Anyway took Tolkki the opportunity and focused on his new projects: the rock opera "Saana" and now his new band "Revolution Renaissance". This present album, "New Era", but actually consists of songs that had been written for the next Stratovarius album - and that's what you can hear them also. Thus one gets accustomed fare of Guitar Tolkki purposed, hyper-joyful singing Lines into best "element" style, spiced up by strong performances of three guest singers, namely Pasi Rantanen (ex Thunderstone), Tobias Sammet of Edguy / Avantasia and ex-Pumpkin Michael Kiske.
Unfortunately, unfortunately, save those three men but the ailing songmaterial of Tolkki only very very slightly above the absolute ordinariness - to uninspired, the guitar parts, too ordinary and without any highlights the song structures. To release the songs are often, usually end in a fadeout (what metal songs indeed is absolutely atypical), and provide bottom line really just always been many times been heard; be it from other bands like Rainbow at "Angel" that at the track "Catch The Rainbow" recalls, or even to Tolkki-own material as "Soul of a Vagabond", a comparison with what inevitably while listening to the title track "Revolution Renaissance "imposes. Sorry, dear Mr. Tolkki, but that's not enough.
Fans of Stratovarius, which could start with the (for me quite inedible) "Elements" albums are something, probably "New Era" digest - the Metal-cracker, you would now actually times expected again from Mr. Tolkki is Unfortunately this time did not become. A few great ideas more, a bit more creative, a little "more" at all did Tolkkis current songmaterial really good; it must be hoped that he will return again in the future to (very) old qualities. The "Revolution Renaissance" -Erstling is unfortunately only average; as there was this year already far stronger publications.
