Editing Stratovarius (section)

===Hiatus, ''Stratovarius'' and Tolkki's departure (2004–2008)===
During this period, tensions were increasing in the band, and in 2004 Stratovarius temporarily disbanded after Timo Tolkki suffered a nervous breakdown.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} A couple of months after the breakdown, Tolkki was diagnosed with [[bipolar disorder]] and went into rehabilitation for a period. During this time, Timo Kotipelto released his second album with his side project [[Kotipelto]] titled ''[[Coldness (album)|Coldness]]''. It was also during this time that Stratovarius orchestrated a series of publicity stunts, including Kotipelto being fired and replaced by a female singer named "Miss K" (Katriina Wiiala), as well as Tolkki being stabbed at a concert.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} Eventually, the stunts were revealed to be a hoax, and Tolkki reunited the band to begin work on their next album.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} In 2005, the self-titled album ''[[Stratovarius (album)|Stratovarius]]'' was released to hostile reception by fans.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} ''Stratovarius'' featured a very different style compared to previous efforts, containing almost no symphonic or neo-classical elements in the music or soloing of Tolkki and Johansson that fans were used to, and did not feature any lengthy epics. Tolkki was also highly critical of the album, and ''Stratovarius'' was proof of the relationship between band members at an all-time low.{{citation needed|date=February 2025}} Seemingly against Tolkki's wishes, Jari Kainulainen was fired in 2005 following the release of the album for reasons Tolkki said were "so absurd that I am not even [going to] try and explain them here". Kainulainen was quickly replaced with Lauri Porra, and in 2006 the band began work on a new album that was tentatively titled R...R.... However, as internal issues increased, the project stalled. Eventually, the band reached a divide, with Johansson and Porra supporting Tolkki on one side, and Kotipelto and Michael on the other. Finally, on 4 March 2008, Tolkki officially declared that he was disbanding Stratovarius:

:"It is time to stop the silence and announce what some of you have already been speculating. Stratovarius is no more..."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/timo-tolkki-stratovarius-is-no-more/|title=Timo Tolkki: 'Stratovarius Is No More'|date=2 April 2008|website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=24 June 2015}}</ref>

As Tolkki held the rights to the name Stratovarius and all its royalties, it was his initial intention to completely disband Stratovarius. However, on 20 May 2008 he agreed to sign over the rights to the name Stratovarius and all its royalties to Timo Kotipelto, Jens Johansson and Jörg Michael (though Michael was initially against using the name Stratovarius<ref name="jensint">{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/stratovarius-new-video-interview-with-jens-johansson/|title=Stratovarius: New Video Interview With Jens Johansson|date=7 February 2013|website=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|access-date=9 February 2013}}</ref>), allowing Stratovarius to continue on without him. Tolkki later took the songs he wrote for the R...R... sessions and formed the band [[Revolution Renaissance]], using the R...R... to form the name of the band, instead of the album. Stratovarius eventually found a replacement guitarist with [[Matias Kupiainen]], and soon after began work on their next album.