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)
CELESTIAL
stratovarius Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The vastness of space just takes my breath away I see through history
The years they come and go
The seconds that will shape my destiny
The time that we spend here is precious, that I see so clear
What is our place in here?
What is the meaning of the pain we feel?
Where did all this come from?
I really want to know what is the meaning of evolution
They say that we are the crown of all creation
So let's break free from these chains
Of fear, hate and greed
And join together singing our
Celestial dream freedom is awaiting
For those who take the path less traveled
And in the end we'll all sing our celestial dream
The lyrics of the song Celestial Dream by Stratovarius take on a philosophical perspective while pondering the vastness of the universe and the essence of human existence. There is an admission of the incomprehensibility of universal phenomena and the elusiveness of the human experience. The evocative language used conveys a sense of wonderment, awe, and perplexity as the singer reflects on the fleeting nature of time and the importance of making the most of it.
The lyrics also explore the existential questions that have puzzled human beings for centuries. The singer seeks to understand where we come from, our place in the universe, and the purpose of life. The yearning to comprehend the mysteries of existence is evident as the singer reflects on evolution and the role of human beings in the grand scheme of things. The lyrics encourage listeners to break free from negative emotions such as fear, hate, and greed, and embrace a celestial dream, a vision of freedom and unity that transcends the temporal and the material.
Line by Line Meaning
Here in the Universe I find some things that are so hard to understand
The singer is overwhelmed by the vastness of the universe and finds it hard to comprehend certain things.
The vastness of space just takes my breath away I see through history
The singer is awed by the immensity of the universe and the historical events that have taken place within it.
The years they come and go
The passage of time is inevitable.
The seconds that will shape my destiny
The small moments in life can have profound effects on the artist's future.
The time that we spend here is precious, that I see so clear
The artist recognizes the value of the time they have on Earth.
What is our place in here?
The singer questions their purpose in the universe.
What is the meaning of the pain we feel?
The singer grapples with the concept of suffering and its purpose.
Where did all this come from?
The origin of the universe is a mystery to the artist.
The galaxies, the moon the stars, oh I don't know
The artist is in awe of the beauty and complexity of the universe and acknowledges that they do not fully understand it.
I really want to know what is the meaning of evolution
The artist is curious about the scientific theory of evolution and its implications.
They say that we are the crown of all creation
The singer acknowledges the belief that humans are the pinnacle of creation.
So let's break free from these chains
The artist encourages others to liberate themselves from negative emotions and beliefs.
Of fear, hate and greed
The singer identifies fear, hate and greed as harmful emotions that hold people back.
And join together singing our
The singer envisions a united community of people.
Celestial dream freedom is awaiting
The singer believes that a better future is possible.
For those who take the path less traveled
The artist recognizes the courage required to pursue an unconventional or unpopular path.
And in the end we'll all sing our celestial dream
The artist believes that, ultimately, people will unite to create a better world.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: TIMO TAPIO TOLKKI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@elrivi89
Here in the Universe I find some things that are so hard to understand
The vastness of space just takes my breath away I see through history
The years they come and go
The seconds that will shape my destiny
The time that we spend here is precious, that I see so clear
What is our place in here?
What is the meaning of the pain we feel?
Where did all this come from?
The galaxies, the moon the stars, oh I don't know
I really want to know what is the meaning of evolution
They say that we are the crown of all creation
So let's break free from these chains
Of fear, hate and greed
And join together singing our
Celestial dream freedom is awaiting
For those who take the path less traveled
And in the end we'll all sing our celestial dream
@joaquinmunoz8517
Can´t stop listening this beauty.
@paulguitarcovers842
amazing song,short but profound tolkki is a underrated Genius.
@MrGabilonia
This was written by the keyboard player, jens johansson
@isabelsanran4850
i love this song, make me feel in my own world...
@operarioanderson7981
The same. :)
@andreesj9589
Great song just what needs this world greetings
@moviemaker3000
Absolutely gorgeous song, thank you, Stratovarius.
@easterniski
celestial masterpiece..
@kaunispaikka9029
Tolkki was "possessed" when wrote this stunning song!
@juandavidayalarodriguez9325
I´m sure...