TIMO TOLKKI's New Song Gets STRATOVARIUS Keyboardist's Stamp Of Approval

STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson has commented on the newly released song from REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE, the new band led by former STRATOVARIUS mastermind Timo Tolkki.

The title track of REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE's forthcoming album, "Age Of Aquarius", is available for free download at this location (MP3, 9.3 MB).

Commented Jens: "I am (thank God) not a professional music critic, but I sort of like it! It's not blatantly melodic or commercial, the melodies are little more complex than [Timo] normally makes them. Good lyrics. Guitar solo kicks ass. Will be really interesting to hear the rest of the album too.

"I think it's really good that it doesn't quite sound like STRATOVARIUS, since Timo Tolkki has stated many times he didn't want to be part of STRATOVARIUS any more."

Recorded over three months in Finland, "Age Of Aquarius" is scheduled for release on March 23 via Scarlet Records. It is described in a press release as "by far the darkest, heaviest and most symphonic album that Tolkki has ever been involved in."

Finding a close connection with his new bandmembers Gus Monsanto and Bruno Agra, the trio locked itself in a cabin in Finland for a month and composed 10 new songs. It is the first time during Tolkki's career that he shared the whole songwriting process with other bandmembers.

"I just felt this incredibly fresh vibe with these guys and the songs were just flowing," he said. "It was so natural process that it almost felt like the songs were already composed and we just let them be born. It was possible because in Gus and Bruno I finally have found the kindred spirits I have been looking for so long. The results were something that none of us were expecting and yet at the same time, we felt that this record is exactly the way it is supposed to be."

"Age Of Aquarius" will be released on March 25 in Southeast Asia via JVC. The band also filmed a promotional video in Helsinki for the album's title track.

"Age Of Aquarius" track listing:

01. The Age of Aquarius
02. So She Wears Black
03. Ixion's Wheel
04. Kyrie Eleison
05. Revolution Has Begun
06. Sins of My Beloved
07. Behind the Mask
08. Ghost of Fallen Grace
09. Children of the Future
10. The Heart of All

Tours are currently been booked to promote "Age Of Aquarius" worldwide beginning in South America in early April. Scarlet Records also released Timo Tolkki's third solo album, the ethereal classical rock opera "Saana - Warrior of Light Part 1: Journey to Crystal Island", worldwide on January 23.

REVOLUTION RENAISSANCE recently launched its official web site at this location. Included on the site are individual video interviews with the RR bandmembers — keyboardist Mike Khalilov, drummer Bruno Agra (ex-AQUARIA), singer Gus Monsanto (ex-ADAGIO) and bassist Justin Biggs (DESCEND).

"Age Of Aquarius" front/back cover: