Stratovarius '09

[Gandalf]

Quelques dates du groupe pour l'an prochain :

Finnish melodic power metal legends STRATOVARIUS have scheduled the following dates:

May 22-23 - Wacken Rocks - Kreuth / Aurich, Germany
Jun. 19-21 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
Jul. 11 - Masters Of Rock Festival - Vizovice, Czech Republic

STRATOVARIUS has vowed to return with a new studio album in 2009 — the group's first since the departure of guitar player and main composer Timo Tolkki. According to a press release, the new CD will be "a positive and powerful record that the band's fans all over the world are certain to take to their hearts."

Commented keyboardist Jens Johansson: "After Tolkki gave his blessing for us to go on without him, and after writing music together again this summer and a lot of thought, we have decided to carry the legacy of STRATOVARIUS into the future."

Added singer Timo Kotipelto: "We are all very excited about the record and about playing STRATOVARIUS music live to our fans. We can't wait."

STRATOVARIUS' latest addition is 25-year-old Finnish guitar phenomenon Matias Kupiainen. Drummer Jörg Michael said, "In Matias we found new character who fits perfectly with his way of melodic guitar shredding. He is a killer player, a 'wunderkind' from Finland!"

More 2009 festival appearances are planned and will be announced soon. These dates will be followed by a concert tour.

STRATOVARIUS 2008 is:

Timo Kotipelto - Vocals
Matias Kupiainen - Guitars
Lauri Porra - Bass
Jörg Michael - Drums
Jens Johansson – Keyboards

A two-and-a-half-minute video blog featuring footage from the writing/recording sessions for the new STRATOVARIUS album can be viewed below.

[Miki]

Je me demande bien ce que ça va donner, tout ça. Il faut bien reconnaître que Tolkki était un sacré compositeur ; ça va être dur de le remplacer de ce point de vue au moins.
Tout ça me rend un brin nostalgique de la période faste de STRATO. Pour aggraver cette nostalgie, je suis tombé sur le montage ci-dessous sur Youtube, avec une superbe cover de "Celestial dream" en musique de fond (d'où vient-elle cette cover???? Est-ce un fan qui l'interprète???) :

[Polochon]

Moui enfin ces derniers temps il était quand même beaucoup, beaucoup moins inspiré. Alors perso je me console en me disant que ça pourra difficilement être pire que si le groupe était resté tel quel... on verra bien.

[Everflow]

Mise à jour des dates :

May
15 - Wolverhampton, England - Wulfrun Hall
16 - Nottingham, England - Rock City
17 - Glasgow, Scotland - Cathouse
18 - London, England - Islington O2 Academy
19 - Manchester, England - Academy 2
20 - Dublin, Ireland - Button Factory
22 - Kreuth /Aurich, Germany - Wacken Rocks
23 - Kreuth / Aurich, Germany - Wacken Rocks
24 - Warzaw, Poland - Progresja
29 - Moscow, Russia - CDK MAI
30 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Glavclub

June
6 - Lappajärvi, Finland - Tulivuorirock **
7 - Tampere, Finland - Sauna Open Air **
13 - Vantaa, Finland - Myötätuulirock **
18 - Jämsä, Finland - Himosfestival **
19 - Pori, Finland - RMJ Partycamp **
21 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
27 - Zaragoza, Spain - Metalway **

July
11 - Vizovice, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock
18 - Joensuu, Finland - Ilosaarirock **
19 - Kiev, Ukraine - Pro Rock Festival **
25 - Lichtenvoorde, Holland - Zwarte Cross Festival **