- published: 26 Mar 2015
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Timo is a village in Veriora Parish, Põlva County in southeastern Estonia.
Coordinates: 57°58′N 27°09′E / 57.967°N 27.15°E / 57.967; 27.15
Timo Antero Kotipelto (born March 15, 1969 in Lappajärvi, Finland) is the vocalist of the Finnish power metal band Stratovarius and is the creator and vocalist of the power metal band Kotipelto. Kotipelto is currently the longest standing member of Stratovarius, after the departure of Timo Tolkki.
He studied vocals at the pop/jazz conservatory in Helsinki, briefly singing for an amateur cover band named Filthy Asses. In summer of 1994, he applied to Stratovarius, who were looking for a singer at the time, and was accepted. His arrival corresponds closely with the band's rise to international fame. The first album he recorded with the band was Fourth Dimension, in 1995. Stratovarius has then become a top name in the European heavy metal scene, recording seven more albums and performing in numerous notable rock festivals.
In late 2003, Kotipelto split from Stratovarius after intra-band disagreements, notably with guitarist Timo Tolkki. After much turmoil throughout 2004, he rejoined the band in January 2005, recorded the album Stratovarius, and performed live on tour that covered North America, South America, Europe and Asia. In 2008 Timo Tolkki made public that he and Timo Kotipelto had arguments but Koltipelto never really left the band and the announcement that he left was part of a big publicity stunt.
Michael Kiske (born January 24, 1968 in Hamburg, Germany) is a singer best known as the lead vocalist for the German power metal band Helloween, from 1986 to 1993. From 1996 up to 2009, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, while he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist. In late 2009, he formed the rock band Unisonic and began touring again after 17 years.
Prior to joining Helloween, Kiske sang with the German band Ill Prophecy at the age of 17. The band recorded a demo, but it was never released commercially.
At the age of eighteen, Kiske was asked to join the German power metal band Helloween, which was fronted by singer/guitarist Kai Hansen. Hansen had some difficulties being both the lead guitarist and lead vocalist, and it was decided that a new vocalist would be needed. Kiske rejected Helloween's first offer, due to his dislike of the sound of the band's Walls Of Jericho album, but accepted the second and joined Helloween in late 1986. Michael's first album with the band was 1987's Keeper of the Seven Keys Part 1, widely considered to be one of Helloween's best albums and a milestone in the creation of the power metal genre. The band went on to release Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II in 1988, whose worldwide success enabled them to embark on a world tour and perform at famous festivals such as Monsters Of Rock. The Keeper of the Seven Keys albums proved to be highly influential and aided in the formation of a new wave of European power metal bands, such as Blind Guardian,Stratovarius,HammerFall and Edguy.