. I want to go to his clinics too! But it's like, way up to the north and stuff. Jorg and Jens are also amazing and well TK has 'the voice' that could only ever be Stratovarius.

I guess a real big question is what will happen to the name 'Stratovarius', TT owns the rights to it. Will the other guys form a new band then if he doesn't agree to let them use it? Like use one of the many common misspellings?

So, the 4 horsemen could use the name of Stratovarious... Like that, no legal problem with StratovaTolkki...

i agree XD!

stratoplayer wrote:

stratohawk wrote:

MetalAngel wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:

cliff wrote: Lauri is a real genius, a real musician. You can check his solo stuffs to see what I'm talking about. Same thing about Jens. A couple of days ago I heard his Last Viking album, this is uncredibly good! Jörg is an amazing drummer, probably the best drummer ever. I know many people thing that Kotipelto doesn't write good songs, but I think he does... besides, his last album Serenity is MUCH better than any Stratovarius album made during the last 8 years.

Lauri really is something special, a rare talent and it will be interesting to hear what his effect on the songwriting of the band would be like.

Hm well, it's all a matter of taste... Concerning Jörg I shared your opinion some years ago. Nowadays I think he is not such a special drummer. He is fast, of course, and he always had a bombastic sound on the really good Stratovarius album productions. But listen e.g. to Jordan Mancino (As I Lay Dying), he is definitely faster and has more perfection in his play; technically he is definitely better. And for "normal" metal you can find tons of good drummers. E.g. Machine Head's Dave McClain has much more variation in his play than Jörg. No misunderstanding, Jörg has a very fast expressive drumming, I like that very much, but they are certainly better drummers than him.

And I also don't see what is THAT special about Lauri. His solo work is interesting. But "something special, a rare talent"? Well... IMO he is one of a lot very good bass players and he has a wide musical horizon. But not more.

Concerning "Serenity", I have to listen to that album again. I very much liked "Coldness", though it wasn't that special album to me; I still don't have "Serenity". Listening to it at the first time didn't give me any special impression.

On the point concerning Jens I absolutely agree with you. I don't know a technically better, crazier, more creative keyboard player than him.

Jordan Rudess is more creative. I like Jens' style more though

you nuts? jordan rudess really SUCKS EGGS!
hes not creative, hes metronome and non-sense keyboars player
he has no merit, hes not a good keyboards player
hes a good keyboards PROGRAMMER!

Special A wrote:

stratoplayer wrote:

stratohawk wrote:

MetalAngel wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:

cliff wrote: Lauri is a real genius, a real musician. You can check his solo stuffs to see what I'm talking about. Same thing about Jens. A couple of days ago I heard his Last Viking album, this is uncredibly good! Jörg is an amazing drummer, probably the best drummer ever. I know many people thing that Kotipelto doesn't write good songs, but I think he does... besides, his last album Serenity is MUCH better than any Stratovarius album made during the last 8 years.

Lauri really is something special, a rare talent and it will be interesting to hear what his effect on the songwriting of the band would be like.

Hm well, it's all a matter of taste... Concerning Jörg I shared your opinion some years ago. Nowadays I think he is not such a special drummer. He is fast, of course, and he always had a bombastic sound on the really good Stratovarius album productions. But listen e.g. to Jordan Mancino (As I Lay Dying), he is definitely faster and has more perfection in his play; technically he is definitely better. And for "normal" metal you can find tons of good drummers. E.g. Machine Head's Dave McClain has much more variation in his play than Jörg. No misunderstanding, Jörg has a very fast expressive drumming, I like that very much, but they are certainly better drummers than him.

And I also don't see what is THAT special about Lauri. His solo work is interesting. But "something special, a rare talent"? Well... IMO he is one of a lot very good bass players and he has a wide musical horizon. But not more.

Concerning "Serenity", I have to listen to that album again. I very much liked "Coldness", though it wasn't that special album to me; I still don't have "Serenity". Listening to it at the first time didn't give me any special impression.

On the point concerning Jens I absolutely agree with you. I don't know a technically better, crazier, more creative keyboard player than him.

Jordan Rudess is more creative. I like Jens' style more though

you nuts? jordan rudess really SUCKS EGGS!
hes not creative, hes metronome and non-sense keyboars player
he has no merit, hes not a good keyboards player
hes a good keyboards PROGRAMMER!

I have to disagree. Rudess is one of the best. You might not like his playing, but he doesn't suck at all and is also not a "nonsene keyboard player".

well... yeah, i mean, he's not a bad keyboards player...but it's nothing to do aside of Jens Johansson... jordan's more of the ''tricks and programmings'' of the machinery he owns, johansson, as q REALY keyboards shredder, he's simple in the way of patches and effects are, but...look at his stuff...he OWNS too many people
it's a 2 different way split
Johansson's not a prog keyboards player (or that's what i think
Rudess is extremely prog, and knows how to make a keyboard sound effective, but! i HATE the way he ''cheats'' live (i've seen DT live like 4 times)
even with the Zen Riffer...
i think, as a keyboarder aswell...that this a point of dishonor in cheating like that live :/!

Special A wrote:well... yeah, i mean, he's not a bad keyboards player...but it's nothing to do aside of Jens Johansson... jordan's more of the ''tricks and programmings'' of the machinery he owns, johansson, as q REALY keyboards shredder, he's simple in the way of patches and effects are, but...look at his stuff...he OWNS too many people
it's a 2 different way split
Johansson's not a prog keyboards player (or that's what i think
Rudess is extremely prog, and knows how to make a keyboard sound effective, but! i HATE the way he ''cheats'' live (i've seen DT live like 4 times)
even with the Zen Riffer...
i think, as a keyboarder aswell...that this a point of dishonor in cheating like that live :/!

Ruddess does a lot with keyboard programming in studio, I really admire how well he can program the right sound for his songs, and I'm fairly certain all the Dream Theater keyboard tracks (Which sound good) that he plays on, he wrote.

Special A wrote:well... yeah, i mean, he's not a bad keyboards player...but it's nothing to do aside of Jens Johansson... jordan's more of the ''tricks and programmings'' of the machinery he owns, johansson, as q REALY keyboards shredder, he's simple in the way of patches and effects are, but...look at his stuff...he OWNS too many people
it's a 2 different way split
Johansson's not a prog keyboards player (or that's what i think
Rudess is extremely prog, and knows how to make a keyboard sound effective, but! i HATE the way he ''cheats'' live (i've seen DT live like 4 times)
even with the Zen Riffer...
i think, as a keyboarder aswell...that this a point of dishonor in cheating like that live :/!

I wouldn't call it cheating. He's an amazing piano virtuoso, so his playing isn't just about technical stuff (even though he owns a KORG OASYS envy ).

Tomas Haake programmed all the drums on one of their albums. But on the other hand, he can afford to do that. He is teh Metal Drummer.

How it sounds is what really matters.

Special A wrote:
you nuts? jordan rudess really SUCKS EGGS!
hes not creative, hes metronome and non-sense keyboars player
he has no merit, hes not a good keyboards player
hes a good keyboards PROGRAMMER!

You are insane. Rudess is a genius. Most of the DT fans loves Derek Sherinian, but Jordan is a high level player too. Have you ever seen him playng live?

Put Jens or Jordan play some classical compositions (just something by Chopin, for example - and not even the hardest ones) with REAL piano: they could NOT make it very well. And when comparing to the real piano virtuosos they would just look like an amateurs.

Well, of course they are both good playing with their keyboards and that's not comparable with real piano, I just wanted to laugh to this consecutive argument about which one is better, Jens or Jordan.

P.S I hope DT would still have Kevin Moore. He made the soul into DT's music. They have lost it a long ago. (and so have Strato too)

It is very interesting about the ex(?)-strato situation and all the statements. I mean, I made my stand to Tolkki after reading his statement, thinking and watching the last steps of Stratovarius together. I never shout out my feelings about this. But most of it is told in this statement.
For a long time, Timo Tolkki was a great person to me, an unbelievable hero. Therefore it was not easy for me to think about his last deeds and to find out that there is something wrong with him. For the first time I was looking at the rest of the band with more respect.
2 or more years ago I would support Tolkki in anything. But there is something deep inside of me now, that does not allow me to think this way today. And maybe that is something I have learned by listening to Stratovarius' and Tolkki's songs.
And just one more thing, that never reads anyone but me: I have listened to the Last Night on Earth sample with the voice of Kiske. With all my respect, that is not a song for you, Michael

I don't care if this Strato statement wrote Jens or guys together. In many points it describes what I was feeling about Stratovarius and Tolkki after the break. I am still not shouting anything out loud. And I won't damn anyone. It is just my feelings and respect that changes. I wish the guys all the best and some good news, some really good news after all. Especially for Jörg, Jens and Timo K.

Sir. Decadence wrote:Put Jens or Jordan play some classical compositions (just something by Chopin, for example - and not even the hardest ones) with REAL piano: they could NOT make it very well. And when comparing to the real piano virtuosos they would just look like an amateurs.

You couldn't be more wrong.

Jens playing JS Bach.

NeonVomit wrote:

Sir. Decadence wrote:Put Jens or Jordan play some classical compositions (just something by Chopin, for example - and not even the hardest ones) with REAL piano: they could NOT make it very well. And when comparing to the real piano virtuosos they would just look like an amateurs.

You couldn't be more wrong.

Jens playing JS Bach.

I know Jens have taken inspiration from Bach's music, but, as I said, "with REAL piano", not with keyboards. Well, maybe I was too stern with my words, Jens is good and probably could play Bach better than Rudess, but that still doesn't sound like real piano virtuoso playing it. I would like to hear Jens playing real piano, but I'm afraid it would be too hard to play it extremely well after playing keyboards all these years. Maybe with some practise he could make it well. But as good as the greatest piano players in the world? No way.

I didn't found that same song, but listen to this another composition by Bach performed by Glenn Gould: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2EQmQUXXIc It's not just about playing it like the notes says, it's also about many other things like nuances and, woah, guys like Gould are the real maestros with piano. That's what I wanted to say, when you were fighting about which one is better, Jens or Jordan. There's guys far above them.

Sir. Decadence wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:

Sir. Decadence wrote:Put Jens or Jordan play some classical compositions (just something by Chopin, for example - and not even the hardest ones) with REAL piano: they could NOT make it very well. And when comparing to the real piano virtuosos they would just look like an amateurs.

You couldn't be more wrong.

Jens playing JS Bach.

I know Jens have taken inspiration from Bach's music, but, as I said, "with REAL piano", not with keyboards. Well, maybe I was too stern with my words, Jens is good and probably could play Bach better than Rudess, but that still doesn't sound like real piano virtuoso playing it. I would like to hear Jens playing real piano, but I'm afraid it would be too hard to play it extremely well after playing keyboards all these years. Maybe with some practise he could make it well. But as good as the greatest piano players in the world? No way.

I didn't found that same song, but listen to this another composition by Bach performed by Glenn Gould: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2EQmQUXXIc It's not just about playing it like the notes says, it's also about many other things like nuances and, woah, guys like Gould are the real maestros with piano. That's what I wanted to say, when you were fighting about which one is better, Jens or Jordan. There's guys far above them.

Well, it would be like asking Grigory Sokolov to play keyboards for Dream Theater. Something tells me it just wouldn't work.

Apples and oranges. It's like saying Paco de Lucia is a better guitarist than Steve Vai; they play different things in different styles on (essentially) different instruments.

NeonVomit wrote:Well, it would be like asking Grigory Sokolov to play keyboards for Dream Theater. Something tells me it just wouldn't work.

Yes, of course it wouldn't work when Sokolov doesn't enjoy DT's music (well, I'm not sure ) and because playing keyboards is very different from playing acoustic piano. But when talking about playing skills, I would vote for Sokolov and friends. Just let it be my opinion then, but I can't see keyboards so demanding instrument than acoustic piano comparing them at their maximum levels (can't find better words in english to describe what I mean). With acoustic piano you can really show the emotions in your playing, with synthesizer you mainly play with sounds. And also because of that acoustic piano sounds better than keyboards, but in pop-music it's not always the truth, of course. So... maybe this conversation is unnecessary. Apples and oranges, as you said. But, well, that was my opinion.

Sir. Decadence wrote:

NeonVomit wrote:Well, it would be like asking Grigory Sokolov to play keyboards for Dream Theater. Something tells me it just wouldn't work.

Yes, of course it wouldn't work when Sokolov doesn't enjoy DT's music (well, I'm not sure ) and because playing keyboards is very different from playing acoustic piano. But when talking about playing skills, I would vote for Sokolov and friends. Just let it be my opinion then, but I can't see keyboards so demanding instrument than acoustic piano comparing them at their maximum levels (can't find better words in english to describe what I mean). With acoustic piano you can really show the emotions in your playing, with synthesizer you mainly play with sounds. And also because of that acoustic piano sounds better than keyboards, but in pop-music it's not always the truth, of course. So... maybe this conversation is unnecessary. Apples and oranges, as you said. But, well, that was my opinion.

Exactly. What is talent? Can anyone find a form of expression which is objectively better than another?

Something for all of us to bear in mind.

Sir. Decadence wrote:Put Jens or Jordan play some classical compositions (just something by Chopin, for example - and not even the hardest ones) with REAL piano: they could NOT make it very well. And when comparing to the real piano virtuosos they would just look like an amateurs.

Well, of course they are both good playing with their keyboards and that's not comparable with real piano, I just wanted to laugh to this consecutive argument about which one is better, Jens or Jordan.

P.S I hope DT would still have Kevin Moore. He made the soul into DT's music. They have lost it a long ago. (and so have Strato too)

Jordan has his roots in classical piano playing and he could nail every classical piece in a reasonable amount of time. Of course there's a difference to a professional concert pianist, if there wasn't I would ask myself what the pianist is practising all day. I don't know about Jens, but he probably feels more at home playing Jazz and Fusion with a lot of improvisation.

but....can you say that johansson cannot play piano? a real piano? have you listened to his acoustic cd? it's MARVELOUS! really really inspiring! something that DEFINATELY JEWdess can't reach!
JEWdess studied at JEW-illiard! i studied just one summer session there and i was horrified the way they show the apprentices....i was in horror, the way they digitated! like old ladies
the kids in 3rd age didn't read perfectly the partitures!
and JEWdess is the image of them, always cheating :/
besides, he has NEVER came out with an acoustic CD/recording or what so ever :/

I don't know Jens' acoustic cd, but I bet it kicks ass.

"JEWdess"...ah I see what it's all about.

Grambambuli wrote:

Sir. Decadence wrote:Put Jens or Jordan play some classical compositions (just something by Chopin, for example - and not even the hardest ones) with REAL piano: they could NOT make it very well. And when comparing to the real piano virtuosos they would just look like an amateurs.

Well, of course they are both good playing with their keyboards and that's not comparable with real piano, I just wanted to laugh to this consecutive argument about which one is better, Jens or Jordan.

P.S I hope DT would still have Kevin Moore. He made the soul into DT's music. They have lost it a long ago. (and so have Strato too)

Jordan has his roots in classical piano playing and he could nail every classical piece in a reasonable amount of time. Of course there's a difference to a professional concert pianist, if there wasn't I would ask myself what the pianist is practising all day. I don't know about Jens, but he probably feels more at home playing Jazz and Fusion with a lot of improvisation.

From what I know, Jens has a classical background as well, but his dad was a famous jazz pianist so I guess that explains the mix.

NeonVomit wrote:

Grambambuli wrote:

Sir. Decadence wrote:Put Jens or Jordan play some classical compositions (just something by Chopin, for example - and not even the hardest ones) with REAL piano: they could NOT make it very well. And when comparing to the real piano virtuosos they would just look like an amateurs.

Well, of course they are both good playing with their keyboards and that's not comparable with real piano, I just wanted to laugh to this consecutive argument about which one is better, Jens or Jordan.

P.S I hope DT would still have Kevin Moore. He made the soul into DT's music. They have lost it a long ago. (and so have Strato too)

Jordan has his roots in classical piano playing and he could nail every classical piece in a reasonable amount of time. Of course there's a difference to a professional concert pianist, if there wasn't I would ask myself what the pianist is practising all day. I don't know about Jens, but he probably feels more at home playing Jazz and Fusion with a lot of improvisation.

From what I know, Jens has a classical background as well, but his dad was a famous jazz pianist so I guess that explains the mix.

Yeah. But somehow I have the impression that Jens doesn't enjoy playing and practicing classical pieces note by note from the sheet so much, but prefers to improvise around a theme.

I might be completely wrong, though. Jens?

How childish a man can be?

I replied at one TT's post at the RR -forum and questioned his "truths" what he's saying about the current situation around Stratovarius. About an hour after my post was deleted and my rights were taken off.

This is very sad to say, but it seems to be so that TT is not on track anymore. Only the sheeps who are saying things that he wants hear are allowed to write there.

Raven wrote:How childish a man can be?

I replied at one TT's post at the RR -forum and questioned his "truths" what he's saying about the current situation around Stratovarius. About an hour after my post was deleted and my rights were taken off.

This is very sad to say, but it seems to be so that TT is not on track anymore. Only the sheeps who are saying things that he wants hear are allowed to write there.

You are right, but if someone wants to criticize the hell out of the remaining StratoGuys, thats OK over there. Someone compared Jens&the guys to the "Dark force" on a post. Cute. That is a mild one. And, allowing only members to read the forum itself says alot, too. Yeah, lots of forums are like that, but still why is it so "closed-off"? Its only a band forum, not "New Age Secrets".

Tolkki has a very nice singing voice, but face facts: Kotipelto is who put Stratovarius on the map. If Kotipelto(and Jens&Jorg)had not been added to Stratovarius in the mid-90s, odds are the band would have stagnated. So people need to remember that before they rub their knees raw at the altar of St.TT.

There is now his reply & instructions how to behave there on RR forum.

Bah, I would have commented about TK´s role and him as a songwriter, but I realized it would go again just to "opinions things". It´s hard to define songwriting skills objectively.

browneyedgirl wrote:And, allowing only members to read the forum itself says alot, too. Yeah, lots of forums are like that, but still why is it so "closed-off"? Its only a band forum, not "New Age Secrets".

Why not? I don't think that's so strange.

Why is the internet only available from computer?

Raven wrote:How childish a man can be?

I replied at one TT's post at the RR -forum and questioned his "truths" what he's saying about the current situation around Stratovarius. About an hour after my post was deleted and my rights were taken off.

This is very sad to say, but it seems to be so that TT is not on track anymore. Only the sheeps who are saying things that he wants hear are allowed to write there.

What did you write that got you banned?