Justin Biggs

Justin Biggs — bassist — was part of Revolution Renaissance, Timo Tolkki's project active between 2008 and 2010. The group's line-up was international: besides the Finn Tolkki, it gathered musicians of diverse origins, including two Brazilians — singer Gus Monsanto and drummer Bruno Agra. It is a configuration that became common in 21st-century European metal, where bands are assembled out of networks of musicians rather than local scenes. Revolution Renaissance was born of Tolkki's departure from Stratovarius, the band he had led as principal composer through its most important phase. The project's three records — New Era, Age of Aquarius and Trinity — follow the line of melodic power metal with orchestration that was his mark. The bass in this repertoire holds the low end beneath layers of keyboard, guitars and vocals, in an arrangement where sonic density is high and space in the mid register is contested. It is a function of precision and discipline rather than prominence.