Stratovarius Community

fernandotcl wrote:HinatAArcticA: 98%? Really?

stratowerner wrote:What a useless topic,If you want a perfect performance stay home on your chair and play your fav strato songs on the stereo player.
Timo is a human just like the rest of us,with good and perfect moments.
Timo looks good,sings good,is in a great shape and No he isn't perfect like the most people on this planet.

You don't need to go all defensive like that. We all love Stratovarius and we all consider Kotipelto one of the most beautiful power metal voices ever. That doesn't change the fact that a considerable chunk of the community is concerned about his voice.

First, allow me to make it clear that I do respect Kotipelto as the very compentent singer he is. But plain and simple, in all recent (2004-2009) live performances I've seen (in videos and in person), Kotipelto couldn't reach the higher notes consistently. What I wanted to know is:

- Has he always struggled to reach those notes?
- If not, is this a permanent issue?

That's all, really. Enough with the usual "if you want him to sound great, listen to the albums" fanboy crap. A lot of people are quick to say that he has ups and downs, yet all videos out there tell a different story (are there no ups?).

Completely true.

rikkertje wrote:

fernandotcl wrote:HinatAArcticA: 98%? Really?

stratowerner wrote:What a useless topic,If you want a perfect performance stay home on your chair and play your fav strato songs on the stereo player.
Timo is a human just like the rest of us,with good and perfect moments.
Timo looks good,sings good,is in a great shape and No he isn't perfect like the most people on this planet.

You don't need to go all defensive like that. We all love Stratovarius and we all consider Kotipelto one of the most beautiful power metal voices ever. That doesn't change the fact that a considerable chunk of the community is concerned about his voice.

First, allow me to make it clear that I do respect Kotipelto as the very compentent singer he is. But plain and simple, in all recent (2004-2009) live performances I've seen (in videos and in person), Kotipelto couldn't reach the higher notes consistently. What I wanted to know is:

- Has he always struggled to reach those notes?
- If not, is this a permanent issue?

That's all, really. Enough with the usual "if you want him to sound great, listen to the albums" fanboy crap. A lot of people are quick to say that he has ups and downs, yet all videos out there tell a different story (are there no ups?).

Completely true.

Timo had problems with the high notes since the day he joined Stratovarius,i think he wants to sound more mature like Joey tempest does.Instead of forcing himself to sing high.And the other fact is that timo sings very dry onstage with not to much effect on his vocals,in 2000 and 2003 he used more effects to reach the clean high vocals.
And these days almost every concert shows on youtube so you can hear a lot of different performance,so it's hard to compare if you don't have lots of old bootlegs like i have.

Star_Ocean wrote:I rarely ever hear a power metal singer perfect live.

In fact, the only one I can think of that is close to perfection live is Fabio Lione, who is around Kotipelto's ago (a couple years younger I believe) and is still amazing.

But Kotipelto has never been perfect. I recall an Anthem of the World performance from the 90s that was beyond atrocious.

the only one...Lione! come on!...
he never sing 100% good... his voice turns more and more low and with extremly vibrating sound (to occult mistakes).
he try to sing "flames of revenge" a thousand times, but he never can make the high tones xD

im a big fan of rhapsody , Lione is a very good singer but the best live?... mmmm

for me all singers are the same, good and bad days...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQmcFIwfPpw

_Pepe_ wrote:

Star_Ocean wrote:I rarely ever hear a power metal singer perfect live.

In fact, the only one I can think of that is close to perfection live is Fabio Lione, who is around Kotipelto's ago (a couple years younger I believe) and is still amazing.

But Kotipelto has never been perfect. I recall an Anthem of the World performance from the 90s that was beyond atrocious.

the only one...Lione! come on!...
he never sing 100% good... his voice turns more and more low and with extremly vibrating sound (to occult mistakes).
he try to sing "flames of revenge" a thousand times, but he never can make the high tones xD

im a big fan of rhapsody , Lione is a very good singer but the best live?... mmmm

for me all singers are the same, good and bad days...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQmcFIwfPpw

Well for me Kotipelto is perfect!!!
Fabio Lione used to be better in the past, nowadays it seems he is losting his powerfull voice?
Probably 'cause he also is a smoker

Fabio Lione used to be better in the past, nowadays it seems he is losting his powerfull voice?
Probably 'cause he also is a smoker

yeah and thats why I think it would be totally fair for him to lose his voice
Well it IS his own fault

Fabio smokes?

Great idea Einstein

About Timo, here's more great material.
I think he just has bad days and better days, as everyone.

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Again 98 - 99%

I don't want to defend Timo just because he is Timo. The performance of Father Time in Wacken 2007 was well... terrible.
But this topic is about Polaris tour, and I defend Timo not with word, but with his own work on stage, and this Speed of Light performances is just as good as the one in Runmanmeri 2004, just that Matias is a bit cleaner than Tolkki, but Timo sounds just great.
That's what I think

Yes, I see you look at the polaris tour, but now take a look at the higher songs he did during the polaris tour. Forever is Today, Destiny, SOS. Those performances weren't quite good...

HinatAArcticA wrote:Fabio smokes?

Great idea Einstein


I think he just has bad days and better days, as everyone.

Exactly, is obvious TK will have always great & bad days like everyone else!
I love to sing too, but I would never have patience & energy to sing live everyday day by day & the same set list, those guys probably are tired to play the same songs too!?

rikkertje wrote:But now take a look at the higher songs he did during the polaris tour.

Ok

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That one again is in 96-99%

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Here is at least avobe 90%
He reaches the notes. Won't make them last as long as in the album, but they are there.

Again, I think it's good days and bad days.

rikkertje wrote:Yes, I see you look at the polaris tour, but now take a look at the higher songs he did during the polaris tour. Forever is Today, Destiny, SOS. Those performances weren't quite good...

Tell me what is your goal with this discussion?,Timo doesn't sing perfect live thats a fact we all know.I don't understand why you keep talking about the high notes.The man always gives 100% on stage there is nothing more he can do.

Sorry to interrupt folks, but I couldn't not post in here:

One thng for sure we are all concerned about is that TK isn't young anymore, and he clearly can't hit those high notes in many songs... LIVE! Many of you have said that if you want to listen Koti at his best time you should stick to your old albums. But you guys never thought that "Polaris" has a Koti with an incredible voice (kind of forced, I know); example of "Forever Is Today": You say he can't sing that chorus because it's too high... Of course in studio you can do everything. That's the proof he hasn't lost it

In live shows I've seen, including the last one 4 months ago, he sounded excelent: At "Destiny" he was stunning, "Deep Unknown", "Forever Is Today", "Phoenix", "Black Diamond". He made an excelent performance along with the band. Of course, not expecting him to sing high notes because HE IS NOT PERFECT! Try after 26 years of history to be the same as you used to be

I'm not saying Koti is losing his potential, on the contrary he has more to come. Take the example of "Gather The Faithful"; I mean my god! When I first listened to it I couldn't believe THAT was TK.

So let's just say and expect the next project to be as good as they always do. And if you aren't happy about TK at live performances, you should take some time and reconsider the facts

ggonza43 wrote: He made an excelent performance along with the band. Of course, not expecting him to sing high notes because HE IS NOT PERFECT! Try after 26 years of history to be the same as you used to be

Exactly!
BTW: Can you mention someone who is perfect live?
Even great names & legends of Rock & Metal like Dio, Dickinson, Gillan, Mercury, Coverdale, Halford are not perfect live!

& if you guys want to listen only singers who reach high notes all the time go to listen Montserrat Cabbalet

Polaris wrote: & if you guys want to listen only singers who reach high notes all the time go to listen Montserrat Cabbalet

Montserrat&Savall Rulez, but... my fav is Philippe Jaroussky. I adore him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJA2x_m0uy8&feature=fvw

Timo's singing is usually great, but it just depends on the day. I think the band should consider transposing a few songs like Father Time and Forever is Today so he can deliver a more consistent live performance. I don't think there's any shame in that.

AAAAAAAAAA wrote:Timo's singing is usually great, but it just depends on the day. I think the band should consider transposing a few songs like Father Time and Forever is Today so he can deliver a more consistent live performance. I don't think there's any shame in that.

Agreed.

Polaris wrote:& if you guys want to listen only singers who reach high notes all the time go to listen Montserrat Cabbalet

i love it. it's awesome.

HinatAArcticA wrote:

rikkertje wrote:But now take a look at the higher songs he did during the polaris tour.

Ok

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That one again is in 96-99%

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Here is at least avobe 90%
He reaches the notes. Won't make them last as long as in the album, but they are there.

Again, I think it's good days and bad days.

In both those videos his voice is very good! Except for the high parts. Doesn't sound powerfull and good at all.

pneumonia wrote:

Polaris wrote: & if you guys want to listen only singers who reach high notes all the time go to listen Montserrat Cabbalet

Montserrat&Savall Rulez, but... my fav is Philippe Jaroussky. I adore him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJA2x_m0uy8&feature=fvw

I like Montserrat, she is great, have you listen her sing together with Freddie Mercury & Bruce Dickinson, is great!

rikkertje wrote:

HinatAArcticA wrote:

rikkertje wrote:But now take a look at the higher songs he did during the polaris tour.

Ok

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That one again is in 96-99%

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Here is at least avobe 90%
He reaches the notes. Won't make them last as long as in the album, but they are there.

Again, I think it's good days and bad days.

In both those videos his voice is very good! Except for the high parts. Doesn't sound powerfull and good at all.

I think Father Time is just very good. Maybe Forever is Today not that much, but I loved Father Time there

It depends on everybody's taste. Some would say that in a certain song he sounded awful and that in another he did great, other would say the contrary.
You'll never find anyone comfortable with a single statement... But you are right, in "Father Time" he sounded great

It makes me wonder why he doesn't use some effects to ease his performance, some delay or so would make those high notes last longer so to say and improve the experinence for the audience. Many singers use some form of effects, i think bruce dickinson use it quite frequently (at least sounds like it on some dvd's and the 7 times ive seen maiden live).

although I guess timo has tried this out already and ruled it out by some reason.