Stratovarius was founded in Finland in 1984 from former members of the band Black Water. They went through a number of personnel and musical changes before the band found its own voice. In 1984, the name was changed to Stratovarius (a portmanteau of Stratocaster and Stradivarius), an idea of Stråhlman's. By 1984, Timo Tolkki entered the band, replacing Stråhlman in the guitar. He took up the vocal duties as well. Tolkki became the driving force and mastermind of the band assuming almost complete control of the song writing. He brought along not only strong rock influences but also a neo-classical tinge. The band released a demo to various record companies by 1987, finally being picked up by CBS Finland. In 1989, their debut album Fright Night was released followed by two singles.
After being dropped by CBS the band went through several member changes but they managed to release on another label and they also toured a bit. In 1994 they released their third album, Dreamspace, featuring new bass player Jari Kainulainen, (who joined the band when 70% of the new material was already recorded) which was a great success. Tolkki decided to stop singing for the band and they hired a new full-time singer, Timo Kotipelto. The release of Fourth Dimension in 1995 was a great success, but internal differences in the band particularly about the style the band was going for, prompted the departure of long-time drummer Tuomo Lassila and keyboardist Antti Ikonen. Two new non-Finnish members were recruited: Swedish keyboardist Jens Johansson of Yngwie Malmsteen fame; and German drummer Jörg Michael. With the fifth release Episode, Stratovarius had finally found its sound and had a strong, diverse line-up. Episode was a grand project featuring a large choir and a string orchestra. It spawned some of the all-time greatest Stratovarius hits, such as "Father Time" and "Will The Sun Rise".
This line-up released three hugely successful albums over the years: Visions in 1997, Destiny in 1998, and Infinite in 2000. With every album their fame and fan-base expanded and they started gaining a stronger following outside the Nordic countries particularly in Japan.
In 2003 the band released its most epic project yet, the two album suite named Elements. With these albums they reached a peak in their progressive and symphonic style of power-metal. The first album, Elements pt. 1, was released in early 2003 followed by a world tour. Elements pt. 1 was naturally followed by Elements pt. 2, also released on Nuclear Blast records in the same year with the hit single "I Walk To My Own Song".
In late 2003 the band broke up with Timo Kotipelto and Jörg Michael leaving after a very vaguely explained conflict. Tolkki hired a new singer, Katriina ''Miss K'' Wiiala, and Anders Johansson of Hammerfall (Jens's brother) temporarily on drums. Tolkki's behaviour rapidly began to become extremely strange. He published a long news article on the band's website, detailing how he had converted to Kabbalah after reading Madonna's autobiography and being contacted by Jesus himself. He wrote extensively on the principles of Kabbalah but according to some Jewish forum members, this has nothing to do with any actually practised form of it. The webmaster removed the news article from the site. Then Tolkki even stabbed himself in the shoulder first claiming that a crazy Spanish fan had done it because of band had broken up. Tolkki also phoned Anders Johansson, speaking nonsense about Adolf Hitler – Anders freaked out and left the band. Nobody really understood the situation and fans were worried about Timo's mental condition. In April 2004 he was hospitalised with chronic depression and a nervous breakdown and, after being released from the mental hospital, negotiations and attempts at reconciliation with the rest of the band began. The rest of 2004 was virtually complete silence from the band.
In January 2005 an announcement was released that Stratovarius had reunited with the old line-up. Tolkki seemed to have recovered from his strange illness. In June 2005 Timo Tolkki announced that the band's bassist, Jari Kainulainen, had left the band due to personal reasons. He was later replaced by Lauri Porra.
Stratovarius then released the self-titled album Stratovarius in September 2005 featuring the popular single "Maniac Dance". During this time Stratovarius began a world tour starting in Argentina. It also included a North American leg where they toured the United States and Canada for the first time in the band's history. They played at such events as Atlanta's "Prog Power", and in well-known venues such as "B.B. King's House Of Blues" in New York and Philadelphia's "Trocadero Theatre". The tour also included some European and Japanese cities.
On April 2 2008 Timo Tolkki announced on his official website that the band has officially stopped due to various issues between the band members.
Timo Tolkki has formed a new band, Revolution Renaissance. He released his first album on june 6, 2008 and it featured guest appearences by Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween) and Tobias Sammet (Edguy, Avantasia)
The band has since made an announcement on the Stratovarius website stating that the band will continue without Timo Tolkki.
After the announcement, the band began to search for a new guitar player, making the announcement on the band's official forum and in soundi magazine that Matias Kupiainen would replace Timo Tolkki and that 15 songs had already been demoed for the new album.
On May 13 2009 Stratovarius released their 12th studio album, Polaris, now with the new members Lauri Porra and Matias Kupiainen playing bass and guitar respectively.
Early 2011 saw the release of their new album, Elysium, containing the songs that were written during the Polaris tour. Also during 2012 saw the departure of long-time drummer Jörg Michael for personal reasons and his replacement Rolf Pilve.
2013 saw the release of their newest album "Nemesis".
Studio albums:
- Fright Night (1989)
- Twilight Time (1992)
- Dreamspace (1994)
- Fourth Dimension (1995)
- Episode (1996)
- Visions (1997)
- Destiny (1998)
- Infinite (2000)
- Intermission (2001)
- Elements, Pt. 1 (2003)
- Elements, Pt. 2 (2003)
- Stratovarius (2005)
- Polaris (2009)
- Elysium (2011)
- Nemesis (2013)
Emancipation Suite Part I: Dusk
Stratovarius Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The final night's begun
Shadows fall and hide the earth beneath them
My land has fallen deep into the hands
Of men with evil plans
Times have gone, when peace reigned over our lands
It's time to break these chains and head to freedom
I will see I will be I'll be free
A new day will be dawning
Emancipation - I will break free
Determination - Just leave me be
Into the darkness I have been confined
The last one of my kind
Wayward soul still fighting to be set free
It's time to break these chains and head to freedom
It wont be long I swear to you
I will see I will be I'll be free
A new day will be dawning
Emancipation - I will break free
Determination - Just leave me be
The lyrics of Stratovarius's "Emancipation Suite Part I: Dusk" aptly describe a feeling of confinement and oppression. The singers find themselves staring at the last rays of a setting sun but rather than bringing about a peaceful closure to the day, it seems to have marked the beginning of a long, dark night. Shadows fall and hide the earth beneath them, creating an eerie, foreboding atmosphere. The singer's homeland has been overtaken by forces that have evil plans and have brought an end to a once peaceful existence. The passing of time has wrought changes that have seen the end of peace and thrown the singer into chains.
The song has a powerful message about the will to be free. The singer refuses to remain in this oppression and expresses the determination to break free. The singer's resolve and determination to be free reflect an unwavering strength of character that has survived all challenges. The phrase "Emancipation - I will break free; determination - just leave me be," depicts a powerful image of a person who refuses to be held down. The singer is determined to regain freedom and seize control of their own destiny. The lyrics provide an up-note and a message of hope that signals the dawn of a new day and the possibility of a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm staring at the last rays of the sun,
I'm gazing at the final moments of the day as the sun disappears over the horizon.
The final night's begun
The beginning of darkness has arrived with the conclusion of the daylight.
Shadows fall and hide the earth beneath them
As the darkness envelops the surroundings, shadows take over and cloak the land below them.
My land has fallen deep into the hands
My homeland has been seized and taken over by those who wish to do it harm.
Of men with evil plans
The people who have control now have wicked intentions and schemes.
Times have gone, when peace reigned over our lands
There was a period when serenity and harmony existed in our land, but those days have passed.
It's time to break these chains and head to freedom
The time has come to shatter the figurative shackles that bind me and pursue liberation.
It wont be long I swear to you
I promise you that it won't take much time before I achieve the freedom I long for.
I will see I will be I'll be free
I can visualize and feel my freedom approaching; it's my destiny and I will reach it.
A new day will be dawning
The coming of a new dawn will imply a new beginning and fresh opportunities.
Emancipation - I will break free
The act of being released from oppression will lead to my ultimate freedom.
Determination - Just leave me be
My unwavering resolution to achieve my goals will ensure that nothing stands in my way.
Into the darkness I have been confined
I have been trapped in darkness and unable to find my way out.
The last one of my kind
I am the only one of my kind who has been trapped in the darkness.
Wayward soul still fighting to be set free
Despite my struggles, my soul continues to be rebellious and desires to break free.
Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@user-hx8rt1of7o
Stratovarius should do more suits. This one is very captivating.
@angeltriveno1462
es una sensacion y una fascinacion unica al oir el solo de la guitarra ... pegarte a todo volumen ... y sentir esa magia unica
@MarushDenchev
Oh, wow, I didn't know Porra was the one to create this masterpiece. Seven blessings to him!
@Uzuc
Porra?
@danielsalles5707
07:38 RIP Obi-Wan :D
Fantastic song!!!
@TiNebress_DautomneDragon
huh
@gahmuretvanbegonia994
possibly one of my favourite stratovarius numbers
@WaelYakti
a great song ... hails from Syria
@damonjohnson8337
Miroslav zuberec I couldn't agree with you more on your comment. Definitely some TT sound in this one. I will say I really like the Matias plays. Stratovarius is a blessing to my musical world! I've only discovered strato a couple years ago and I'm hooked! Love this band!!
@joseespinoza849
Es increíble como la creación de una canción te haga volar strato es de esas bandas que esparcen su talento para crear una obra maestra viva strato un deleite a mis oídos