finetune artist: Stratovarius

While the choirboy vocals and classical melodies of power metal may not be for everyone, Finland's Stratovarius remain a gripping listen nonetheless, due to their phenomenal musicianship and the debt they owe to masters of melody such as Iron Maiden. They were founded in 1984 in Helsinki by songwriter Timo Tolkki (b. Helsinki, Finland; guitar), John Viherv (bass) and Staffan Strhlman (b. Finland; guitar), who had originally played together as Black Water. The trio concentrated initially on reproducing the doom-laden sounds of Black Sabbath but soon moved towards the more polished sound of Rainbow and Dio. Personnel changes saw founding member Tolkki joined by Jyrki Lentonen (bass), Tuomo Lassila (drums) and Antti Ikonen (keyboards), as the band mutated towards a smooth, Helloween-like sound, with the players' classical training put to good use, and a fanbase beginning to gather. The cumulative success of several albums, notably 1994's Dreamspace (featuring new bass player Jari Kainulainen), honed the band's approach, and ensured that their following in Europe and Japan remained healthy. Tolkki also released an album of classical/metal music in 1994, Classical Variations And Themes, which consolidated this position, but it also saw the end of any truly tough edge to the band's work. Singer Timo Kotipelto (b. Helsinki, Finland) was added to the line-up on 1995's Fourth Dimension, while Jens Johansson (b. Sweden; keyboards) and veteran drummer Jrg Michael (b. Dortmund, Germany) made their debut on the following year's Episode. Stratovarius' late-90s albums remain too airbrushed for many to take seriously, but a move to Germany's Nuclear Blast label would seem to indicate that the band's future is now secure.

Listen to Stratovarius at Finetune.

(1998) Destiny

Destiny
Anthem of the World
Sos
Playing With Fire
4000 Rainy Nights