Timo Tolkki

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A Finnish Grammy nominated record producer, songwriter and musician, Timo Tolkki has sold over 3 million records during his 25 year career. He has played over 1500 shows in every continent across the globe and produced around 50 albums. He has released 13 albums with Stratovarius and 2 solo albums.

Timo started playing guitar when he was 7 years old. His early influences were ABBA, The Beatles and The Shadows. Very quickly he progressed to the point where he wanted an electric guitar. After hearing “Smoke on the Water” on the radio the rest was history. As a young teenager, Tolkki practically slept with his guitar and it was not uncommon for him to practice 8 hours a day. He was also playing in some local bands but in 1984 got a phonecall from the Stratovarius camp asking him to join the band. Stratovarius soared to great heights becoming the leading pioneers in progressive power metal. This monumental achievement included 7 world tours, 3 consecutive gold discs in Finland and selling almost 3 million records.

The recent break up of Stratovarius came about because Tolkki felt that the relationships in the band very very badly contaminated and also because everything that was to be said with that band with those members had already been said and to continue would be simply repeating the same form. He also wanted to be able to concentrate on other things, explaining that:“There’s just a time for everything in life and Stratovarius came to the end of a road and there was nowhere to go anymore”. During the composing process of his upcoming solo album “Saana-Warrior of Light” he found many new interests in the form of photography, graphics design and video editing.
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  • Lionheartattack

    Cancel? Well, kinda... But "evolve" could be a better word. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLtyP7i4V2w Guess the name's gonna be Timo Tolkki's Avalon. :)

    28 Feb 1:09pm Reply

  • madeira_sensei

    xD

    19 Dec 2012 Reply

  • Kazukei

    Damn Tolkki, since he broke up with Stratovarius he has been doing bands and projects that sound cool just for him to change his mind and scrap them, it's getting ridiculous...

    1 Nov 2012 Reply

  • LivingInferno

    Support Timo making a new album with a pledge: http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/timotolkki/

    12 Apr 2012 Reply

  • Zaklan

    too bad he left Stratovarius. It's just not interesting without him now...

    23 Jan 2012 Reply

  • yaquida

    <3

    28 Dec 2011 Reply

  • SchWarG

    "He has played over 1500 shows in every continent across the globe" Oh yeah, those scientists out in those research stations in Antarctica really dig power metal I've heard.

    21 Oct 2011 Reply

  • BlackEuro

    Hieno Mies.

    15 Oct 2011 Reply

  • sonic_wolf

    I want Saana part 2 so badly....

    29 Sep 2011 Reply

  • Lionheartattack

    Yes, he was. I think he has lost some of his abilities (or rather passion for metal music, me thinks) in the last years. From Revolution Renaissance on, he hasn't done anything that good, at least in my opinion. He rips his classic songs too much in them sometimes, and otherwise it's mediocre mid tempo or very plastic and bland power metal. Still liked the album Stratovarius though, not to speak of everything prior to it. Wow. Nice speech. What I came here for is to say that too bad I haven't listened to Classical Themes & Variations more. I think I've listened it through, like, twice. Don't even know where my copy is at the moment! ._. It has some seriously good music in it, so maybe I should find it. :D

    11 Aug 2011 Reply

  • EternalSilence-

    Everything he's ever done & has been doing is unbelievably awesome. His lyrics, his composings, his guitar skills, his voice... I'm a huge Stratovarius fan, I just can't deny the existence of Jens Johansson and his contribution to the band, but I believe that Tolkki was the true spirit of Stratovarius.

    4 Aug 2011 Reply

  • virginie-chan

    Genius <3

    21 Jun 2011 Reply

  • sombrechemin

    Enorme guitariste (à tous points de vue d'ailleurs), dommage qu'il fasse de la merde depuis quelques années

    17 Mar 2011 Reply

  • ClauVille

    Join to the SYMFONIA ARGENTINA page on Facebook!! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Symfonia-Argentina/138851676182544

    9 Mar 2011 Reply

  • Kojiri

    Everything he's ever done is crap. 666 penises out of 666.

    22 Feb 2011 Reply

  • Darmer_91

    Fire Dance Suite!

    27 Jan 2011 Reply

  • EnjoyTheKilling

    Vote up this one. http://www.lastfm.pl/music/Timo+Tolkki/+images/55523727

    10 Dec 2010 Reply

  • Davie_UCF

    Oh man hes got ANOTHER new band, but hes taken my love Andre Matos.. how long will this band last?!

    25 Nov 2010 Reply

  • rock1314

    great

    22 Oct 2010 Reply

  • Metacks

    Great guitarist!

    2 Oct 2010 Reply
    • All 94 shouts

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