Post by Zedd Squared on Nov 14, 2021 18:28:05 GMT
Timo Tapio Tolkki
Member Of: Stratovarius (1985-2008), Revolution Renaissance (2008-2010), Symfonia (2010-2011), Timo Tolkki's Avalon (2012-present), Ring of Fire (2013-present), Allen/Lande (2013-?), Chaos Magic (2015), Timo Tolkki's Infinite Visions (2020-2021)
Vocal Range: E2-B♭5
High Notes:
B♭5 ("Thin Ice", "Tomorrow")
A5 ("Dreamspace")
G♯5 ("Dreamspace", "Reign of Terror", "Shattered", "Thin Ice")
G5 ("Break the Ice", "This Sweet Sorrow", "Twilight Time")
F♯5 ("Dreamspace", "Reign of Terror")
F5 ("Madness Strikes at Midnight")
E5 ("Dear God")
E♭5 ("Break the Ice", "Fire Dance Suite", "Future Shock", "Twilight Time")
D5 ("Distant Skies" Demo Version, "Galaxies" Demo Version, "It's X-mas Morning", "Kiss of Judas" Helsinki 1999, "Twilight Symphony" Demo Version)
C♯5 ("Against the Wind" Demo Version, "Break the Ice", "Distant Skies" Demo Version, "Dreamspace", "The Hands of Time", "Hold on to Your Dream", "Kill the King", "Madness Strikes at Midnight", "Shattered", "We Are the Future", "We Hold the Key" Demo Version, "Wings of Tomorrow", "Winter" Demo Version)
C5 ("Father", "The Hills Have Eyes", "It's X-mas Morning")
B4 ("Black Night", "Eyes of the World", "Fire Dance Suite", "Galaxies" Demo Version, "The Hands of Time", "I Believe", "Kill the King", "Lead Us Into the Light", "Magic Carpet Ride", "Out of the Shadows", "Shattered", "Twilight Time", "Twilight Symphony" Demo Version, "We Are the Future", "Winter" Demo Version)
B♭4 ("Against the Wind" Demo Version, "Break the Ice", "Chasing Shadows", "Darkness", "Dreamspace", "False Messiah", "Fright Night", "Future Shock", "The Hands of Time", "The Hills Have Eyes", "Kill the King", "Lead Us Into the Light", "Madness Strikes at Midnight", "Night Screamer", "Reign of Terror", "This Sweet Sorrow", "We Are the Future")
A4 ("Abyss", "Father", "Hymn to Life", "Kill the King", "Little Boy I Miss You", "Now I Understand", "Out of the Shadows", "Tears of Ice")
G♯4 ("4th Reich", "Abyss", "Black Night", "Darkness", "False Messiah", "Fright Night", "Future Shock", "Hold on to Your Dream", "Lead Us Into the Light", "Madness Strikes at Midnight", "Magic Carpet Ride", "Nightfall" Demo Version, "Soldiers Prayer", "Twilight Time", "We Are the Future", "Wings of Tomorrow")
Low Notes:
E3 ("Dear God", "Hymn to Life", "Now I Understand", "Tears of Ice")
E♭3 ("4th Reich", "Eyes of the World", "I Believe", "Winter" Demo Version)
D3 ("Dear God", "Hymn to Life")
C♯3 ("Hold on to Your Dream", "We Hold the Key" Demo Version)
C3 ("Now I Understand")
B2 ("Dear God", "The Hands of Time" Acoustic 2020, "Tears of Ice")
B♭2 ("Reign of Terror", "Thin Ice")
A2 ("Dear God", "Now I Understand")
G2 ("Father")
F♯2 ("Father")
F2 ("Thin Ice")
E2 ("Father")
Though most celebrated for his virtuoso guitar skills and for writing some of the most classic power metal songs of the 90s and 2000s, Timo Tolkki is also a tremendously underrated singer. In the first 9 years of his long tenure with Finnish power metal icons Stratovarius, he doubled as guitarist and singer on their first 3 albums and demonstrated a great amount of vocal athleticism, power, and expression during that time. On their debut Fright Night, he stuck mostly to a mid-range belt in the 4th octave that had a bit of dirt on it here and there, fitting perfectly to their more raw, early Iron Maiden and Deep Purple inspired sound at that time. Beginning with Twilight Time, he developed a remarkable high extension in his voice and began wailing out 5th octave notes with ease, something he then turned up to eleven on Dreamspace wherein his range suddenly exploded in both directions. Over the course of only those three albums, he ascended from impressive vocal upstart to being a sort of high range demigod. For one reason or another, this marked the end of his lead vocalist career for a number of years until his solo album Hymn to Life in 2002 which showcased a more reserved side to his voice. He certainly still had his signature tone and expression, but chose to save the money notes for special occasions. It worked out though since his low range was underused in the Stratovarius days, so this more laid-back melodic rock album provided an excellent opportunity to explore that side of his voice more. Since then, he has continued his career mostly as a guitarist and songwriter though his livestreamed acoustic performance of The Hands of Time from 2020 shows that even if his voice is a bit rusty now, that signature tone and power is still in there somewhere. I do not know if he will choose to explore it enough to put it on a new record, but it was a pleasant surprise either way.
Note: In the "Album Ranges" spoiler below I have only listed albums he sang lead vocals on, as it would be quite cluttered to include every album he's played on only to then list the range as N/A.
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*Underlined notes are found in backing vocals or otherwise obscured in the song mix.
*Blue marks soft and/or disconnected sounding falsetto notes.
*Boldface indicates notes that are notable examples of this singer's capabilities.
*Italics mark non-sung notes.
{Questionable Notes}B♭5 ("Night Screamer" [2])
B2 ("Fresh Blue Waters" [1])
G♯2 ("The Tower" [3])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
B2 ("Fresh Blue Waters" [1])
G♯2 ("The Tower" [3])
.......................................................
[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.
{Album Ranges}Stratovarius
Fright Night (1989): G♯3-E♭5
Twilight Time (1992): G♯3-G5
Dreamspace (1994): F2-B♭5
4th Dimension Demo (1994): C♯3-D5
Timo Tolkki
Classical Variations and Themes (1994): G♯3-E♭5
Hymn to Life (2002): E2-E5
Fright Night (1989): G♯3-E♭5
Twilight Time (1992): G♯3-G5
Dreamspace (1994): F2-B♭5
4th Dimension Demo (1994): C♯3-D5
Timo Tolkki
Classical Variations and Themes (1994): G♯3-E♭5
Hymn to Life (2002): E2-E5
