While in New York City on vacation STRATOVARIUS singer TIMO KOTIPELTO found time to do some press for his latest solo release Serenity as well as talking about the next Stratovarius disc and picking what tracks he feels should included in the setlist when Stratovarius record for a live concert DVD.

Metalasylum: Tell us about the new album Serenity and what direction you took the music in?

Kotipelto: With the new one I think it is more rock and straight ahead metal than the first two, especially the first one. Not so much in that Euro power metal sound and style. I think it is more of a band effort too this time and not so much of just me and a bunch of guest players on it. I hear some RAINBOW and WHITESNAKE, a little IRON MAIDEN and Stratovarius too. This record is more positive than Coldness also. I was in a better place when I wrote and recorded this one.

Metalasylum: Why the title Serenity and tell us about the artwork?

Kotipelto: Well there has to be a title for the album, laughs, but the title reflects where a person maybe feels on the inside as opposed to the world on the outside. At the time when I was doing the writing for the last album Coldness I was going through professional problems with Stratovarius and also some in my personal life. Serenity is an appropriate title for where I am now, at least Stratovarius is in a better place. So the cover with the girl is representative of being in a much more relaxed place and she appears at peace with herself.

Metalasylum: What’s going on with Stratovarius?

Kotipelto: Timo Tolkki has been working on songs and has written several so far. We really don’t have a time line for this one but I think we are shooting for it coming out in early 2008. The new stuff reminds me a lot of Visions and Infinite. Its sounding really good. The new stuff is not as bombastic as the Elements records. Also I really wasn’t too happy with the last album but then again at the time it was a miracle it even came out. Timo Tolkki just wasn’t feeling quite right yet. We are still on Sanctuary Records and they are supposed to be putting out the new Stratovarius but who knows what’s going on with that things change every day.

Metalasylum: Any plans for Stratovarius to release a full length concert on DVD?

Kotipelto: Well that’s another story. We did record a couple shows. We were supposed to release this one show we taped in Milano but the director fucked it up and we had to sue him later and we won, spent a lot of money and we have it now but its not releaseable unfortunately. Then there is one from Brazil just before we toured in the U.S. the first time in 05’ and that one also had its problems. So it looks like we will try it again when the new record comes out.

Metalasylum: If you had to pick ten songs that you think should be on a DVD what would they be?

Kotipelto: O man…ok…well of course 'Black Diamond', 'Forever', 'Kiss Of Judas', 'Hunting High And Low', I would say 'Paradise' but Tolkki wouldn’t, 'Destiny' or 'Visions' probably 'Destiny', 'Forever Free', 'Eagleheart', 'Distant Skies' or 'Against The Wind'.

You can read the rest of the interview here.