Stratovarius Community

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:50 am**

The perhaps even waited press release about the situation of Jani Liimatainen and Elias Viljanen:

08/06/2007 Official statement concerning Jani
As many already know, our guitarist Jani Liimatainen has been absent from the line-up this spring and summer.
The reason was his messing around with his compulsory military/civil/prison duty, or rather,
complete failure to take care of it.

This matter, and everything that goes with it, caused a split between Jani and the other band members.
This split was impossible to mend without Jani's help and co-operation.

Therefore we would like to make known the following:
During fall of '06 and spring of '07, Jani's personal matters and actions drove us to a situation
where we had no option but to ask Jani to leave the band.

Jani was notified of this in May, and the separation was amicable. We wanted to give Jani the
chance to get his life together before making this public, which is why we didn't make this
announcement earlier. We wish Jani well on his chosen path.

"Show must go on", so, facing the facts, we hereby humbly announce that Elias Viljanen
is from this day forward a full and official member of Sonata Arctica.

Throughout this summer, on many occasions, Elias has shown himself to be able to fill
the big boots Jani left behind.

We hope our friends and our fans understand that this was the only choice left for us to make so
that our band could continue. Sonata Arctica has always been, and always will be, more than the
sum of its parts. The band has become for us a way of life, a lifeline that simply can not be cut off.

A long "Unia" -tour lies in front of us.
We extend Elias a warm welcome to the Sonata family, and we hope the fans will, too.
Sonata Arctica is whole again.

See you on the road!

Best regards,
~Tony, Tommy, Marko, and Henrik

www.sonataarctica.info

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:08 am**

Sad news. All the best to both Jani and Elias. Never heard Elias play one note, but hopefullky he manages.

The fact that Finland still has a compulsory military is so fucked up. It messed up my life and mental health for nine months really badly too. But what are you gonna do when certain people still fear Russia will attack here for no apparent reason...

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:37 am**

Nine months?

I did 25 months compulsory service.

Anyway. Elias is an incredible guitarist, check out YouTube.

It's a shame to see Jani go but what can we do.

All the best to both of them.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:40 am**

Mormegil wrote:Never heard Elias play one note, but hopefullky he manages.

He does. and pretty well

Quite sad news imo. I think Jani is a really good guitar player and a cool dude as well. But like says the statement, the show must go on. All the best for Elias and the rest of the band.
Hopefully Elias will enable Sonata to play good music again.

I'm sure Icebreaker is glad for the news. That will bring longer "drunk" talks in restaurants

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:50 am**

cliff wrote: I'm sure Icebreaker is glad for the news. That will bring longer "drunk" talks in restaurants

I seriously need to come back to Finland sometime so we can all meet up and have a good long talk of that nature

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 3:37 pm**

IceBreaker wrote:The perhaps even waited press release about the situation of Jani Liimatainen and Elias Viljanen:

What I said about this?

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:47 pm**

That wasn't a huge surprise....
Oh well. He was ugly anyways!

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 4:54 pm**

:) wrote:That wasn't a huge surprise....
Oh well. He was ugly anyways!

I always thought he was very pretty

But whatever. Amazing guitarist, let's hope we hear more from him in the future...

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:03 pm**

:facial: wrote:Oh well. He was ugly anyways!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Besides, some people might look beautiful from the outside (or at least THEY think they are beautiful) but deep inside, they are nothing else but a rotten fruit.

One more thing : a musician - a real one- plays music.
If you're only interested in handsome men, go back to The Bold And Beautiful. Ah...

I have met Jani a couple of times. A really cool guy. Not the kind of "look at me I'm so great rockstar" dude.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:12 pm**

cliff wrote:But like says the statement, the show must go on. All the best for Elias and the rest of the band.
Hopefully Elias will enable Sonata to play good music again.

I'm sure Icebreaker is glad for the news. That will bring longer "drunk" talks in restaurants

The show must go on. It feels a shame for Jani, he is also a skillful guitarist and was always good & funny on stage. About Evil, really hope he could bring his musicial abilities to Sonata´s music, and even could write some songs for them.

Well, perhaps, perhaps. But I´d say same about StratoTimo, specially when having those "drunk talks".

cliff wrote:I have met Jani a couple of times. A really cool guy. Not the kind of "look at me I'm so great rockstar" dude.

Haven´t met Jani, but Elias few times, and can say that all about him too.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 5:54 pm**

Jani has always been slightly annoying to me anyways. I used to talk to him sometimes and I've never really liked him. He may be a good guitar player but that doesn't make him a good person, although I dont think he's a bad person and i do hope he has a good life. I think he's a dumbass for letting sonata go, just like mikko let sonata go. But then again i really hate change and to see the line up of my favorite band change again is really freaking depressing. So now i think i will go nurse my anxiety with some sangria from olive garden.
AH the healing powers of alcohol

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:23 pm**

:) wrote:I think he's a dumbass for letting sonata go, just like mikko let sonata go. But then again i really hate change and to see the line up of my favorite band change again is really freaking depressing.

Letting his/her band go doesn´t make any person dumbass... It´s just the opinion thing!

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:28 pm**

It's not even an opinion.

One can never know the array of personal issues around such an event. Maybe the person decided they didn't want to do it anymore. It's a very draining, tiring and stressful life, constantly touring and recording isn't all fun and games.

Maybe the person in question wanted to do something else, or something changed in their personal life that resulted in them taking the decision.

I never question the reasons for someone leaving a band. Whatever they were, they must be pretty damn good ones.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:38 pm**

I meant with the "opinion" thing the feeling many fans are getting when members of their fav band are leaving that band. That may cause many kind of strong but quickly thought opinions...

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 6:47 pm**

IceBreaker wrote:I meant with the "opinion" thing the feeling many fans are getting when members of their fav band are leaving that band. That may cause many kind of strong but quickly thought opinions...

Oh right I get what you mean.

Yeah it's always sad... they're like part of a family, or that's how fans like to see it anyway.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:05 pm**

All of that IS my opinion and what i think of the situation.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:28 pm**

:) wrote:

All of that IS my opinion and what i think of the situation.

Maybe you should just be quiet since you know nothing about the circumstances. I know.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:52 pm**

:) wrote:He may be a good guitar player but that doesn't make him a good person, although I dont think he's a bad person and i do hope he has a good life. I think he's a dumbass for letting sonata go, just like mikko let sonata go. But then again i really hate change and to see the line up of my favorite band change again is really freaking depressing. So now i think i will go nurse my anxiety with some sangria from olive garden.l

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 7:54 pm**

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:08 pm**

Well I hope that doesn't make SA "evil"...

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:12 pm**

exe knight wrote:Well I hope that doesn't make SA "evil"...

LOL But it is E.Vil when E.Vil is in that band

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:43 pm**

StratoTimo wrote:
exe knight wrote:Well I hope that doesn't make SA "evil"...
LOL But it is E.Vil when E.Vil is in that band

I guess that the news (= Jari in Evergrey + E.vil in Sonata) + Tuple busy with Tarot signs the end of MESS...

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:53 pm**

cliff wrote:
StratoTimo wrote:
exe knight wrote:Well I hope that doesn't make SA "evil"...
LOL But it is E.Vil when E.Vil is in that band
I guess that the news (= Jari in Evergrey + E.vil in Sonata) + Tuple busy with Tarot signs the end of MESS...

I and Evil really hope that MESS is going to make gigs! Evil said to me that he don't want that MESS is forgotten! <--- right word?

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:33 pm**

StratoTimo wrote:I and Evil really hope that MESS is going to make gigs! Evil said to me that he don't want that MESS is forgotten! <--- right word?

I don't want to sound pessimistic, but it seems not so many people even knew about MESS, pkl.

Posted: **Mon Aug 06, 2007 10:54 pm**

Aww damnit and I was hoping to meet him in September when they came here.

But nothing I can do, really hope he keeps playing and I am looking forward to hearing Elias.

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