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)
Infinity
Stratovarius Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The iron fist of fear is ruling our lives
It's not too late to change the course
We can make this world a better place to be in
How much more do we want until we're satisfied?
What happens when we have what we want?
Acquiring more , still there's never enough
The end is near, or so they say
Selling peace with guns
Infinity - Where do we go from here?
Infinity - Where do we go from here?
Infinity - Where do we go?
Infinity - Where do we go from here?
Guns spitting (out the) message of peace everywhere
Is it really that we don't care?
See mercenaries of fear selling love
Telling salvation comes from above
Arrogance and fear walking hand in hand
We must see that there's much more to life than this
Mother see your children
Make us understand and help us to find the way
The answers lie inside
They are locked inside to the vault of truth for us It's time
to spread the word around
Be yourself and do what you want to do with your life
Remember, you get just what you give
You reap all what you sow
You are in charge of your own life Infinity...
You make your own way As long as you are here
Find your place in life
Make your dreams come true
There's so much more than this
A million ways to live
Unlock the door
To the universe with love
Free your soul
The song "Infinity" by Stratovarius is a powerful message about the state of our world and the need for change. The opening line of the song, "Mother watch your children," is a plea to the people in power to take responsibility for the world they have created. The line "The iron fist of fear is ruling our lives" is a reference to how fear is often used as a tool to control people, whether it's fear of terrorism or fear of losing one's job. The song emphasizes that it's not too late to change the course and create a better world, but it will take effort and action from everyone.
The lyrics also touch on the issue of greed and consumerism. The lines "How much more do we want until we're satisfied? / What happens when we have what we want? / Acquiring more, still there's never enough" suggest that our desire for material possessions is unquenchable, and we often forget about those who are truly in need. The chorus "Infinity - Where do we go from here?" is a rhetorical question that raises the issue of what direction our world is heading in.
The final section of the song is a call to action, urging people to take charge of their lives, spread love and unlock the door to the universe with love. The overall message of the song is that change is possible if we take responsibility, become aware of our actions, and work towards a more positive future.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother watch your children
We need to take care of the younger generations.
The iron fist of fear is ruling our lives
Fear controls us.
It's not too late to change the course
It's not too late to change the direction we're going in.
We can make this world a better place to be in
We have the power to improve our world.
How much more do we want until we're satisfied?
We keep wanting more, but when will we be content?
What happens when we have what we want?
We often forget our goals once we achieve them.
Acquiring more, still there's never enough
We always want more, but it's never enough.
We forget those who really are in need
We often overlook those who truly need our help.
The end is near, or so they say
Many claim that the end of the world is coming soon.
Selling peace with guns
It's hypocritical to promote peace while using weapons of war.
Infinity - Where do we go from here?
What's the next step for us as a society?
Guns spitting (out the) message of peace everywhere
Weapons are used to promote peace, which is counterintuitive.
Is it really that we don't care?
We are indifferent to the problems of others.
See mercenaries of fear selling love
Those who promote fear are pretending to offer love.
Telling salvation comes from above
They're claiming only divine intervention can save us.
Arrogance and fear walking hand in hand
Arrogance and fear often go together.
We must see that there's much more to life than this
Life has more meaning than just our current state.
Mother see your children
Mothers are important figures to help guide their children.
Make us understand and help us to find the way
We need help to find our place in the world.
The answers lie inside
The solutions to our problems are within us.
They are locked inside to the vault of truth for us It's time to spread the word around
We need to share the knowledge inside of us.
Be yourself and do what you want to do with your life
Be true to yourself and follow your passions.
Remember, you get just what you give
You only get what you put in.
You reap all what you sow
Your actions have consequences.
You are in charge of your own life Infinity...
You have the power to control your own life.
You make your own way As long as you are here
You have the ability to make your own path in life.
Find your place in life
Discover your true calling in life.
Make your dreams come true
Actively pursue your goals in life.
There's so much more than this
Life has endless opportunities beyond what we currently see.
A million ways to live
There are countless ways to live one's life.
Unlock the door to the universe with love
We can open ourselves up to the world with love.
Free your soul
Liberate your mind and spirit.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TIMO TAPIO TOLKKI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@cassioreolonruas605
You make your own way
As long as you are here
Find your place in life
Make your dreams come true
There´s so much more than this
A million ways to live
Unlock the door
To the universe with love
Free your sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooouuuuuulllllllll!!!
@steffennielsen7233
A track of more than 9 minutes and 20 seconds, yet at no time does it get boring, but keeps the listener captivated.
Very impressive and awesome work!
@tochinomasuta4600
tool does this to a even more extreme degree
@jcdrapper3217
@@tochinomasuta4600 symphony X 😎
@user-og6pb6dd5p
@@tochinomasuta4600galneryus has like 4 songs in 11 to 14 minutes
@caradplays6930
This song has one of the greatest guitar solos I've ever heard in my entire life my friends!!!! It has so much power and so much feeling in it that I can't help but feel the chills, and the lyrics are so beautiful!!!!! Masterpiece!!!!!!!!
@Fimwind
I've heard this song like 1000 times. Still it gives me goose bumps every time I listen to it. Timo Tolkki is master of music.
@lyricus89
I see you're a death fan stratovarious fan and man of culture as well lmao
@dangle5879
WAS master of music.
@pratolli
This song is awesome. The lyrics are awesome. And even the album cover is awesome. That's a win/win situation.
@four-en-tee
All this, plus the DBZ nostalgia