Stratovarius Melodic Metal Is Getting Big

STT (The National News Agent in Finland)

Finnish heavy rock sells well abroad and the things aren't looking half bad in Finland either, the flag bearer of traditional heavy metal Stratovarius has taken the #1 chart position with their new album "Destiny". The 15-year veterans' pole position on the charts was no surprise, their album "Visions" last year already surpassed the 20 000 sold copies' mark which entitles the band to Gold Disc status. World-wide, "Visions" has sold more than 200 000 copies.

Vocalist Timo Kotipelto, who has been a part of Stratovarius doesn't think it's very important that there are no original members left in the band. Kotipelto says that the sound of Stratovarius started from the day their current main man Timo Tolkki joined the band soon after the band was formed. "Although Tolkki keeps telling that he's not an original member of the band, the fact is that it's him who created the style for Stratovarius. We knew that "Destiny" will sell better than "Visions". In spite of this, taking the top position on the charts was a big surprise, we didn't expect that the disc would be THIS successful."

Stratovarius' sound is a mixture of `70s melodic heavy rock in the vein of bands like Rainbow, some symphonic elements and vocal melodies that border pop music. Some dub Stratovarius ar "true metal". "I don't understand the term "true metal" when referring to us.", says Kotipelto."Sure, there are symphonic, classical and epic moods in our music and our albums have been produced with much pomp, but Stratovarius has always been true to their style, our music will not change to follow trends. I'll give you this, our melodies have some elements from pop, our songs are written in minor and with lots of melody. But Finns are Finns. We get to see the sun so seldom here that it can't help but lease a mark in Finns and Finnish music."

Stratovarius started their Finnish tour in the mid October Later on, they will head abroad once again, at least to Central Europe and Japan. When abroad, Stratovarius literally waves the Finnish flag. "We always have the Finnish flag onstage, as well as the flag of the country where the show takes place.", says Kotipelto. "Finland is such a little country that there can't be very many people with international success. When we're outside Finland and there's, for example, a Grand Prix on TV, of course it is a great feeling if Mika H{kkinen wins the race. And if we're in a soccer-nutty country, it's fun to have the reporters asking questions about Jari Litmanen." Other aspects to add to Stratovarius' international side are their foreign musicians, keyboarder Jens Johansson and drummer Jorg Michael. "We never made any decisions that now we have to get foreign players in Stratovarius just to be more international", stresses Kotipelto. "It was so that in Finland we just couldn't find good enough musicians. Jens and J|rg feel at home in Stratovarius now and the soccer buff of the band, Jorg can already say all the possible obscenities in Finnish. Stratovarius' team spirit has never been as good as it's right now."