Stratovarius Community

So, I'd have posed the question to the whole band, but Matias and Lauri really wouldn't know, and Jorg is never on, but, the main question I have, is, say Jari K. had never left Stratovarius, but Timo Tolkki did and you replaced him with Matias, (Yeah, I know Lauri had something to do with getting Matias, blah blah blah, just play along here). With Timo Tolkki out of the band, would Jari have provided any sort of music writing expertise? Was he a capable songwriter? I have heard he was quite the impov. artist on his bass solos, but I feel like aside from that, we never really knew much about him and his contributions to the band.


Also, this one is for TK, but, when you were in the band with Antti Ikonen and Tuomo Lassila, how much did they contribute to songwriting and the creative process?

Fright Night:
All music written by Tolkki. All lyrics by Lassila, except "False Messiah" and "Darkness" by Tolkki, "Future Shock" and "Fright Night" by Lassila/Tolkki.

Twilight Time/II:
All Music by Tolkki. All Lyrics by Tolkki/Lassila, except #1 & #6 by Lassila and #3 & #8 by Tolkki.

Dreamspace:
1. Chasing Shadows 4.38
Music & Words : Tolkki
2. 4th Reich 5.49
Music & Words : Tolkki
3. Eyes Of The World 5.57
Music & Words : Tolkki
4. Hold On To Your Dream 3.34
Music : Tolkki
Words : Tolkki, Lassila
5. Magic Carpet Ride 4.49
Music & Words : Tolkki
6. We Are The Future 5.20
Music & Words : Tolkki
7. Tears Of Ice 5.15
Music & Words : Tolkki
8. Dreamspace 5.58
Music & Words : Tolkki
9. Reign Of Terror 3.29
Music & Words : Tolkki
10. Thin Ice 4.23
Music : Tolkki
Words : Lassila
11. Atlantis 1.08
Music : Tolkki
12. Abyss 4.59
Music : Tolkki
Words : Lassila
13. Shattered 3.30
Music : Tolkki
Words : Lassila
14. Wings Of Tomorrow 5.08
Music & Words : Tolkki

The Fourth Dimension
1. Against The Wind 3.48
Music : Tolkki
Words : Tolkki, Kotipelto
2. Distant Skies 4.10
Music & Words : Tolkki
3. Galaxies 5.01
Music : Tolkki
Words : Tolkki, Kotipelto
4. Winter 6.33
Music & Words : Tolkki
5. Stratovarius 6.22
Music : Tolkki
6. Lord Of The Wasteland 6.12
Music & Words : Tolkki
7. 030366 5.46
Music & Words : Tolkki
8. Nightfall 5.10
Music : Tolkki
Words : Tolkki, Lassila
9. We Hold The Key 7.54
Music : Tolkki
Words : Tolkki, Kotipelto
10. Twilight Symphony 6.59
Music & Words : Tolkki
11. Call Of The Wilderness 1.31
Music : Tolkki

So Antti didn't write anything. Lassila wrote a bit more.

I'm just saying, the process was mostly Tolkki dominated, but I'm sure TK and Jens were aware of what the other members were capable of in terms of songwriting, and what they contributed to the creative process, I'm pretty sure Timo Tolkki never wrote exactly how the drums were supposed to go, but the main song was his idea, so he got credit even though maybe Jorg wrote most of the drums.

What I remember Tolkki actually did write everything in the song writing process except for the key solos. So yeah, even the drums.

according to the rockumentary, the entire self titled album was inspired by a series of drum recordings from Jorg Michael that Timo Tolkki listened to and wrote off of