STRATOVARIUS

STRATOVARIUS Guitarist Timo Tolkki: "I Have Started Writing Songs"

STRATOVARIUS' Timo Tolkki has posted the following message in his blog:

"I have started writing songs. It took a while to gather all the equipment, but now I am done and I can let the creativity flow. May the Muse of Music be with me. First I am gonna write the songs for the next Stratovarius album. This I expect to be completed before our tour starts at the end of September.

After that I am gonna fly to Germany to record drums for the demos. I have a pretty good idea how the album will turn out. I have also some projects happening, which I will do, as I have time."

STRATOVARIUS' Anthology Release Shelved, For Now

Finland's STRATOVARIUS check in with the following update in regards to their projected Anthology release:

"This album has been shelved for now for the undetermined time. We were never supporting this idea of Sanctuary and finally after
long discussions, they are not releasing it, at least for now.

We just didnt feel right about releasing another compilation after Chosen Ones at this point of our career. So now we are putting all our effort to our next album."

As previously reported, Stratovarius are currently working on material for their next album, with a late 2007/early 2008 release expected.

STRATOVARIUS Bassist LAURI PORRA Scores Music For Finnish Movie, Directing Christmas Revue, Working On Second Solo Album

STRATOVARIUS bassist Lauri Porra has checked in with the following update on his current activities:

"Mixing of a film score which i wrote for the next Aleksi Mäkelä movie, V2: Jäätynyt Enkeli has started. It's a private detective thriller and a sequel to the movie Vares, which was a very succesful movie in Finland a couple of years ago. This is the first time I have written a score to a movie, which has been a longtime dream of mine. I hope it turns out allright. Check out the teaser with some of my music, and if you don´t know Finnish enjoy a good example of my weird language spoken http://www.solarfilms.com/content_files/vares2_teaser_37s_120906.mpg .

Also, another new thing for me has been to be the musical director in a music revue. I share the musical director duties on the Christmas revue Heavy X-Mas with my friend and fellow KOTIPELTO member, Tuomas Wäinölä. If you are in Finland and want to have a laugh and hear some good music, come down to see the show. More info http://www.menolippu.fi/showevent.asp?id=991 .

Speaking of Christmas, I play bass on the second Finnish heavy meets Christmas carols album called Raskaampaa Joulua. Also again sung in Finnish. Check out the songclips at this location. http://www.myspace.com/raskasjoulu

Also recording bass for the new Kotipelto album and trying to get my second solo-album done. The movie thing took so much energy I had to postpone solostuff a bit. All of the music is written though, and I hope to get back to it asap."

Best Regards
-Lauri Porra

STRATOVARIUS - Video Interview With Timo Kotipelto Available

A two-part video interview with STRATOVARIUS singer Timo Kotipelto is available at this location.

In a recent BW&BK interview with Kotipelto about his new solo album, Serenity, he commented on the new Stratovarius songs, which are currently in the demo stages:

“I’m very happy with the new Stratovarius demos," he reveals, "because Timo (Tolkki/guitars) has composed songs that, to me, sound a little bit like the older Visions and Episode stuff. That’s what Stratovarius is all about, I think, not the last Stratovarius album. I think we’re back to what the fans want and what we do best. Of course, the album isn’t done yet so we’ll see what happens. The news songs are very good and a few of them are probably going to become Stratovarius classics.”

With regards to Tolkki's health and mental state, Kotipelto offers the following:

“Timo is much better. He was so depressed when we first started touring after getting back together, but he’s come up since then and I think he actually enjoyed playing live again towards the end of the tour. I know he had to force himself during the first South American and European gigs – you could see it – but it’s very important that he’s enjoying being on stage again.”

Watch for the full story in an upcoming issue of BW&BK Magazine.

As previously reported, Stratovarius are confirmed to play the following dates in 2007:

May
22 - Osaka, Japan at Big Cat
24 - Tokyo, Japan at Liquid Room
25 - Tokyo, Japan at Liquid Room (Finland Fest)

July
14-15 - Vizovice, Czech Republic at Masters of Rock (details tba)

August
2-4 - Wacken, Germany at Wacken Open Air (details tba)