Looks like Timo Tolkki is done....at least for a while

I wonder how much of this is true though, especially the part with Uli Kusch. I can't see him being like that but maybe he could be and it wouldn't surprise me either. The last few bands that he was supposedly in and he played drums for I believe weren't even real drums and they probably just paid to use his name. I found that interesting.


Former STRATOVARIUS and current SYMFONIA guitarist/songwriter Timo Tolkki has released the following statement via his Facebook page:

"I don't know how many of you are interested in reading this and quite frankly, I dont even care so much, but I am just writing down some early morning thoughts regarding SYMFONIA and other stuff going on in my life.

"As it turned out to be, it all started from a cake. I thought it might be some kind of a celestial joke and maybe it was, but when two fans handed me a SYMFONIA cake after the last gig of SYMFONIA's South American tour, after spending three nights in a 15-buck cold motel with grey concrete walls looking like a prison in Santiago de Chile and flying 28 hours to another continent to play to audiences varying from 100 to 350, I started to think that maybe this really is it. The cake was in a funny way telling me: 'Hey, Timo, don't you see: it's over.' And I started to really consider my whole musician's career. This happened in June.

"Exactly a year before, I had flown to Sweden to record three demo songs I had composed hoping to record some vocals of André [Matos; SYMFONIA vocalist; also formerly of ANGRA, SHAAMAN, VIPER]. I spent there six days and from those days, I was able to squeeze about six hours of singing from him. In between going to supermarkets, changing diapers and me trying to solve some of their domestic disputes, I started to think if it was such a good idea after all. But people liked the demos and I went full-on producing the [debut SYMFONIA album] 'In Paradisum' to which I put around 1000 working hours.

"André Matos told me very clear that this band should not do any gigs if it doesnt make any money. I basically agreed, but at the same time I knew that people would still consider it as a new band, not 'The Spartacus of Metal' where the gates of superstardom would open just like that.

"Uli Kusch [former SYMFONIA drummer] had been in and out of band due to his hand injury and in the middle of vocal recordings in Sweden, he sent me a mail telling me he would never ever play any gigs in his life because 'he was tired of piss-smelling backstage rooms, the chaos, the travelling, etc. In vain I tried to tell him that this was not what we agreed. He did tell me that if SYMFONIA would make a second album, we could use his name for 10,000 euros and use Alex Landenburg for the recordings. And after 10 minutes came a text message that he also wanted me to pay the taxes of his fee so it would total 13,000 euros for the usage of his name. I did not respond to that but I really found it hard to believe. Then Matos lost his voice in the middle of the vocal recordings for four days and while hunting for cortison shots in the middle of the deepest Swedish countryside, I really started to think that this is not gonna work.

"Well, we got the vocals done, did the interviews and released the album. I still think it's a good album.

"Also the Japanese earthquake messed the little touring plans the band had. Then André told me we could make a lucrative tour in South America booked by his manager. Apparently, there was some mysterious investor that was in the game.

"I should have known better even hearing the word 'investor.'

"I decided to do the tour and after flying 30 hours — Helsinki-Frankfurt-Rome-Sao Paulo — we landed only to hear that the tour is cancelled. At that point I was already ready to buy a ticket back to Finland but they managed to make a settlement and we did, I guess it was, six gigs. It was the worst and heaviest tour I have ever done in my career.

"Keyboard player Mikko Harkin developed high fever and lung inflammation that was bounding pneumonia.

"While lying two days in Sao Paulo in Formula 1 hotel (the cheapest you can get there) in a darkness I was starting to really get doubts about my future as a musician.

"When I got the sales figures from Edel Records [for the debut SYMFONIA album] and the report from the booking agency for the festivals of summer 2012, I decided to call it a day. It didnt make any sense to try to 'conquer' the metal world since it was obvious that there was not enough interest. Don't get me wrong, it's totally cool if there is no interest. Then I thought about my career. Around 3000 gigs, 20 years, 20 CDs, productions, clinics, travelling. I realised that I have done a lot.

"I guess most of you know that I am suffereing from bipolar disorder, one of the worst mental disorders, but with medication and non-stressful lifestyle, this illness can be controlled but never cured. Playing in a touring band is far from 'non stressful lifestyle' and in fact the rock 'n' roll life itself is manic with its highs and lows.

"In those long STRATOVARIUS tours being undiagnosed with the illlness, I could have died. I am not kidding.

"[On March 3] next year I will be 46.

"This autumn I made a decision to take some time off from music business and concentrate on something else.

"I have a wonderful wife and daughter, who also happens to be a world-class singer. I started giving guitar lessons again. I'm taking lots of photos. In other words, living quite normal life.

"I do realize the marks the years have left in me and that I should rest and heal the wounds. There is a lot to heal.

"The music business is in extremely sick state in this moment and it's not gonna get any better. In a few years we will know what kind of form it will take. Maybe I one day take some part of it, maybe I don't. I really don't know at the moment.

"So what about my future? If you are interested in that, I can only say that it is possible that I will never record anything again. For some of you this might come as a relief.

"I don't know what the future will hold for me but I want to thank all of you who have supported me in these 22 some years.

"For you who haven't supported me and continuosly are mocking me, for example at Stratoboard ([the official STRATOVARIUS message board] which makes me really sad mainly due lack of respect from a band that was my vision for 22 years and that still plays 80% of my songs although there is two guys left in the band called STRATOVARIUS), I also want to thank you because without you guys, I could never have done everything I have done.

"It's been a great career. I hope the future brings more music, but most likely it will not. But still after all I can say... I did it my way.

"Hope to see you somewhere. Take care of yourselves."

Tolkki drew up and signed an official waiver on May 20, 2008 giving up all rights to the STRATOVARIUS name. The remaining STRATOVARIUS members — Timo Kotipelto (vocals), Jens Johansson (keyboards) and Lauri Porra (bass) — have since recorded and released two additional STRATOVARIUS albums with guitarist Matias Kupiainen.

It is sad to hear he is suffering from bi-polar and i think it is better for him to lead a quiet life. I respect what he has done and enjoy a lot of his music.

Good grief. Couldn't he just have said "I've had enough of this sh*t, I'm done, see ya?"

Fat Freddy wrote:

Good grief. Couldn't he just have said "I've had enough of this sh*t, I'm done, see ya?"

ah but you forget musicians (and even moreso singers) are prima donnas!!!

I havent really liked anything he has done in a very long time. The last good thing he did was his solo album Hymns To Life. I guess this also means we wont be seeing that Project Strato now.

I really hope there will one day be a comprehensive Stratovarius biography. That'd be the ultimate book about rock and roll.

I know it sounds like he means what he says, but this thing here would just be a tiny little paragraph in it. How many times exactly has Tolkki called it quits by now? What was it, five years ago when he claimed he got stabbed and had to quit? Of course, it was all made up stuff. And then fist fights with Kotipelto in front of a Helsinki bar? And didn't a band member piss on another one during a show?

He is a great musician though. And I think the legend goes even further. Awesome and entertaining.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I havent really liked anything he has done in a very long time. The last good thing he did was his solo album Hymns To Life. I guess this also means we wont be seeing that Project Strato now.

I enjoyed the first two Revolution Renaissance albums but after that he lost me...

Lari wrote:

I really hope there will one day be a comprehensive Stratovarius biography. That'd be the ultimate book about rock and roll.

I know it sounds like he means what he says, but this thing here would just be a tiny little paragraph in it. How many times exactly has Tolkki called it quits by now? What was it, five years ago when he claimed he got stabbed and had to quit? Of course, it was all made up stuff. And then fist fights with Kotipelto in front of a Helsinki bar? And didn't a band member piss on another one during a show?

He is a great musician though. And I think the legend goes even further. Awesome and entertaining.

Thats the thing though, if its all just a ox manur story again, why does he think this way will get people to pay attention to him. I know theres no such thing as bad publicity but if none of this is true then all it does is make him look even more stupid. There's millions of people that dont even know who he is and even the people that do probably dont care. They just want the music without all the drama or just move on already.

He just keeps re-writing Stratovarius songs but they arent as good. I think he needs to get his act together and when he's ready come back but let other people contribute to the music and lyrics and not have everything just on him.

exact33 wrote:

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I havent really liked anything he has done in a very long time. The last good thing he did was his solo album Hymns To Life. I guess this also means we wont be seeing that Project Strato now.

I enjoyed the first two Revolution Renaissance albums but after that he lost me...

The first one was ok but again it was basically a new Strato album and the second was horrible. I thought the third one was better but it still could have just been a Strato album. He needs to find a new sound and reinvent himself.

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

exact33 wrote:

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

I havent really liked anything he has done in a very long time. The last good thing he did was his solo album Hymns To Life. I guess this also means we wont be seeing that Project Strato now.

I enjoyed the first two Revolution Renaissance albums but after that he lost me...

The first one was ok but again it was basically a new Strato album and the second was horrible. I thought the third one was better but it still could have just been a Strato album. He needs to find a new sound and reinvent himself.

I am the opposite - the first two were good but the third one was a strato re-tread not done all that well.

GOOD!

Sad to hear. Stratovarius was at one time my favorite band. They ruled my high school years and I remember driving home on the last day of senior year blasting 'Paradise'.

It is interesting albeit unfortunate that Tolkki did get better for a while after temporarily derailing Stratovarius and suffering his public mental breakdown. They recorded a eponymous album that had a few good songs, but it sounded very tired, like they were trying to force a comeback. It wasn't but 3 years later he quit the band, thankfully on relatively good terms.

Everything he has done since leaving Stratovarius was so below standards for a guy like him. None of his projects have worked out well for him at all. His 2008 solo album "Saana - Warrior of Light", "Age of Aquarius" and "Trinity" from Revolution Renaissance and Symfonia's "In Paradisum" haven't at all lived up to his musical and songwriting prowess. I'll give him credit for the first Revolution album, "New Era". There's some classic Tolkki style playing on there, but that's because most of that material was written while he was still in Stratovarius. I think Strato provided him with the creative synergy he needed to produce good material. When that fell apart, so did he.

It's also ironic that Stratovarius has since fared very well since Timo's departure. They are sort of re-inventing their sound and if they stay on their current track, the follow-up to "Elysium" will likely be the pinnacle of the "new" Stratovarius.

I saw them back in 2006 and they gave a good show, but the band sounded terrible. They played well, but they started late and the Finnish techs did not have time to properly set up their equipment, so they let the club's sound guy handle the sound and he was notoriously bad. As this was during the days of MySpace, I kept in touch with him on his MySpace blog. He was very fan friendly online and in person.

I wish him the best of luck - he was a HUGE inspiration and influence for me.

I have read severa interviews from mr. Tolkki and according to those... he seem to be out of touch.

You know, one day he hates heavy metal and that fast playing he did with Strato.. then another day he loves it.. then another day he loves weird pseudo filmatic jazz and hates everything else. Then again he releases a heavy metal album and after it is released, he hates it..

It is hard to be bi - polar... it is a burden to him.. to live a life where everything is seen through his conditions.

He cannot keep his focus in things.. that is the reason he says what he says and is what he is..

I hope all best to him.

I used to love Stratovarius.. but haven´t listened them for a long time. I have never touched his post- Strato things..

Sole Survivor wrote:

You know, one day he hates heavy metal and that fast playing he did with Strato.. then another day he loves it..

ahhh... he is taking a page from the Michael Kiske playbook....

I just saw Stratovarius the other week. I haven't bought a Strato album since 2000, but the current members seem to have a lot of life left in them.

Lari wrote:

I just saw Stratovarius the other week. I haven't bought a Strato album since 2000, but the current members seem to have a lot of life left in them.

I have mixed feelings - there are parts of the new one I like but a lot of other parts that just seem recycled.

So this clown just canceled his already-funded PledgeMusic project, Classical Variations 2. It's 121% funded, and he bails because of some "more interesting and exciting project."

Mental, he is. Terrible to his fans, too. What a nut.

haha I just posted about that yesturday on another thread I got confused. Yea I'm kind of thinking I don't even want to bother with his new "better" thing when it comes out, just because. He cant possibly offer anything better than he was already doing. I just wanted my damn autographed cd... what a jack ass..

Seriously. Why not just complete this project, and then do the next one? This one was funded! Makes no frickin' sense.

Someone needs to dedicate a site to this guy's many meltdowns, rants, retirements, band disbandments. He's a whackjob.

Eyesore wrote:

Seriously. Why not just complete this project, and then do the next one? This one was funded! Makes no frickin' sense.

Someone needs to dedicate a site to this guy's many meltdowns, rants, retirements, band disbandments. He's a whackjob.

do the people get their money back??

exact33 wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Seriously. Why not just complete this project, and then do the next one? This one was funded! Makes no frickin' sense.

Someone needs to dedicate a site to this guy's many meltdowns, rants, retirements, band disbandments. He's a whackjob.

do the people get their money back??

They should, yeah.

Eyesore wrote:

exact33 wrote:

Eyesore wrote:

Seriously. Why not just complete this project, and then do the next one? This one was funded! Makes no frickin' sense.

Someone needs to dedicate a site to this guy's many meltdowns, rants, retirements, band disbandments. He's a whackjob.

do the people get their money back??

They should, yeah.

They better!! I don't know or care who this Timo dude is, but doing sh*t like this is going to sour this whole pledging music thing. All is takes is one jackass to abuse/misuse the system and folks will be turned off from helping out.

yeah we'll be refunded. if i dont see a email about it i'll write them.

Did this crazy bastard refund everyone? I seem the campaign is still out there, showing that it's been "released."