STRATOVARIUS Guitarist Checks In From Japan

Finnish melodic metallers STRATOVARIUS are in the middle of a Japanese headlining tour that is set to conclude on Friday, May 25 in Tokyo. The group's guitarist, Timo Tolkki, has checked in with the following update:

"Things didnt start the smoothest way at the airport. After I entered the cockpit it was evident that one engine had a small fuel leak, so they tried to fix that. It wasn't possible, so everybody back to terminal. They got another plane and we were on our way with 2.5 hours delay.

"The takeoff was amazing, I just watched in awe while the pilots did their thing with hundreds of knobs. Some of them I knew from my simulator experiences. It was really cool to be there in both take off and landing and gave me even more confidence together with my simulator experiences that flying is a really safe way to travel.

"So we arrived to Osaka at 11 in the morning — two hours later than planned. Everything is always so cool here, five-star hotels, the schedules are always holding, people are nice and friendly and the fans shower us with gifts. It's weird, but we were here a bit more than a year ago and now we are selling more tickets even without new album.

"First show went really well. We were a bit nervous because we hadn't been playing any shows in seven months, but it was just great. The place was called Big Cat and it was the second hottest club I have played in. The temperature on stage was close to 55 Celsius. Poor Jörg [Michael, drums]. Poor [Timo Kotipelto, vocals]. Despite the heat, the Osaka audience once again gave us a GREAT welcome. Then after the show signed some autographs, back to hotel and to dinner with the promoter to a Korean Barbeque. Jens [Johansson, keyboards] was getting really drunk and showed his usual antics (unfortunately I didn't bring my videocamera there).

"I don't know what the locals think when they hear in Japanese: 'I want to fuck your dog' or 'I want to shit on your ancestors,' but maybe they saw the humour. I certainly did and I can never get enough of this genius guy.

"In the morning a bullet train (300 km/h) ride to Tokyo and I just came back from a radio interview with [Timo Kotipelto] and I'm typing this in my room with a view to a city that is 100 km in diameter and has 17 million people. Tomorrow a new show, all okay here, hope there too."

STRATOVARIUS recently entered Sonic Pump Studios in Helsinki, Finland to begin recording its new album (the title of which consists of two separate words that both start with "R"). An early 2008 release is expected.