Timo Tolkki
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Timo Tapio Tolkki (born 3 March 1966) is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer of the
power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band
Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after fo ...
. With his tenure lasting 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 Revolution Renaissance was a multinational power metal band founded by guitarist Timo Tolkki after he left Stratovarius in 2008. The band released three studio albums before disbanding in 2010. History ''New Era'' The studio lineup for the '' N ...
and
Symfonia Symfonia was a short-lived symphonic power metal supergroup formed in 2010 by Andre Matos (vocals), Timo Tolkki (guitars), Jari Kainulainen (bass), Mikko Härkin (keyboards) and Uli Kusch (drums). On February 18 of 2011, the band made its debut ...
, both of which have since disbanded. In a 2011 article by ''
Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...
'' magazine, Tolkki was included in the all-time top 50 list of the world's fastest guitarists.


Early years and Stratovarius

Tolkki started playing guitar at the age of seven and practiced intensely, sometimes eight hours a day. When he was twelve years old, his father committed suicide by
jumping Jumping or leaping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jumping can be distinguished from running, galloping and o ...
from the fourth floor of his apartment.Tolkki, Timo (2010).
Loneliness of a Thousand Years
'.
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. p. 4. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
Before joining Stratovarius in 1984, Tolkki 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 Lead is a chemical element with the symbol Pb (from the Latin ) and atomic number 82. It is a heavy metal that is denser than most common materials. Lead is soft and malleable, and also has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cu ...
and
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar ...
s, and at times
bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...
(until
Jari Kainulainen Jari "Jartsi" Kainulainen (born 29 April 1970) is a Finnish bass guitarist. He is best known for having been the bass player of the power metal band Stratovarius from 1993 until 2005. Kainulainen is currently the bassist of Masterplan, having ...
's arrival in 1993). After the band's third album, ''
Dreamspace ''Dreamspace'' is the third studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 9 February 1994 through Noise Records.
'' (1994), Tolkki handed over vocal duties to
Timo Kotipelto Timo Antero Kotipelto (born 15 March 1969) is a Finnish musician best known as the lead singer of the power metal band Stratovarius, whom he joined in 1994, as well as fronting his own band Kotipelto. Biography He studied vocals at the pop/ja ...
, who took over from '' 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 guitar work. Further changes were made after ''Dreamspace'', including the departure of the remaining original members of the band, keyboardist Antti Ikonen and drummer Tuomo Lassila, due to creative differences.Tolkki, Timo (24 July 2013)
"I want to thank everyone who answered to my simple..."
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
In 1994, Tolkki released his first solo album, ''
Classical Variations and Themes ''Classical Variations and Themes'' is the first studio album by former Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki, released in 1994 through Goldenworks Ky (Europe) and Victor Entertainment (Japan); and reissued in 2004 through Irond Records. Background ...
'', 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 An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...
compositions. His second solo album, '' Hymn to Life'' (2002) showed a more personal side, dealing with such emotional issues as his relationship with
God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...
and his late father. He was diagnosed with
bipolar disorder Bipolar disorder, previously known as manic depression, is a mental disorder characterized by periods of depression and periods of abnormally elevated mood that last from days to weeks each. If the elevated mood is severe or associated with ...
in 2004, following a
nervous breakdown A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. Such features may be persistent, relapsing and remitti ...
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. A final self-titled 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. He later claimed this was done as a protest due to the remaining members deciding to continue the band as Stratovarius.


Solo projects


Revolution Renaissance

Tolkki's next project was an album described as a
rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
, named '' Saana – Warrior of Light Pt 1''. Released on 14 March 2008, it featured a number of guest vocalists, including
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
Jennifer Sowle in the lead role, as well as Heikki Pöyhiä of Twilightning. Also in 2008, he founded a band called
Revolution Renaissance Revolution Renaissance was a multinational power metal band founded by guitarist Timo Tolkki after he left Stratovarius in 2008. The band released three studio albums before disbanding in 2010. History ''New Era'' The studio lineup for the '' N ...
, which released three albums between 2008 and 2010.


Symfonia

In 2010,
Symfonia Symfonia was a short-lived symphonic power metal supergroup formed in 2010 by Andre Matos (vocals), Timo Tolkki (guitars), Jari Kainulainen (bass), Mikko Härkin (keyboards) and Uli Kusch (drums). On February 18 of 2011, the band made its debut ...
was formed as a power metal supergroup comprising Tolkki, singer
André Matos Andre Coelho Matos (14 September 1971 – 8 June 2019) was a Brazilian singer and musician. He was involved in the heavy metal bands Viper, Angra, Shaman and Symfonia. Since 2006, Matos had been dedicating his time to his solo career. In 2 ...
, keyboardist
Mikko Härkin Mikko Härkin (born 25 May 1979 in Kuopio, Finland) is a Finnish power metal keyboardist, who has performed with Sonata Arctica and Kenziner. History Härkin begun to study piano at the age of 5. He joined ''Kenziner'' in 1998 and with them rec ...
, drummer
Uli Kusch Ulrich Kusch (born 11 March 1967) is a heavy metal drummer. He is best known for playing with Helloween, Gamma Ray, Masterplan and Holy Moses, among others. He is known for his technical style of playing, fast-paced speed metal-like rhythm, an ...
and former Stratovarius bandmate Jari Kainulainen. They made their debut performance at the 2011
Finnish Metal Expo Finnish Metal Expo was a heavy metal fair and festival held annually at Kaapelitehdas in Ruoholahti, Helsinki, Finland from 2005 to 2012. It was a part of the Helsinki Metal Meeting. It's original location was the Cablefactory in Helsinki, Finl ...
and later released their only studio album, ''
In Paradisum "In paradisum" (English: "Into paradise") is an antiphon from the traditional Latin liturgy of the Western Church Requiem Mass. It is sung by the choir as the body is being taken out of the church. The text of the ''In paradisum'' — with or wit ...
'', but in December of that year Tolkki announced the discontinuation of the band, and subsequently his retirement from the music industry. In March 2012, Tolkki stated on his
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...
profile (and official Symfonia page) that although he had left the music business, he hadn't given up on music altogether: "With all the tools available for us today to release music, you will hear something interesting from me". Later he released a mock album cover entitled ''Classical Variations and Themes Vol 2'', suggesting a new solo album. On 10 April 2012 he released a new instrumental track named "Dinner with Paganini", which was made available as a free download through
PledgeMusic PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist p ...
, as well as a revised name for a potential new album, ''Classical Variations and Themes II: Credo''. However, on 26 July, he announced the cancellation of the project.


Avalon Metal Opera

On 8 January 2013, Tolkki announced the opening of a new mixing and mastering studio named Studiotolkki, located in
Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
, Finland. In February 2013, Timo announced his new project,
Avalon Avalon (; la, Insula Avallonis; cy, Ynys Afallon, Ynys Afallach; kw, Enys Avalow; literally meaning "the isle of fruit r appletrees"; also written ''Avallon'' or ''Avilion'' among various other spellings) is a mythical island featured in the ...
, featuring a group of guest musicians such as
Michael Kiske Michael Kiske (born January 24, 1968) is a German singer and lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween. Kiske has released four solo albums, two albums with the hard rock band Unisonic, has participated on various metal and rock ...
( Unisonic,
Helloween Helloween is a German power metal band founded in 1984 in Hamburg by members of bands Iron Fist, Gentry, Second Hell and Powerfool. Its first lineup consisted of singer and guitarist Kai Hansen, bassist Markus Grosskopf, guitarist Michael Weik ...
), Sharon den Adel (
Within Temptation Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded in April 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They have been classified by critics as gothic metal and symphonic metal, although each album contains other inf ...
),
Elize Ryd Hanna Elise Isabell Maj Höstblomma Ryd (born 15 October 1984), known professionally as Elize Ryd, is a Swedish singer, best known as one of the three vocalists and co-lyricist in the metal band Amaranthe. She also gained some popularity prior to ...
(
Amaranthe Amaranthe is a Swedish metal band originally known as Avalanche. The band is notable for their blend of various metal genres and having three lead vocalists. History Formed by Olof Mörck (Dragonland, Nightrage) and Joacim "Jake E" Lundbe ...
),
Russell Allen Russell Allen (born July 19, 1971) is an American singer best known as the vocalist of the progressive metal band Symphony X. He has also worked with the supergroups Star One, Allen-Lande, Level 10, and as one of fourteen vocalists in the pr ...
(
Symphony X Symphony X is an American progressive metal band from Middletown, New Jersey. Founded in 1994, the band consists of guitarist Michael Romeo, keyboardist Michael Pinnella, drummer Jason Rullo, lead vocalist Russell Allen and bassist Michael Lep ...
,
Adrenaline Mob Adrenaline Mob is an American heavy metal supergroup formed in early 2011 by singer Russell Allen, guitarist Mike Orlando and drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's current lineup consists of Allen, Orlando, and drummer Jordan Cannata. History The ...
,
Star One Star One was an Indian pay television network based in Mumbai. It was launched on 1 November 2004 and was it owned by Star TV and distributed worldwide by Fox International Channels. In November 2006, Star One was launched in the UK on Sky. ...
),
Rob Rock Robert Rock (born June 29, 1959) is an American heavy metal singer who is best known as the longtime frontman of Impellitteri, a position he has held from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2000, and now from 2008 to the present day. Rock has also released ...
(
Impellitteri Impellitteri is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles formed and led by guitarist Chris Impellitteri, vocalist Rob Rock, and bassist James Amelio Pulli. The band has sold millions of albums worldwide. History Chris Impellitteri for ...
, M.A.R.S.),
Tony Kakko Toni Kristian "Tony" Kakko (born 16 May 1975) is a Finnish musician, composer and vocalist. He is known as the vocalist, primary songwriter, and creative lead of the band Sonata Arctica since 1996. Biography Kakko was born in Kemi, Finland and ...
(
Sonata Arctica Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup ...
),
Jens Johansson Jens Ola Johansson (born 2 November 1963 in Stockholm) is a Swedish keyboardist and pianist who currently plays in the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and Ritchie Blackmore's rock project Rainbow. He is notable for his high-speed neoclas ...
(Stratovarius,
Yngwie Malmsteen Yngwie Johan Malmsteen ( ; born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck, 30 June 1963) is a Swedish guitarist. He first became known in the 1980s for his neoclassical playing style in heavy metal, and has released 22 studio albums in a career spanning ov ...
),
Derek Sherinian Derek Sherinian (born August 25, 1966) is an American keyboardist who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, and Joe Bonamassa, among others. He was also a member of Dream Theater from 1994 to 1999, is the founder of Planet X and ...
(
Dream Theater Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band formed in 1985 under the name Majesty by John Petrucci, John Myung and Mike Portnoy while they attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. They subsequently dropped out of the ...
) and
Alex Holzwarth Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre. Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band h ...
(
Rhapsody of Fire Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre. Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band h ...
). The album, released on 17 May 2013, follows a story set in a post-apocalyptic future. In 2055, Earth has been almost destroyed by natural catastrophes, and a small group of survivors decide to set off a journey to find a sacred place known as The Land of New Hope. In October 2013 Timo launched a news website for the project in which he announced the sequel to ''The Land of New Hope'', which was provisionally titled ''Avalon II''. The cast of guest musicians will be revealed one by one.
Simone Simons Simone Johanna Maria Simons (born 17 January 1985) is a Dutch singer. She is best known for being the lead singer of Dutch symphonic metal band Epica, which she joined at the age of seventeen, releasing eight studio albums and touring the world ...
of
Epica Epica or EPICA may refer to: * Epica (band), a Dutch symphonic metal band * ''Epica'' (Kamelot album), 2003 * ''Epica'' (Audiomachine album), 2012 * The European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA) * The Epica Awards (International Adver ...
fame is the first confirmed singer.
Floor Jansen Floor Jansen (; born 21 February 1981) is a Dutch singer and songwriter. She is the lead vocalist of Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Jansen first became known as a member of symphonic metal band After Forever, standing as their lead vo ...
will play the leading role. It was also announced that Timo's former bandmates in Stratovarius, drummer
Tuomo Lassila Tuomo Lassila (born 1965) is a Finnish musician best known as the former drummer, founder member and co-songwriter of the power metal band Stratovarius and currently the drummer and percussionist for the Finnish metal band Conquest. Music caree ...
and keyboardist Antti Ikonen will play on this album. A European tour was planned for May 2014, coinciding with the release of the album. On 28 January, Timo revealed title of the album (''
Angels of the Apocalypse ''Angels of the Apocalypse'' is the second full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon, released on May 16, 2014 in Europe and four days later in North America. It is the second part of the trilogy created by Tolkki, wri ...
'') and the rest of the cast:
Fabio Lione Fabio Tordiglione (born 9 October 1973), known professionally as Fabio Lione, is an Italian singer and lyricist who has worked with many bands in the metal genre. He was known for being the singer of Italian power metal band Rhapsody of Fire fo ...
(
Rhapsody of Fire Rhapsody of Fire (formerly known as Rhapsody) is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre. Since forming in 1993 as Thundercross, the band h ...
, Angra), David DeFeis (
Virgin Steele Virgin Steele is an American heavy metal band from New York, originally formed in 1981. The band released a few career highlights albums (''Noble Savage'', '' The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part I'', '' The Marriage of Heaven and Hell Part II ...
),
Elize Ryd Hanna Elise Isabell Maj Höstblomma Ryd (born 15 October 1984), known professionally as Elize Ryd, is a Swedish singer, best known as one of the three vocalists and co-lyricist in the metal band Amaranthe. She also gained some popularity prior to ...
(
Amaranthe Amaranthe is a Swedish metal band originally known as Avalanche. The band is notable for their blend of various metal genres and having three lead vocalists. History Formed by Olof Mörck (Dragonland, Nightrage) and Joacim "Jake E" Lundbe ...
) and Caterina Nix. Timo also announced that there will be a contest for guitar and keyboard players, with the winners getting a chance to perform a solo with him in one of the songs. In June 2019, Timo Tolkki released the third part of the ''Avalon'' trilogy, the album ''
Return to Eden ''Return to Eden'' is an Australian television drama series starring Rebecca Gilling, James Reyne, Wendy Hughes and James Smillie. It began as a three-part, six-hour mini-series shown on Network Ten on September 27–29, 1983. Gilling and Sm ...
'', with the main working song, "Promises". In 2021, Timo Tolkki releases his new solo album with "Infinite Visions" project's songs, called "Union Magnetica", as the fourth Avalon album, which is called "The Enigma Birth", with many musicians as guests. The new metal opera album has the main working songs "Master of Hell" and "The Fire and the Sinner".


Allen/Lande

On 24 July 2013, Tolkki announced via his Facebook page (among a statement regarding Stratovarius) that he would be the producer, mixer and songwriter for a new album of the duo
Allen/Lande Allen/___ is a set of collaborative metal supergroup projects by Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen. The first collaboration, Allen/Lande was formed in 2005 by Italian record company Frontiers, though none of the members are Italian. It takes ...
, composed of Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen and Norwegian singer
Jørn Lande Jørn Marumsrud Lande (born May 31, 1968) is a Norwegian hard rock and heavy metal singer and songwriter. He is known for his work with the bands Ark, Beyond Twilight, Millenium, Vagabond, The Snakes, and most notably with power metal band Ma ...
. The album '' The Great Divide'' was released on 17 October in Europe and 21 October 2014 in North America.


Chaos Magic

In May 2015, it was announced that Timo would produce and perform in a project with Chilean singer Caterina Nix titled Chaos Magic. Caterina and Timo met in Chile when Stratovarius was performing there. She would later guest sing in Avalon's second album, ''
Angels of the Apocalypse ''Angels of the Apocalypse'' is the second full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon, released on May 16, 2014 in Europe and four days later in North America. It is the second part of the trilogy created by Tolkki, wri ...
''. Their first, self-titled album is set for a 3 July release in Europe. In June 2015 they released their first videos: a video for the song "I'm Alive", and two lyric videos for "One Drop of Blood" and "A Little Too Late".


Infinite Visions & We are the Revolution

In 2022, Timo Tolkki releases the single from the new album called ''"We are the Revolution"'', with several other guest artists, from his upcoming album "Union Magnetica", Infinite Visions.


Playing style

From the period spanning Stratovarius' first three albums, Tolkki's guitar playing was more progressive and
heavy Heavy may refer to: Measures * Heavy (aeronautics), a term used by pilots and air traffic controllers to refer to aircraft capable of 300,000 lbs or more takeoff weight * Heavy, a characterization of objects with substantial weight * Heavy, ...
. During this time he preferred E
tuning Tuning can refer to: Common uses * Tuning, the process of tuning a tuned amplifier or other electronic component * Musical tuning, musical systems of tuning, and the act of tuning an instrument or voice ** Guitar tunings ** Piano tuning, adjusti ...
, with his compositions often bearing a dark and unnerving tonal quality (particularly on ''Dreamspace''). Following Timo Kotipelto's arrival as lead singer, Tolkki's style shifted gradually more towards the traditionally speedy and
melodic A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combinat ...
format of power metal, with an emphasis on such elements as neoclassical phrasing and various shredding techniques.


Personal life

Tolkki has been married three times. He has one daughter from his second marriage, born in 1989. Since 2000, Tolkki has been in a relationship with Dominika Gottová, eldest daughter of Czech singer
Karel Gott ) Sinatra of the East( cs, Sinatra Východu, link=no)Divine CharlieFright Night ''Fright Night'' is a 1985 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Tom Holland (in his directorial debut) and produced by Herb Jaffe. It stars Chris Sarandon, William Ragsdale, Roddy McDowall, Amanda Bearse, Jonathan Star ...
'' *1992: '' Twilight Time'' (''Stratovarius II'') *1994: ''
Dreamspace ''Dreamspace'' is the third studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 9 February 1994 through Noise Records.
''


As guitarist

*1995: ''
Fourth Dimension'' *1996: ''
Episode An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption. The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek term ''epeisodion'' (), meaning t ...
'' *1997: ''
Visions Vision, Visions, or The Vision may refer to: Perception Optical perception * Visual perception, the sense of sight * Visual system, the physical mechanism of eyesight * Computer vision, a field dealing with how computers can be made to gain un ...
'' *1998: ''
Destiny Destiny, sometimes referred to as fate (from Latin ''fatum'' "decree, prediction, destiny, fate"), is a predetermined course of events. It may be conceived as a predetermined future, whether in general or of an individual. Fate Although often ...
'' *1999: '' The Chosen Ones'' *2000: ''
Infinite Infinite may refer to: Mathematics * Infinite set, a set that is not a finite set *Infinity, an abstract concept describing something without any limit Music *Infinite (group), a South Korean boy band *''Infinite'' (EP), debut EP of American m ...
'' *2001: ''
Intermission An intermission, also known as an interval in British and Indian English, is a recess between parts of a performance or production, such as for a theatrical play, opera, concert, or film screening. It should not be confused with an entr'acte (F ...
'' *2003: ''
Elements Pt. 1 ''Elements Pt. 1'' is the ninth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 27 January 2003 through Nuclear Blast. The album reached No. 2 on the Finnish albums chart, as well as reaching the top 100 in four other countries. "Eagle ...
'' *2003: '' Elements Pt. 2'' *2005: ''
Stratovarius Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band that formed in 1985. Since their formation, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. In its history, the band has gone through many chaotic lineup changes, and after fo ...
'' *2006: '' Black Diamond: The Anthology''


Solo albums

*1994: ''
Classical Variations and Themes ''Classical Variations and Themes'' is the first studio album by former Stratovarius guitarist Timo Tolkki, released in 1994 through Goldenworks Ky (Europe) and Victor Entertainment (Japan); and reissued in 2004 through Irond Records. Background ...
'' *2002: '' Hymn to Life'' *2008: '' Saana – Warrior of Light Pt 1'' *2022: '' Union Magnetica''


Revolution Renaissance

*2008: '' New Era'' *2009: ''
Age of Aquarius The Age of Aquarius, in astrology, is either the current or forthcoming astrological age, depending on the method of calculation. Astrologers maintain that an astrological age is a product of the earth's slow precessional rotation and lasts for 2 ...
'' *2010: ''
Trinity The Christian doctrine of the Trinity (, from 'threefold') is the central dogma concerning the nature of God in most Christian churches, which defines one God existing in three coequal, coeternal, consubstantial divine persons: God the F ...
''


Symfonia

*2011: ''
In Paradisum "In paradisum" (English: "Into paradise") is an antiphon from the traditional Latin liturgy of the Western Church Requiem Mass. It is sung by the choir as the body is being taken out of the church. The text of the ''In paradisum'' — with or wit ...
''


Timo Tolkki's Avalon

*2013: '' The Land of New Hope'' *2014: ''
Angels of the Apocalypse ''Angels of the Apocalypse'' is the second full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon, released on May 16, 2014 in Europe and four days later in North America. It is the second part of the trilogy created by Tolkki, wri ...
'' *2019: ''
Return to Eden ''Return to Eden'' is an Australian television drama series starring Rebecca Gilling, James Reyne, Wendy Hughes and James Smillie. It began as a three-part, six-hour mini-series shown on Network Ten on September 27–29, 1983. Gilling and Sm ...
'' *2021: '' The Enigma Birth''


Allen/Lande

*2014: '' The Great Divide''


Chaos Magic (Caterina Nix feat. Timo Tolkki)

*2015: ''Chaos Magic''


Other appearances

*1998:
Edguy Edguy is a heavy metal band formed in Fulda, Germany in 1992. History Demos, AFM years (1992–2003) Edguy was founded in 1992 by 14-year-old students Tobias Sammet, Jens Ludwig, Dominik Storch and Dirk Sauer. The name "Edguy" was an affecti ...
– ''
Vain Glory Opera ''Vain Glory Opera'' is the third (or second "official") studio album by the German power metal band Edguy, released in 1998. It was mixed by Stratovarius' Timo Tolkki, who also played additional lead guitar on "Out Of Control", and featured a ...
'' (guitar solo on "Out of Control") *2001:
Avantasia Avantasia is a German supergroup metal opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy. It has been characterized as a rock opera, as it features the contributions of various vocalists and musicians and it consists of concept ...
– ''
The Metal Opera ''The Metal Opera'' is the first full-length album by Tobias Sammet's German supergroup project, Avantasia. It is a concept album and a rock opera. The album is followed by the sequel ''The Metal Opera Part II''. Both were written over the course ...
'' (vocals on "The Tower") *2002:
Avantasia Avantasia is a German supergroup metal opera project created by Tobias Sammet, vocalist of the band Edguy. It has been characterized as a rock opera, as it features the contributions of various vocalists and musicians and it consists of concept ...
– ''
The Metal Opera Part II ''The Metal Opera Pt. II'' is the second full-length album by Tobias Sammet's German supergroup project, Avantasia. It is a concept album and a rock opera. The songs carry on the story begun in ''The Metal Opera'', with the same characters. Bot ...
'' (guitar solo on "The Seven Angels" and "Into the Unknown") *2002: Thunderstone – '' Thunderstone'' (guitar solo on "Like Father, Like Son") *2003:
Gimmel Gimel is the third letter of the Semitic abjads, including Phoenician Gīml , Hebrew Gimel , Aramaic Gāmal , Syriac Gāmal , and Arabic (in alphabetical order; fifth in spelling order). Its sound value in the original Phoenician and in all d ...
– ''Kaksi kertaa enemmän'' *2010:
Beto Vázquez Infinity Beto Vazquez Infinity is an Argentine heavy metal project from Buenos Aires led by Alberto 'Beto' Vazquez. Formed in 2000, the outfit has released seven studio albums and a live DVD. Vazquez uses a large number guests on his records, while he o ...
– ''
Existence Existence is the ability of an entity to interact with reality. In philosophy, it refers to the ontology, ontological Property (philosophy), property of being. Etymology The term ''existence'' comes from Old French ''existence'', from Medieval ...
'' (guitar solo on "Existence") *2013:
Dreamtale Dreamtale is a Finnish power/symphonic metal band from Tampere, formed in 1999. History The music project was founded by guitarist Rami Keränen in early 1999. Keränen also served as the band's vocalist until 2002. The band first gathered f ...
– ''World Changed Forever'' (guitar solo on "The End of Our Days") *2014:
Ring of Fire The Ring of Fire (also known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Rim of Fire, the Girdle of Fire or the Circum-Pacific belt) is a region around much of the rim of the Pacific Ocean where many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Ring o ...
– ''Battle of Leningrad''


Books

*2010: ''Loneliness of a Thousand Years'' *2012: ''Golden Handbook of Recording Heavy Metal Music'' *2020: ''Hymni elämälle – Stratovarius-kitaristin tarina'' ("Hymn to Life – The Story of a Stratovarius Guitarist") *2020: ''Golden Handbook of Recording Heavy Metal Music'' – Update


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tolkki, Timo Finnish heavy metal guitarists Stratovarius members People with bipolar disorder 1966 births Living people People from Nurmijärvi Lead guitarists Nuclear Blast artists Allen-Lande members Revolution Renaissance members Symfonia members Sanctuary Records artists Scarlet Records artists