TIMO KOTIPELTO - Remote Control!
by Martin Popoff

Ex-Stratovarius singer Timo Kotipelto went into the wilds to craft his second solo album, the new one appropriately deemed Coldness. After the implosion of the Finnish masters, what else could he do? Especially since the main reason for his frustrations in the band all these years was that he couldn't get a power metal anthem in edge-wise.

"The reason I started doing these solo albums, even though I hate the word 'solo,' because I don't playing instruments - albums on my own - is quite simple. Because in Stratovarius, I was never really able to have any of my songs on the albums. I wrote some lyrics, but I guess there's only one song of mine, that is on the album called Episode. And then I did some bonus songs for Japan, but that's it. Most of the songs are composed by the other Timo. So I wanted to release some of my own music. That's why I started doing this."

When asked what the main adjustments are for Coldness versus Timo #1, Waiting For The Dawn, Kotipelto offers the following. "I would say that the biggest difference is the lyrics, because the first one was a concept album, and this one is not. Some people have told me that the songs on Coldness are darker, sadder, more melancholy. It could be true; I'm not saying it's not. And of course, visually, it's totally different because of the concept of the first album. But then again, I think it's still somewhat the same formula. I mainly composing for myself and this is the kind of music I would like to listen to nowadays. Namely, if I'm listening to music, it's from the '80s - Iron Maiden, Rainbow, stuff like that. But of course, I'm also using my power metal influences influences, because I've been 10 years in Stratovarius. That affects the outcome as well. I also tried to compose the vocals a bit lower. Of course, it could be that I got fed up singing such extremely high vocals. Because, I mean, it's a technique. I can hit the notes, but then again, there's not much you can do with your voice in those altitudes, if you know what I mean. So that's also may be a little bit different."

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