Timo Kotipelto

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Timo Kotipelto
Stratovarius (PK) - Wacken Open Air 2015 03.jpg
Kotipelto at Wacken Open Air, 2016
Background information
Birth nameTimo Antero Kotipelto
Born (1969-03-15) 15 March 1969 (age 55)
Lappajärvi, Finland
Genres
Occupation(s)Musician, songwriter
InstrumentVocals
Years active1982–present
Labels SPV GmbH
Member of

Timo Antero Kotipelto (born 15 March 1969) [1] 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.

Contents

Biography

Kotipelto at the Ilosaarirock festival, 2009 Timo Kotipelto - Ilosaarirock 2009 2.jpg
Kotipelto at the Ilosaarirock festival, 2009

He studied vocals at the pop/jazz conservatory in Helsinki, briefly singing for an amateur cover band named Filthy Asses. In summer of 1994, he applied to Stratovarius, who were looking for a singer at the time, and was accepted. His arrival corresponds closely with the band's rise to international fame. The first album he recorded with the band was Fourth Dimension, in 1995. Stratovarius has then become a top name in the European heavy metal scene, recording seven more albums and performing in numerous notable rock festivals.

In late 2003, Kotipelto split from Stratovarius after intra-band disagreements, notably with guitarist Timo Tolkki. After much turmoil throughout 2004, he rejoined the band in January 2005, recorded the album Stratovarius , and performed live on tour that covered North America, South America, Europe and Asia. In 2008, Timo Tolkki made public that he and Timo Kotipelto had arguments but Kotipelto never really left the band and the announcement that he left was part of a big publicity stunt. [2]

In 2002 Kotipelto started his solo project, called Kotipelto. So far he has released three albums: "Waiting For The Dawn", "Coldness" and the last one, released 20 April 2007, "Serenity". Aside from Stratovarius and Kotipelto, Timo Kotipelto has also provided additional vocals to Sonata Arctica's Silence album along with lead vocals with his close friend, ex-Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen and his band Cain's Offering. and lead vocals for the song "Out of the White Hole", on Ayreon's 2000 release Universal Migrator Part 2: Flight of the Migrator.

Kotipelto also provided vocals for the track "Eye of the Storm" on Warmen's 2009 album Japanese Hospitality .

Discography

With Stratovarius

Kotipelto

With Cain's Offering

Kotipelto & Liimatainen

Guest appearances

With Gamma Ray

With Tarot

With Tunnelvision

Timo Kotipelto and Klaus Flaming

With Warmen

With Sonata Arctica

With Klamydia

With Ayreon

Monstervision Freakshow

With Ella Ja Aleksi

With Leningrad Cowboys

With Amberian Dawn

With Hevisaurus

With Soulspell

With La suma de las partes

With Tarja

With Jani Liimatainen

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stratovarius</span> Finnish power metal band

Stratovarius is a Finnish power metal band. Formed in 1984, they have released sixteen studio albums, five DVDs and six live albums. The band's line-up has changed many times, with no founding member left since the departure of drummer Tuomo Lassila in 1995, and no member from their early recording days left following guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008. Currently, the longest standing member is singer Timo Kotipelto, who joined in 1994.

<i>Silence</i> (Sonata Arctica album) 2001 studio album by Sonata Arctica

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timo Tolkki</span> Finnish musician (born 1966)

Timo Tapio Tolkki is a Finnish musician best known as the former guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer of the power metal band Stratovarius. 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 and Symfonia, both of which have since disbanded. In a 2011 article by Guitar World magazine, Tolkki was included in the all-time top 50 list of the world's fastest guitarists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jari Kainulainen</span> Musical artist

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<i>Live! Visions of Europe</i> 1998 live album by Stratovarius

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<i>Infinite</i> (Stratovarius album) 2000 studio album by Stratovarius

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<i>Intermission</i> (Stratovarius album) 2001 compilation album by Stratovarius

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<i>Stratovarius</i> (album) 2005 studio album by Stratovarius

Stratovarius is the eleventh studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 5 September 2005 through Sanctuary Records. The album reached No. 4 on the Finnish albums chart as well as the top 100 in six other countries. "Maniac Dance" was released as a single, reaching No. 4 on the Finnish singles chart and the top 100 in three other countries.

<i>Fourth Dimension</i> (Stratovarius album) 1995 studio album by Stratovarius

Fourth Dimension is the fourth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 11 April 1995 through Noise Records. The album is the band's first to feature vocalist Timo Kotipelto as well as the last with keyboardist Antti Ikonen and drummer Tuomo Lassila, thus being the last Stratovarius album to date featuring an all-Finnish line-up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mikko Härkin</span> Finnish power metal keyboardist (born 1979)

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<i>Classical Variations and Themes</i> 1994 studio album by Timo Tolkki

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<i>Polaris</i> (Stratovarius album) 2009 studio album by Stratovarius

Polaris is the twelfth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 15 May 2009. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature bassist Lauri Porra and guitarist Matias Kupiainen, following former bassist Jari Kainulainen's departure from the band in 2005 and former guitarist Timo Tolkki's departure in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matias Kupiainen</span> Musical artist

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Cain's Offering is a Finnish power metal supergroup formed in 2008.

<i>Blackoustic</i> 2012 studio album by Kotipelto & Liimatainen

Blackoustic is a collaborative acoustic album by Stratovarius and Cain's Offering vocalist Timo Kotipelto and ex-Sonata Arctica and Cain's Offering guitarist Jani Liimatainen. The album was released on October 19, 2012, and entered the Finnish charts at #13 the first week. The album is self-financed. While initially only sold during performances, the album was eventually released through the Earmusic label, which had released the prior Stratovarius albums since Polaris.

<i>Nemesis</i> (Stratovarius album) 2013 studio album by Stratovarius

Nemesis is the fourteenth studio album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 22 February 2013 through Edel AG. It is the first Stratovarius album to feature new drummer Rolf Pilve, who replaced Jörg Michael in 2012. The album was first announced on the band's official website on 24 November 2012, with the track listing being revealed on 5 December 2012. Nemesis reached No. 3 on the Finnish albums chart. A preview of "Unbreakable", the album's first single, was made available on YouTube and was released on 25 January 2013.

<i>The Land of New Hope</i> 2013 studio album by Avalon

The Land of New Hope is the first full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon. The album was released on May 17, 2013 in Europe and May 21, 2013 in the US.

<i>From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas)</i> 2017 studio album by Tarja

From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas) is the second classical and Christmas album, and the seventh studio album released by the Finnish soprano Tarja Turunen. The music was arranged and orchestrated by Tarja's frequent collaborator Jim Dooley.

<i>Enigma: Intermission 2</i> 2018 compilation album by Stratovarius

Enigma: Intermission 2 is a compilation album by power metal band Stratovarius, released on 28 September 2018 worldwide. The album has a collection of rare Stratovarius tracks spanning four of their studio albums: Polaris, Elysium, Nemesis and Eternal. It also includes three new tracks: "Enigma", "Burn Me Down" and "Oblivion", along with four orchestral versions of previous Stratovarius songs. The album is a follow-up to 2001's Intermission.

References

  1. "About me". Kotipelto.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
  2. "Timo Tolkki Discusses Stratovarius 'Publicity Stunt'; Video Available". Blabbermouth.net. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 28 July 2014.