STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki has posted the following message on his official MySpace page:

"After writing those Mother Theresa's words, I have had to think about them carefully.

"Very strange developments have happened to me lately. A string of people that I considered to be my friends started to act in ways that I did not understand. They made unreasonable demands on me, did not keep their promises, repeatedly ignored their promises, changed their views 360 degrees, but expected me to understand them immediately and could not see things from my point of view.

"No matter how hard I tried to explain that there is no way I can change things so quickly, it did not matter. Then I realized what I knew before, many people are very self-centered and they cannot step into other person's shoes. This inability is sometimes called narcisissim. I used to have it too and I worked very hard to achieve that I would never hurt anyone because of my actions. Or that I at least would try to see it from the other perspective. It taught me a lesson, that although Mother Theresa's words are truly important, we have to sometimes make painful decisions that are not always so saintly.

"I have put my own well being as a priority and if that is in danger of being corrupted, then I remove these 'friends' from my life. Carry on, disappointed, but carry of anyway.

"It is not easy to tell people that I have to terminate our friendship, but it is important one, because as Dio has written: 'The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes then steal your dreams it's Heaven and Hell.'

"True friendship keeps its promises and does not try to take advantage of you. It is hard to find."

STRATOVARIUS debuted a brand new song, entitled "Last Night on Earth", during their appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival on Saturday, August 4 on the "True Metal Stage". Watch professionally filmed video footage of the performance below.

STRATOVARIUS recently entered Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki, Finland to begin recording its new album (the title of which consists of two separate words that both start with "R"). An early 2008 release is expected.

STRATOVARIUS' last, self-titled effort was released in the U.S. in September 2005 via Sanctuary.

"Last Night on Earth":