Project Strato

Not sure how many of you are fans of Stratovarius but as one of the early power metal bands they have been around for a very long time and gone through numerous changes. I was reading on metal-rules.com earlier today that Timo Tolkki (who recently departed the band) is forming his own project called Project Strato which is utilising the Dreamscape line-up and tentatively called their album Return to Dreamscape. The hope is this will revisit the type of music they played on this album 15 years ago and give Timo Tolkki the opportunity (in his mind) to close the book on Stratovarius. The remaining band members still continue to play with the band's name and the issues they have had to deal with Tolkki and his mental illness came to culminate in late 2007 with his departure. This year they have a new album, new guitarist and hopefully a new fresh outlook.

I will get a chance to see this on Monday when I go to see them play along with Firewind.

Priest