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Biography
Refimprove|date=November 2011Infobox musical artist| name = Timo Tolkki| image = Timo Tolkki 2007.jpg| caption = Tolkki performing with Stratovarius in 2007.| birth_name = Timo Tapio Tolkki| background = solo_singer| birth_date = birth date and age|1966|3|3|df=y| birth_place = Nurmijärvi , Finland | alias =| instrument = Guitar , singing|vocals | genre = Power metal , progressive metal , neo-classical metal , heavy metal music|heavy metal , instrumental rock | occupation = Musician , songwriter , record producer|producer | associated_acts = Stratovarius , Revolution Renaissance , Symfonia | label = Nuclear Blast , Sanctuary Records|Sanctuary | years_active =| website = http://www.myspace.com/tolkkimusic| notable_instruments = ESP Mirage Series Timo Tapio Tolkki (born 3 March 1966) is a Finland|Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, songwriter and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius . With his tenure extending for more than twenty years, he was the longest standing member of the band before his departure in 2008. After leaving Stratovarius he formed two supergroups named Revolution Renaissance and Symfonia , both of which have since been disbanded. Guitar World magazine ranked him in the top 50 shred guitar|fastest guitar players in the world in a 2011 article.Guitar World Staff (2011-09-17). " http://www.guitarworld.com/50-fastest-guitarists-all-time? page=0,43 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time". Guitar World . Future US . Retrieved 2012-02-21.
Biography
Timo was born on March 3, 1966. When he was 12 years old, his father committed suicide by Jumper (suicide)|jumping from the fourth floor of his apartment.cite book|last=Tolkki|first=Timo|title=Loneliness of a 1000 Years|year=2010|location=Finland|pages=4|url= http://pt.scribd.com/doc/86117086/Timo-Tolkki-Loneliness-of-a-1000-Years
Tolkki started playing guitar at the age of seven and practiced intensely, sometimes eight hours a day." http://www.myspace.com/tolkkimusic Timo Tolkki". MySpace . Retrieved 2012-02-21. Before joining Stratovarius in 1984, he had played with the bands Antidote, Thunder and Road Block. At the beginning of his career with Stratovarius, he served as vocalist as well as handling all lead guitar|lead and rhythm guitar s, and at times bass guitar (until Jari Kainulainen 's arrival in 1993). After the band's third album, Dreamspace (1994), Tolkki handed over vocal duties to Timo Kotipelto , who took over from Fourth Dimension (Stratovarius album)|Fourth Dimension (1995) onwards. This was largely due to Tolkki's desire to evolve the overall musical direction of the band and concentrate on his guitarwork." http://old.stratovarius.com/index2.php? section=history History". old.stratovarius.com. Retrieved 2011-11-16. Further changes were made after Dreamspace , including the departure of the remaining original members of the band, keyboardist Antti Ikonen and drummer Tuomo Lassila.
In 1994, Tolkki released his first solo album, Classical Variations and Themes , which had at the time been one of his longtime ambitions. The album was similar to his work with Stratovarius, but with more focus on primarily instrumental compositions. His second solo album, Hymn to Life (2002) showed a more personal side, dealing with such emotional issues as his relationship with God and his late father.
He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2004, following a nervous breakdown which occurred some months after Stratovarius acrimoniously disbanded. After a period of rehabilitation, he went on to make a full recovery later that year and subsequently opened his own recording studio, named Goldenworks Mixing Suite. Stratovarius (album)|A final album with Stratovarius was released in 2005, after which he announced his departure from the band in 2008. Upon leaving he decided to waive the legal rights to the name, allowing the band to continue as Stratovarius.
Tolkki's next project was an album labelled as a rock opera , named Saana – Warrior of Light Pt 1 . It was released on 14 March 2008, and featured a number of guest vocalists, including soprano Jennifer Sowle in the lead role, as well as Aino Laos , Janette Sainio, and Heikki Pöyhiä of Twilightning .
In 2010, he formed Symfonia , a power metal supergroup (music)|supergroup comprising singer André Matos , keyboardist Mikko Härkin , drummer Uli Kusch and former Stratovarius bandmate Jari Kainulainen." http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx? mode=Article& newsitemID=149046 Former Stratovarius, Helloween, Andra Members Join Forces In Symfonia". Blabbermouth.net . 2010-11-08. Retrieved 2011-11-16. They made their debut performance at the 2011 Finnish Metal Expo , and later released their first album, In Paradisum (album)|In Paradisum , but in December of that year he announced that the band will no longer continue, and subsequently his retirement from the music industry. http://www.metalfromfinland.com/news/2012-01-13_16:01/guitarist_timo_tolkki__about_my_retirement_from_music_business
In March 2012 he stated on his Facebook page (and official Symfonia page) that although he has left music business he hasn't left music and "with all the tools available for us today to release music, you will hear something interesting from me." Later on he released two fake album covers with names "Classic Variations and Themes vol. 2" suggesting a new solo album.https://www.facebook.com/photo.php? fbid=329607250427986& set=a.106577652730948.17517.100001361426234& type=1 Potential cover of a new solo album Classical Variations and Themes vol. 2 On 10 April 2012 he released a new song called Dinner with Paganini as a free downloadhttps://www.facebook.com/SYMFONIAOFFICIAL/posts/205051159609942 Facebook post with a link to download Dinner with Paganini along a name "Classical Variations and Themes II:Credo" which may hint at a possible name of a new album.
On April 2012, Timo announced he would record a fourth solo album, titled Classical Variations II: Credo .cite web|title=Credo's page at PledgeMusic|url= http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/timotolkki|publisher= PledgeMusic |accessdate=5 May 2012 To raise funds for the album, he is currently asking fans to donate money for the project via PledgeMusic . The minimum pledge is US$ 10, which gives the donator the link to download the album plus exclusive updates, but fans can pledge higher amounts in exchange of more gifts, such as t-shirts, physical copies of the album, box sets, a four-hour Skype guitar lesson and even the Symfonia 7 Custom Guitar, a guitar specially designed for Timo and used by him to record In Paradisum . It will also be used to record Credo . Keyboardists Derek Sherinian (ex- Dream Theater , Planet X (band)|Planet X and Black Country Communion ) and Jens Johansson (Stratovarius) were confirmed as part of the line-up.
Playing style
From the period spanning Stratovarius' first three albums, Tolkki's guitar playing was more progressive metal|progressive and heavy metal music|heavy . During this time he preferred Emusic|flat guitar tuning|tuning , with his compositions often bearing a dark and unnerving tonal quality (particularly on Dreamspace ). Following Kotipelto's arrival as lead singer, Tolkki's style shifted gradually more towards the traditionally speedy and melodic format of power metal; adopting such elements as neo-classical metal|neo-classical phrase (music)|phrasing and various shred guitar|shredding techniques.
Equipment
Throughout his career, Tolkki has played ESP Guitars . His primary model is a customised ESP Mirage Series|M Series , most notably in solid black and another with the Visions (Stratovarius album)|Visions (1997) album artwork on the body. In some Stratovarius music videos, he is seen playing an ESP EX series. Mesa Boogie|Mesa/Boogie and Laney Amplification|Laney was his amplification of choice until 2001, after which he switched to using Marshall Amplification . Since 2007 he has used an ENGL Engl#Powerball|Powerball .citation needed|date=November 2011
1998: Edguy : Vain Glory Opera — guitar solo on "Out of Control"
2001: Avantasia : The Metal Opera — vocals on "The Tower"
2002: Avantasia : The Metal Opera Part II — guitar solo on "The Seven Angels" and "Into the Unknown"
2002: Thunderstone (band)|Thunderstone – Thunderstone (album)|Thunderstone — guitar solo on "Like Father, Like Son"
2003: Gimmel (music group)|Gimmel – Kaksi kertaa enemmän
Books
Loneliness of a Thousand Years (2010)
References
Reflist Stratovarius Persondata | NAME =Tolkki, Timo | ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | SHORT DESCRIPTION = | DATE OF BIRTH =3 March 1966 | PLACE OF BIRTH = Nurmijärvi , Finland | DATE OF DEATH = | PLACE OF DEATH = DEFAULTSORT:Tolkki, Timo Category:Finnish heavy metal guitarists Category:People with bipolar disorder Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:People from Nurmijärvi Category:Lead guitarists
