Stratovarius
Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band formed in 1984. They have released sixteen studio albums, six DVDs and six live albums. The band's line-up has changed many times, with no founding member left since the departure of drummer Tuomo Lassila in 1995, and no member from their early recording days left following guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994.
The band was founded in August 1984 as Black Water, consisting of Lassila as singer and drummer, guitarist Staffan Stråhlman, bassist John Vihervä, and, later, keyboardist Antti Ikonen. In Summer 1985, the band changed its name to Stratovarius, which was soon followed by line-up changes. Tolkki replaced Stråhlman and with this line-up, the band released its first album Fright Night in 1989, with Tolkki as sole songwriter. While going through many bassists, the band released the albums Twilight Time in 1992 and Dreamspace in 1994. In 1994, Kotipelto replaced Tolkki as lead vocalist, and after the release of Fourth Dimension in 1995, Lassila and Ikonen left the band and were replaced by Jörg Michael and Jens Johansson respectively.
This line-up, sometimes identified as the "classic line-up" of Stratovarius, lasted ten years and released eight albums, including most of their popular works, until Tolkki's departure in 2008; Tolkki had originally intended to disband Stratovarius, but allowed the rest of the band to continue without him. The band's following albums were all positively received, and were acknowledged as a return to form for the band. The current line-up, which has remained the same since the arrival of drummer Rolf Pilve in 2012, is the longest-tenured in the band's history.
History
Early years (1984–1990)
Black Water was founded in August 1984 in Finland. They went through a number of personnel and style changes before the band found its own voice. The founding members were Tuomo Lassila, Staffan Stråhlman, and John Vihervä. Towards the end of 1984, bassist John Vihervä left the band, being replaced by Jyrki Lentonen, Timo Tolkki's former bandmate in a band called Road Block. After some small live performances, Stråhlman also left the band in 1985, a few days before an important concert in Aalborg, Denmark. Staffan was replaced by Timo Tolkki, a skilled guitarist and singer influenced by the musical style of Ritchie Blackmore and Rainbow, as well as an admirer of gothic music. His entry into the band also allowed Tuomo to concentrate solely on the drums, leaving the vocals entirely to the new addition.By the end of 1985, the band had disbanded and reformed as Stratovarius, with guitarist/vocalist Tolkki becoming the driving force and mastermind of the band, having nearly complete control of the song-writing. In 1988 they added keyboardist Antti Ikonen to their lineup, that same year they released their first two singles, "Future Shock" and "Black Night" and were signed by CBS Finland. In 1989, their debut album Fright Night was released which peaked at number 48 on the Finnish Charts. The album release would be accompanied by a small tour of Europe.
''Twilight Time'', ''Dreamspace'' and ''Fourth Dimension'' (1991–1995)
After being dropped by CBS, the band went through several member changes, In early 1990, they began composing new songs, and in 1991 they returned to the studio to produce a new album. The album was originally released in early 1992 in Finland, titled Stratovarius II, but later, due to its successful performance, it was released throughout Europe in October of the same year now under the title Twilight Time. The album was also released in Japan, where it reached number 10 in the Best Foreign Albums chart within a few weeks, and peaked at number 43 on the mainstream Japan charts, and in 1993 it became the Best Import Album. On this album, Tolkki played bass as well as guitar on all tracks, despite Jari Behm receiving credit on the album. After Twilight Time was released, Behm was fired and replaced with Jari Kainulainen, with the new lineup, the band embarked on a nearly year-long world tour, including numerous overseas stops.New material was written from the spring to summer 1994 and band hit the studio following a Japan Tour. During this time Timo Tolkki also recorded a solo album "Classical Variations and Themes". Stratovarius spent the whole summer of 1994 in studio finishing its fourth album. The album Dreamspace was then released which help them continue with the success in Japan as it peaked at number 26. Following this release Timo Tolkki stepped down as lead singer to concentrate on guitar and songwriting as well as to move Stratovarius in a new direction. Dreamspace was the last album that followed the style of the band's initial releases before the group adopted the more neo-classical/symphonic style which they became famous for. In June of that year, the group flew back to Japan to play in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya. The group also performed at the famous Finnish venue, the Shadow Club, in Helsinki.
The band started auditions for a new singer, eventually choosing Timo Kotipelto. In 1995, the band released their first album with Kotipelto on vocals, Fourth Dimension, which was accompanied by a music video for the song "Against the Wind". This was the last album with a singing performance by Timo Tolkki, being featured as a backing vocalist on this album. This was the first album that showed signs of the new direction the band was heading, with tracks such as "Twilight Symphony" using an orchestra for the first time in their recordings. The album was met with critical acclaim and continued to boost their popularity even more. The band then set off on a new tour with stops in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Finland, Greece and Japan.
Departures of Tuomo Lassila and Antti Ikonen, ''Episode'', ''Visions'' and ''Destiny'' (1996–1999)
That same year, 1995, Tuomo Lassila, the last member of Black Water, and Antti Ikonen were fired from the band. This decision was, as Tolkki referred to years later shortly after leaving the band in 2008, "due to a non-dedication to the band's activities. They both were not at all into heavy metal and I don't think they ever thought that the band could become so successful. They didn't like the direction the music was heading."This left Stratovarius searching for a new drummer and keyboardist. Jörg Michael from Rage was hired as their drummer and soon after, Jens Johansson of Yngwie Malmsteen-fame was hired as keyboardist, a position he has held to this date. This new line-up then started released Episode in 1996 which peaked at number 21 on the Finnish Charts and number 20 in Japan. The recording took place at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki. the album showcased further improvements in the band's style and sound, which, thanks in part to the addition of new members Johansson and Michael, became much more dramatic, melodic, and symphonic than their previous albums. Furthermore, for the first time, the band recorded with a choir of forty singers and a twenty-piece orchestra. The album also featured the classic tracks "Father Time," "Eternity," and "Will the Sun Rise?", The line-up on this album proved to be their most stable, remaining the same until the release of Polaris in 2009.
In 1997, the band released their sixth studio album, titled Visions. This album was released to a very positive reception and featured notable songs "The Kiss of Judas", "Black Diamond" and the title track "Visions ", a 10-minute epic and their longest song at the time. "Black Diamond" has become one of their most recognized songs, and has been included in almost all live setlists since its release. It is often considered their breakthrough album, and one of the most influential in the power metal scene. Achieving impressive sales album reaching number 4 on the Finnish albums chart. The band then embarked on a new tour in support of the album, including stops in Japan, Europe, and South America.. Visions eventually sold 20,000 copies in Finland, earning the band their first gold record, which they celebrated with a huge party at the Tavastia Club in Helsinki on June 10, 1998.
The band released the album Destiny in 1998. which became their first to reach No. 1 on the Finnish charts. Destiny contained "S.O.S." and "Rebel", as well as the 10-minute title track "Destiny". The album quickly sold 20,000 copies in Finland and was certified gold. In March of the same year, Stratovarius' first live album, Visions of Europe, was also released. It was a double CD version lasting one hundred minutes in total, recorded during performances in Milan and Athens, and became a great critical and sales success for the band.
from 1998 into 1999 the band was awarded/nominated for a plethora of awards including earning major recognition from Finnish metal fans, topping the annual readers’ poll of SFP magazine as the country’s leading metal act. Their video for “S.O.S.” was also named Finland’s best domestic metal video of 1998 in the same poll. The band’s popularity was further highlighted in Soundi magazine’s readers’ survey, where Timo Tolkki secured a decisive win in the “Best Musician” category for the second consecutive year. Stratovarius ranked as the second most popular band overall, while vocalist Timo Kotipelto placed third among singers. Their album Destiny was voted the second-best release of the year, and “S.O.S.” placed second in the song category. Both Tolkki and Kotipelto were also recognized among the most admired personalities, and keyboardist Jens Johansson was featured in the foreign musicians category. On top of these fan-driven honors, the band received an official accolade from the Finnish music industry, taking home an Emma trophy for being an outstanding export band.