STRATOVARIUS frontman Timo Kotipelto has posted the following message on his official web site:

"I am sorry that I haven't been updating the page lately. I've been busy/lazy...

"We [the band KOTIPELTO] will do only one gig this summer and that will be Sauna Open Air in Tampere, Finland June 10th.

"The European tour went well! We had lots of fun on/off the stage. I do hope to do the next tour in a couple of years.

"I will start composing some new material with Lauri [Porra; TUNNELVISION; bass] and Tuomas [Wäinölä; HEARTPLAY, NYLON BEAT; guitar) in the next few weeks. We shall see what will come out of those sessions."

KOTIPELTO's sophomore solo album, "Coldness", was released in Europe in April 2004 through Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Waiting for the Dawn" was recorded by CHILDREN OF BODOM keyboardist Janne Wirman at his Beyond Abilities Studios as well as by Tero Kostermaa at High and Loud's ELK Studios and Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, where the mixing (Mikko Karmila) and the mastering (Mika Jussila) also took place. Matthias Norén, who has previously worked with bands like INTO ETERNITY, LOST HORIZON and EVERGREY, designed the album's artwork.