Timo Kotipelto. What, never heard of him? Well perhaps
you’ve heard of a little power-prog band by
the name of STRATOVARIUS? Yeah, I thought so. Timo
Kotipelto joined STRATOVARIOUS in 1994 and contributed
to ten of the bands recordings, many of which have
topped the metal charts, helping them to become a
premiere name in power-prog metal. And now, to the
great appreciation of fans everywhere, the man has
released his third solo album, entitled “Serenity”,
which is a shining example of artists doing their
best at what they’re good at.
If you’ve heard STRATOVARIOUS or any of their
power/prog ilk such as HELLOWEEN, GAMMA RAY, or KAMELOT
then you know what your getting into here with “Serenity”.
Kind-of like a Schwarzenegger movie, you know what
to expect going in, and you get just that. But predictability
isn’t necessarily a *bad* thing, and much like
action movies, KOTIPELTO’s style of AOR meets
Power-metal isn’t for everyone, but if that
sort of thing is what you enjoy, then you cant go
wrong with certain names: like Schwarzenegger for
action movies, and Timo Kotipelto for melodic metal.
Timo’s vocal performance is, once again, exceptional,
and he displays his talents thoroughly throughout
the album. With a soaring and bombastic, operatic
style of singing, he has been called “the man
with the golden voice” and with one listen you’ll
know why. Think of Geoff Tate (QUEENSRYCHE) and Michael
Kiske (HELLOWEEN) at their prime and combine them.
The band that Timo has elected to accompany him on
his sonic exploration is top shelf too, with keyboardist
Janne Wirman (CHILDREN OF BODOM, WARMEN), bassist
Lauri Porra (STRATOVARIOUS, WARMEN), guitarist Tuomas
Wainölä (HEARTPLAY) and drummer Mirka Rantanen
(THUNDERSTONE, WARMEN). This group of musicians supplies
an excellent canvas for Timo’s colorful voice,
with melodic guitar shredding and excellent keyboard
playing being the highlights, aside from the vocals
of course.
Bottom Line: “Serenity” doesn’t
break any new ground, not does it diverge from it’s
founding member’s comfortable niche of power-prog
hard rock. If you’re looking for something bold
and new from KOTIPELTO then you should keep on looking.
But if you’re a fan of STRATOVARIOUS, MASTERPLAN
or KAMELOT then surely you will enjoy this latest
offering from Timo & co.
Key Tracks: “Once Upon a Time”, “Angels
Will Cry”, “Last Defender”
Reviewed by Farron Watson |
