KOTIPELTO

In 2002, while still a member of STRATOVARIUS, Timo presented his first solo album, "Waiting For The Dawn." The second effort, "Coldness," appeared in April 2004, while Timo Tolkki was in a clinic at the time. As we know, the sad events surrounding STRATOVARIUS ended well — the band reunited, recorded a new album, and conducted a major tour. In the summer of 2006, Kotipelto announced that recording of a new album would begin very soon. By the end of the year, the album was ready, and in April 2007 it hit store shelves. Traditionally, the STRATOVARIUS bassist took part in the recording — previously Jari Kainulainen handled the bass parts, and this time, accordingly, Lauri Porra. THUNDERSTONE drummer Mirka Rantanen once again recorded the drums, CHILDREN OF BODOM keyboardist Janne Wirman also participated once more, and guitar parts were performed by new member Tuomas Wainola, a young musician who hadn't yet appeared in any well-known band. Timo himself repeatedly emphasized that the album is probably his best solo work. And he's absolutely right. But let's go in order. The album opens with the brilliant speed composition "Once upon a Time" — overall, this track rather stands out from the main sound, as most compositions are at a more than moderate tempo. Such are "Sleep Well" (a video for it is included as a bonus on the disc) and the title track "Serenity" — both hard rock-oriented, melodic in sound, with an expressive vocal line and simple but memorable guitar solo parts. "City of Mysteries" continues this line, though this song is somewhat pale, but it's followed by the highly interesting "King Anti-Midas" — an absolute triumph for Kotipelto as a songwriter, a song you're drawn to replay again and again. "Angels Will Cry" is a fast and instantly memorable composition; reading the lyrics, you can't help but smile — the angels will cry because people are mean and hate each other. After all, long years in the same band with Tolkki leave their mark. "After the Rain" is simply a beautiful ballad, and a fully acoustic version is also presented as a bonus. Track 8, "Mr. Know-It-All" — Kotipelto doesn't like know-it-alls — is a very successful piece, and Timo should have ended the album with it; it would have made an excellent 33-minute disc. While "Dreams and Reality" is still more or less listenable, the 8-minute "Last Defender" is simply dreadful. Nothing whatsoever came from Kotipelto's attempt to write his own Destiny/Infinity. The road to hell is paved with good intentions, as they say. This utterly faceless and extremely tedious epic was entirely unnecessary. It's a shame, but overall the disc is definitely the strongest of this famous power metal vocalist's solo trilogy.