Timo Kotipelto's new interview
Posted: Sat May 09, 2009 2:52 am
Timo Kotipelto’s brand new interview made by Rafa Basa. Wow, hard work by the way…The interview is not fully translated, it is very long and I am so sleepy, don’t worry tomorrow I finish it, I am so sorry. I loved the interview, enjoy it!
Here's the link to the full interview in Spanish.
http://www.rafabasa.com/modules.php?nam ... e&sid=7414
We talked with TK about his new activity in the band without Timo Tolkki, new album Polaris, performance in Metalway, stormy past that sorrounded the band.
TK was very sincere and honest and told us his version of the breaking and the future of the band without fearing polemic and thinking about the present and future.
RB – Hello, Timo, it’s such a long time we have not talked…
TK – Hello, Rafa, it is true and it is a pleasure to see you again.
RB – After several years, long tours, fans and critics’ appreciation, many amazing albums, others not that amazing, there was a crisis in the beginning and apparently motivated by Timo Tolkki’s foolish acts, who lost his bearings and also went into a deep depression sorrounded by alcohol and grotesque performances just like the one we lived in the Piorno Rock Festival in Granada (Spain) I suppose you still remember that performance, don’t you?
TK- Of course! How to forget it…?
RB – There were people who believed it was all a set-up, that his illness was a lie, and that the band only wanted polemic to gain popularity to be again in the limelight. What was true in all that situation that led Stratovarius to a deep crisis?
TK – Well, the truth is that Timo had and has a serious illness besides several mental problems, that is the truth. Furthermore he had at that time very strange ideas that I never shared with him or became part of. It all began 5 years ago and I just wanted him to stop doing all those things, although then we didn’t know that he was ill or what was making him feel like…How to say it? Like being two-faced.
Unfortunately there was nothing we could do for him, and we tried to help him many times, listening to his problems, going along with him, but nothing could help him. I suppose it was then when he started to think about all those strange ideas and nobody could stop him. Anyway, I don’t want anybody to misuderstand me because my intention is not to demoralize him at all, I wish him the best from the deep of my heart and I hope he gets over from his illness as soon as possible, but it’s true I have not kept in touch with him. Actually, I have not seen him since September 2007, our last performance together in Alcorcón, Madrid.
RB- When TT said you were completely out of the band and that there was a girl replacing you, Miss K What did you think? How did you feel?
TK- Oh, God! I couldn’t believe it. In fact I was devastated because I told him I didn’t want to play his game and he told me that there wasn’t any game, that I was actually out of the band, so I felt very upset and fucked with that. I still don’t know whether it was true or not, but I have never wanted to play those stupid games. The thing is that I think he only wanted to attract attention and I didn’t want to go with it cause I thought it was all bullshit.
RB – How much would you say that crisis influenced the breaking with Sanctuary Records after its decline as a record company, after they had charged royalties in advance? Did that share out have to do with the breaking of the band?
TK- I don’t understand your question very well because the fact is that we only had prepayment for the first album we recorded with Sanctuary. The thing is that TT lost his struggle with Sanctuary and actually we all lost Money in it, the band and our lawyers, but TT didn’t give a shit at all. The biggest problem was that we were supposed to get all the rights of the Stratovarius catalogue by the end of 2008, the thing is that we couldn’t make use of it until 2015, and it was a huge problem because at that time we couldn’t do anything in terms of compilation, mixing etc that could be done in those years since we didn’t have any right over the material. It was quite stupid so we couldn’t accept that agreement.
RB- After that crisis, Stratovarius releases a self-titled album in 2005, but things inside the band were not going very well…
TK- Yes, you are dead right because everything was going on but not very well. Some times Timo was at the hospital and the rest of us were in the studio without any interest in the band, at least I didn’t have any. Imagine, Timo was out of the hospital and everybody tried to record or rehearse but as you know, it’s not easy. In fact I acknowledge I am not a fan of this self-titled album at all, in spite of the fact that there are really good songs, but in my opinión it is not a Stratovarius normal album. I don’t know, I suppose it is so because the songs are very deppressive in general, clearly motivated by the slumps of Timo Tolkki, who was not at his best. Obviously when somebody is writing and composing he is expressing his own feelings, although I also think that he was somehow looking for a change and didn’t want to compose that typical Stratovarius songs anymore. I don’t know it for sure, but it does sound different from the old Stratovarius albums.
RB- What made him claim in March 2008 that Stratovarius was not anymore and what makes all of you many months later continue with the band and keep the name? After many problems between Stratovarius and TT , he finally accepts everything. How would you sum it up?
TK – Well…How much time do you have? (laughs) The truth is that we would need two hours but I am gonna cut it short. The first thing is that Timo Tolkki had a contract to record a solo album, it was in September 2007, but the Stratovarius songs belonged to Sanctuary at that time, so we paid for the demos and as I suppose you know, we actually recorded those songs for the next Stratovarius album. Suddenly, Timo Tolkki decided he didn’t either want to make this kind of music anymore or continue with the band, but of course he didn’t tell us he had already sold those demos behind our backs, and then we realized that everything he had told us to dismember the band, that he didn't want to continue with it was just a big lie. In his contract for his solo album there was a paragraph in which the new record company, Frontiers, said that his own album would be released at the same time the Stratovarius album was supposed too to be released, and that is why he wanted to leave the band, so he could only focus on his solo album, and he was also prepayed. At that time Stratovarius didn’t exist, and the lawyer of Sanctuary told us that there was no band, no contract and no album.
We lost the trial, our rights over the songs, and Timo didn’t even want to pay the lawyers. The rest of the band decided to make a statement at the end of May 2008, the only one we made at that time, explaining how everything had happened, while TT was making a lot of them, and then he said he would leave everything to us so we could continue with the band, I suppose for everyone to like him, I don’t really know. The thing is that neither that catalogue exists nor all those rights he talked about cause all of them belong to Sanctuary and it doesn’t sell them.
However until the end of August we had not decided to keep the name. It was when we were rehearsing and we realized everything was right in the band. We decided to compose some songs before taking a decision and see if it was still being Stratovarius. If the music we have composed had nothing to do with Stratovarius, there was no reason for us to keep the name, but when we played those songs we realized it was absolutely Stratovarius, so it wouldn’t be logical to change the name and call the band ‘’Metal Warriors’’ for instance, because in fact everyone who listened those songs would say it is Stratovarius and there are 4 members left from the previous line-up.
RB- Wait a minute, TT gives you the right to keep the name, but who was really the owner of it? We must not forget Stratovarius was founded many years before TT was a member of it, so I don’t really think it was him who had originally registered that name...
TK- That is true, because there are many people who don’t know TT is not the original founder. In fact the name belonged to the first drummer but now it is ours.
RB- Honestly, don’t you think that keeping the name is a double-edged sword that can even damage your future? On the other hand it’s easy to see it is easier for your fans, promoters etc to identify you and pay you attention…
TK- I don’t think it is a double-edged sword at all because it’s not just the name itself, because we also asked our fans, what they thought about it and if it was a right solution, and more than a 95% agreed and asked us to keep it. This is the only reason and not the money, and of course because we know it is a 100% Stratovarius album. I have spent 15 years in the band, Jens and Jörg 14 so we think we have the right to continue with the legacy and in this case I don’t really care people’s opinions, just our fans’. I mean, nobody can tell us if it is right or wrong, but I tell you once again that if the music had not been Stratovarius, we would have changed the name.
RB: I suppose there is a feeling of peace and relax in the band, is it so?
TK- Yes, that is the situation cause we are good friends and we are having fun in every moment. In fact, when Jens and Jörg come to Finland they stay at my home, and Matias is a very talented guy. There is a positive chemistry among us from the very beginning. Everything is ok now, that is true, and I actually feel like 16 years ago when I joined the band. Furthermore, we had then a very similar feeling to the one we have right now, and we don’t really know what people expect from us, and that is very exciting, because now I feel I can do my thing freely, and it is such a brilliant prospect. There isn’t anybody in the band complaining and saying he doesn’t want to tour or he hates playing live, and everybody is yearning to play live…There are really good vibes in the band!
RB- Well, after these questions, I think necessary, about the stormy recent past, let’s talk about the present: ‘’Polaris’’is the first musical sign of this brand new Stratovarius. How would you define this album in general terms?
TK- I think it is a combination of the old and the new…I think there are several songs that could perfectly fit in the Episode album, but there is also fresh and new material, specially in the song Deep Unknown. For me this album is like the true and real beginning, furthermore we have that hunger and renewed energy to make music, fortunately this has come back to the band, when the last years have been too much crazy and depressive. This time we have left all that shit behind and we have totally focused on the music , and that is a great feeling, I can assure you that. For the first time in a long time we could only focuse on a great album, when there was not even a band, songs, guitarist, nothing. Somehow there was no future, but I suppose this is one of the reasons why the album has turned into something really positive, because we have been able to leave all that shit behind and it is something you can feel while listening to the album. Furthermore, in my opinión this a quite better album than at least those 2 or 3 last albums of Stratovarius, and of course everyone has his own opinion, but this is the way I see it.
RB- I think this new album is a very good work, it perfectly links those legendary Stratovarius Episode and Visions albums with a new Stratovarius where we can find in my opinion too many mid tempo songs, songs with a very symphonic style and very few hit singles if we compare this new album with the previous ones where there used to be those representative and ‘’must’’ songs in a Stratovarius album. I don’t know if you agree with it…
TK- Well, I don’t know, there are some mid tempo songs but then you also have those fast and speedy songs such as Higher We Go or Forever is Today. It very much depends on how you wanna see it, anyway there are more speedy songs in this album than in our last two or three ones (laughs) although we are not a speed metal band, I wouldn’t even label it a ‘’power’’ metal band. I prefer to see it just as a metal one. I partly agree with you in the sense that there are more epic songs in general, and there are also slow songs, but anyway, that is the style of this album, nothing else, furthermore I find very interesting to know different opinions about it.
RB- I would stand out Winter Skies, for its epic atmosphere in the melody of the voice, Forever is Today that slightly reminds us of Legions, Paradise, and Higher We Go with that very energy of Hunting High and Low…
Tk- In fact I completely agree with you because certainly those are the songs which have a Stratovarius classic style. I specially like Winter Skies, I don’t know exactly why but I love those good vibes that it transmits, and yes, you are right because those kind of songs are the ones which best represent the past of the band.
RB- In this album you don’t sing with those impossible high tones that sometimes could even be quite irritating. In fact you yourself assured me in some previous interviews that it was Timo Tolkki who obliged you to sing like that and you were quite sick and tired of that way of composing. Now in Polaris you sing a lot better, with more quality in your voice, you seem to be a lot more comfortable singing in this way.
TK- Yes, that is right and I agree with you in that too. I still sing in high tones and that is something I really like. The difference is that it is not something constant or I don’t do it as much as I used to, and it only happens when it is necessary. It is something I like and I will keep doing, but it’s just that I don’t have to be killing cats all the time (laughs). Nevertheless, I have to admit my voice sounds a lot better in high tones, and now in this album I feel that my tones are a lot more powerful, in that R.J. Dio or B. Dickinson’s style that I like so much, you know, singers with a wide range of tones who not only do falsettos like many others. Yes, of course Timo Tolkki composed all those songs and made me sing very high in the past, and despite I can do it, mainly singing live, there were always certain songs quite difficult to sing. Anyway, in this new album there are very high songs and I think it is even more difficult to sing them than doing only falsettos. I suppose it’s just a matter of tastes, and I am personally not very much tempted by falsettos.
RB- Now you have a new guitarist, Matias Kupiainen, talk me about him, please. It is inevitable to compare him with Tolkki, but how is he as guitarist?
TK- He is a very talented guy and in my opinion he is the best guitarist I have never seen, seriously. Something really good about him is that he is a very down-to-earth guy and has our same sense of humour. Of course he can perfectly play Timo Tolkki’s stuff without any problem, but he doesn’t want to copy him, you know, and it wouldn’t have any sense because Timo is a brilliant guitarist and nobody can replace him. We needed someone who could play Timo’s stuff, his scales, melodies etc but at the same time someone who could provide his own personality and solos, of course.
Something really interesting is that we didn’t have any audition or something like that, we didn’t even see videos on the Internet. We didn’t want any famous guitarist since in that case there could always be the possibility for him to take this as a parallel project, you know, or be hired to play in an important band and that’s all. No, we wanted to be a band again at 100% and fortunately that is exactly what we have again. One last thing I want to say about Matias is that he is a very good guy working in the studio, very rigorous and he can also play the keyboards, what makes him a versatile guy to work with. For me it is very good to have someone in the band like Matias. We know he can perfectly yield live or in the studio. We both have worked together quite a lot in the album, he was helping me with the arrangements and melodies in my songs, and I was writing lyrics for his, and we work very well together, I like it.
RB- You are gonna tour and play in the Metalway Festival in June. What can you tell us about this reunion with all your Spanish fans?
TK- Yes, although we are gonna start in the middle of May in Great Britain and next I think we are going to Germany, Poland, Russia and Finland before going to Spain. And I am longing for this concert because we have always had an amazing audience in Spain and specially in this concert we are going to coincide with fantastic bands, although I have to check yet which bands play the same day, but the event lineup in general is really good and it will be fantastic to play again in this festival in Spain. I am longing for this concert to meet again with our dear Spanish fans in person before or after the show.
RB- Last but not least, Timo Tolkki says he is going to have a meeting with the ex-Stratovarius members Tuomo Lassila and Antti Ikonen to record a farewell album for the Stratovarius fans. It is expected to be released this fall. More controversy?
TK- Do you think it is really going to happen?
RB- Well, I have no idea, what’s your opinion?
TK- That is my doubt, although I suppose it is me who has to answer your question (laughs…) I don’t know, the thing is that summer is just round the corner and nothing has happened yet so it seems a bit strange, but anyway, as I told you before, I wish him the best, I do still respect him as a composer, producer and guitarist and I hope he gets a lot of success in everything he gets involved in.
RB- Ok Timo, thank you very much for you time and to finish with this interview, you take the floor.
TK- The first think I wanna say is muchas gracias for having supported us in this long journey and I hope you like the album. I personally want to come back soon to Spain with the band and drink a good red wine. No, seriously, we are looking forward to make a meet&greet with our Spanish fans and chat with them… Oh! By the way, before I forget I’d like to mention we are having an European tour by the end of this year or at the beginning of the next one, but before that there are gonna be some shows and several summer festivals and I hope to see you on tour! Greetings, my friend!
Here's the link to the full interview in Spanish.
http://www.rafabasa.com/modules.php?nam ... e&sid=7414
We talked with TK about his new activity in the band without Timo Tolkki, new album Polaris, performance in Metalway, stormy past that sorrounded the band.
TK was very sincere and honest and told us his version of the breaking and the future of the band without fearing polemic and thinking about the present and future.
RB – Hello, Timo, it’s such a long time we have not talked…
TK – Hello, Rafa, it is true and it is a pleasure to see you again.
RB – After several years, long tours, fans and critics’ appreciation, many amazing albums, others not that amazing, there was a crisis in the beginning and apparently motivated by Timo Tolkki’s foolish acts, who lost his bearings and also went into a deep depression sorrounded by alcohol and grotesque performances just like the one we lived in the Piorno Rock Festival in Granada (Spain) I suppose you still remember that performance, don’t you?
TK- Of course! How to forget it…?
RB – There were people who believed it was all a set-up, that his illness was a lie, and that the band only wanted polemic to gain popularity to be again in the limelight. What was true in all that situation that led Stratovarius to a deep crisis?
TK – Well, the truth is that Timo had and has a serious illness besides several mental problems, that is the truth. Furthermore he had at that time very strange ideas that I never shared with him or became part of. It all began 5 years ago and I just wanted him to stop doing all those things, although then we didn’t know that he was ill or what was making him feel like…How to say it? Like being two-faced.
Unfortunately there was nothing we could do for him, and we tried to help him many times, listening to his problems, going along with him, but nothing could help him. I suppose it was then when he started to think about all those strange ideas and nobody could stop him. Anyway, I don’t want anybody to misuderstand me because my intention is not to demoralize him at all, I wish him the best from the deep of my heart and I hope he gets over from his illness as soon as possible, but it’s true I have not kept in touch with him. Actually, I have not seen him since September 2007, our last performance together in Alcorcón, Madrid.
RB- When TT said you were completely out of the band and that there was a girl replacing you, Miss K What did you think? How did you feel?
TK- Oh, God! I couldn’t believe it. In fact I was devastated because I told him I didn’t want to play his game and he told me that there wasn’t any game, that I was actually out of the band, so I felt very upset and fucked with that. I still don’t know whether it was true or not, but I have never wanted to play those stupid games. The thing is that I think he only wanted to attract attention and I didn’t want to go with it cause I thought it was all bullshit.
RB – How much would you say that crisis influenced the breaking with Sanctuary Records after its decline as a record company, after they had charged royalties in advance? Did that share out have to do with the breaking of the band?
TK- I don’t understand your question very well because the fact is that we only had prepayment for the first album we recorded with Sanctuary. The thing is that TT lost his struggle with Sanctuary and actually we all lost Money in it, the band and our lawyers, but TT didn’t give a shit at all. The biggest problem was that we were supposed to get all the rights of the Stratovarius catalogue by the end of 2008, the thing is that we couldn’t make use of it until 2015, and it was a huge problem because at that time we couldn’t do anything in terms of compilation, mixing etc that could be done in those years since we didn’t have any right over the material. It was quite stupid so we couldn’t accept that agreement.
RB- After that crisis, Stratovarius releases a self-titled album in 2005, but things inside the band were not going very well…
TK- Yes, you are dead right because everything was going on but not very well. Some times Timo was at the hospital and the rest of us were in the studio without any interest in the band, at least I didn’t have any. Imagine, Timo was out of the hospital and everybody tried to record or rehearse but as you know, it’s not easy. In fact I acknowledge I am not a fan of this self-titled album at all, in spite of the fact that there are really good songs, but in my opinión it is not a Stratovarius normal album. I don’t know, I suppose it is so because the songs are very deppressive in general, clearly motivated by the slumps of Timo Tolkki, who was not at his best. Obviously when somebody is writing and composing he is expressing his own feelings, although I also think that he was somehow looking for a change and didn’t want to compose that typical Stratovarius songs anymore. I don’t know it for sure, but it does sound different from the old Stratovarius albums.
RB- What made him claim in March 2008 that Stratovarius was not anymore and what makes all of you many months later continue with the band and keep the name? After many problems between Stratovarius and TT , he finally accepts everything. How would you sum it up?
TK – Well…How much time do you have? (laughs) The truth is that we would need two hours but I am gonna cut it short. The first thing is that Timo Tolkki had a contract to record a solo album, it was in September 2007, but the Stratovarius songs belonged to Sanctuary at that time, so we paid for the demos and as I suppose you know, we actually recorded those songs for the next Stratovarius album. Suddenly, Timo Tolkki decided he didn’t either want to make this kind of music anymore or continue with the band, but of course he didn’t tell us he had already sold those demos behind our backs, and then we realized that everything he had told us to dismember the band, that he didn't want to continue with it was just a big lie. In his contract for his solo album there was a paragraph in which the new record company, Frontiers, said that his own album would be released at the same time the Stratovarius album was supposed too to be released, and that is why he wanted to leave the band, so he could only focus on his solo album, and he was also prepayed. At that time Stratovarius didn’t exist, and the lawyer of Sanctuary told us that there was no band, no contract and no album.
We lost the trial, our rights over the songs, and Timo didn’t even want to pay the lawyers. The rest of the band decided to make a statement at the end of May 2008, the only one we made at that time, explaining how everything had happened, while TT was making a lot of them, and then he said he would leave everything to us so we could continue with the band, I suppose for everyone to like him, I don’t really know. The thing is that neither that catalogue exists nor all those rights he talked about cause all of them belong to Sanctuary and it doesn’t sell them.
However until the end of August we had not decided to keep the name. It was when we were rehearsing and we realized everything was right in the band. We decided to compose some songs before taking a decision and see if it was still being Stratovarius. If the music we have composed had nothing to do with Stratovarius, there was no reason for us to keep the name, but when we played those songs we realized it was absolutely Stratovarius, so it wouldn’t be logical to change the name and call the band ‘’Metal Warriors’’ for instance, because in fact everyone who listened those songs would say it is Stratovarius and there are 4 members left from the previous line-up.
RB- Wait a minute, TT gives you the right to keep the name, but who was really the owner of it? We must not forget Stratovarius was founded many years before TT was a member of it, so I don’t really think it was him who had originally registered that name...
TK- That is true, because there are many people who don’t know TT is not the original founder. In fact the name belonged to the first drummer but now it is ours.
RB- Honestly, don’t you think that keeping the name is a double-edged sword that can even damage your future? On the other hand it’s easy to see it is easier for your fans, promoters etc to identify you and pay you attention…
TK- I don’t think it is a double-edged sword at all because it’s not just the name itself, because we also asked our fans, what they thought about it and if it was a right solution, and more than a 95% agreed and asked us to keep it. This is the only reason and not the money, and of course because we know it is a 100% Stratovarius album. I have spent 15 years in the band, Jens and Jörg 14 so we think we have the right to continue with the legacy and in this case I don’t really care people’s opinions, just our fans’. I mean, nobody can tell us if it is right or wrong, but I tell you once again that if the music had not been Stratovarius, we would have changed the name.
RB: I suppose there is a feeling of peace and relax in the band, is it so?
TK- Yes, that is the situation cause we are good friends and we are having fun in every moment. In fact, when Jens and Jörg come to Finland they stay at my home, and Matias is a very talented guy. There is a positive chemistry among us from the very beginning. Everything is ok now, that is true, and I actually feel like 16 years ago when I joined the band. Furthermore, we had then a very similar feeling to the one we have right now, and we don’t really know what people expect from us, and that is very exciting, because now I feel I can do my thing freely, and it is such a brilliant prospect. There isn’t anybody in the band complaining and saying he doesn’t want to tour or he hates playing live, and everybody is yearning to play live…There are really good vibes in the band!
RB- Well, after these questions, I think necessary, about the stormy recent past, let’s talk about the present: ‘’Polaris’’is the first musical sign of this brand new Stratovarius. How would you define this album in general terms?
TK- I think it is a combination of the old and the new…I think there are several songs that could perfectly fit in the Episode album, but there is also fresh and new material, specially in the song Deep Unknown. For me this album is like the true and real beginning, furthermore we have that hunger and renewed energy to make music, fortunately this has come back to the band, when the last years have been too much crazy and depressive. This time we have left all that shit behind and we have totally focused on the music , and that is a great feeling, I can assure you that. For the first time in a long time we could only focuse on a great album, when there was not even a band, songs, guitarist, nothing. Somehow there was no future, but I suppose this is one of the reasons why the album has turned into something really positive, because we have been able to leave all that shit behind and it is something you can feel while listening to the album. Furthermore, in my opinión this a quite better album than at least those 2 or 3 last albums of Stratovarius, and of course everyone has his own opinion, but this is the way I see it.
RB- I think this new album is a very good work, it perfectly links those legendary Stratovarius Episode and Visions albums with a new Stratovarius where we can find in my opinion too many mid tempo songs, songs with a very symphonic style and very few hit singles if we compare this new album with the previous ones where there used to be those representative and ‘’must’’ songs in a Stratovarius album. I don’t know if you agree with it…
TK- Well, I don’t know, there are some mid tempo songs but then you also have those fast and speedy songs such as Higher We Go or Forever is Today. It very much depends on how you wanna see it, anyway there are more speedy songs in this album than in our last two or three ones (laughs) although we are not a speed metal band, I wouldn’t even label it a ‘’power’’ metal band. I prefer to see it just as a metal one. I partly agree with you in the sense that there are more epic songs in general, and there are also slow songs, but anyway, that is the style of this album, nothing else, furthermore I find very interesting to know different opinions about it.
RB- I would stand out Winter Skies, for its epic atmosphere in the melody of the voice, Forever is Today that slightly reminds us of Legions, Paradise, and Higher We Go with that very energy of Hunting High and Low…
Tk- In fact I completely agree with you because certainly those are the songs which have a Stratovarius classic style. I specially like Winter Skies, I don’t know exactly why but I love those good vibes that it transmits, and yes, you are right because those kind of songs are the ones which best represent the past of the band.
RB- In this album you don’t sing with those impossible high tones that sometimes could even be quite irritating. In fact you yourself assured me in some previous interviews that it was Timo Tolkki who obliged you to sing like that and you were quite sick and tired of that way of composing. Now in Polaris you sing a lot better, with more quality in your voice, you seem to be a lot more comfortable singing in this way.
TK- Yes, that is right and I agree with you in that too. I still sing in high tones and that is something I really like. The difference is that it is not something constant or I don’t do it as much as I used to, and it only happens when it is necessary. It is something I like and I will keep doing, but it’s just that I don’t have to be killing cats all the time (laughs). Nevertheless, I have to admit my voice sounds a lot better in high tones, and now in this album I feel that my tones are a lot more powerful, in that R.J. Dio or B. Dickinson’s style that I like so much, you know, singers with a wide range of tones who not only do falsettos like many others. Yes, of course Timo Tolkki composed all those songs and made me sing very high in the past, and despite I can do it, mainly singing live, there were always certain songs quite difficult to sing. Anyway, in this new album there are very high songs and I think it is even more difficult to sing them than doing only falsettos. I suppose it’s just a matter of tastes, and I am personally not very much tempted by falsettos.
RB- Now you have a new guitarist, Matias Kupiainen, talk me about him, please. It is inevitable to compare him with Tolkki, but how is he as guitarist?
TK- He is a very talented guy and in my opinion he is the best guitarist I have never seen, seriously. Something really good about him is that he is a very down-to-earth guy and has our same sense of humour. Of course he can perfectly play Timo Tolkki’s stuff without any problem, but he doesn’t want to copy him, you know, and it wouldn’t have any sense because Timo is a brilliant guitarist and nobody can replace him. We needed someone who could play Timo’s stuff, his scales, melodies etc but at the same time someone who could provide his own personality and solos, of course.
Something really interesting is that we didn’t have any audition or something like that, we didn’t even see videos on the Internet. We didn’t want any famous guitarist since in that case there could always be the possibility for him to take this as a parallel project, you know, or be hired to play in an important band and that’s all. No, we wanted to be a band again at 100% and fortunately that is exactly what we have again. One last thing I want to say about Matias is that he is a very good guy working in the studio, very rigorous and he can also play the keyboards, what makes him a versatile guy to work with. For me it is very good to have someone in the band like Matias. We know he can perfectly yield live or in the studio. We both have worked together quite a lot in the album, he was helping me with the arrangements and melodies in my songs, and I was writing lyrics for his, and we work very well together, I like it.
RB- You are gonna tour and play in the Metalway Festival in June. What can you tell us about this reunion with all your Spanish fans?
TK- Yes, although we are gonna start in the middle of May in Great Britain and next I think we are going to Germany, Poland, Russia and Finland before going to Spain. And I am longing for this concert because we have always had an amazing audience in Spain and specially in this concert we are going to coincide with fantastic bands, although I have to check yet which bands play the same day, but the event lineup in general is really good and it will be fantastic to play again in this festival in Spain. I am longing for this concert to meet again with our dear Spanish fans in person before or after the show.
RB- Last but not least, Timo Tolkki says he is going to have a meeting with the ex-Stratovarius members Tuomo Lassila and Antti Ikonen to record a farewell album for the Stratovarius fans. It is expected to be released this fall. More controversy?
TK- Do you think it is really going to happen?
RB- Well, I have no idea, what’s your opinion?
TK- That is my doubt, although I suppose it is me who has to answer your question (laughs…) I don’t know, the thing is that summer is just round the corner and nothing has happened yet so it seems a bit strange, but anyway, as I told you before, I wish him the best, I do still respect him as a composer, producer and guitarist and I hope he gets a lot of success in everything he gets involved in.
RB- Ok Timo, thank you very much for you time and to finish with this interview, you take the floor.
TK- The first think I wanna say is muchas gracias for having supported us in this long journey and I hope you like the album. I personally want to come back soon to Spain with the band and drink a good red wine. No, seriously, we are looking forward to make a meet&greet with our Spanish fans and chat with them… Oh! By the way, before I forget I’d like to mention we are having an European tour by the end of this year or at the beginning of the next one, but before that there are gonna be some shows and several summer festivals and I hope to see you on tour! Greetings, my friend!
I really understand both points of view but I REALLY just wish it would be laid to rest. I think the focus of the parties involved would be in the promotion of their new albums. Stratovarius and Project Strato........ I think by putting energy into this will take away from the impact of both albums. Let peace reign!
