Just got back from SA show in Moscow, which was in support of The Ninth Hour album (which, I think, is a bit too late, given that the album was out in 2016). Unless they blow it out of the park with their next album, this was probably the last SA live show for me.
I mean, the band is still very good, Tony seems quite energetic, the performance is tight. But the setlist is just, man... I posted it on setlist.fm:
https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/sonata-arctica/2018/red-moscow-russia-73e83a1d.htmlSo you're promoting your new album, The Ninth Hour. How come you have 4 (four) SGHN songs and only 3 (three) songs from the new album in the setlist? I mean I would've understood this if SGHN was such a great album which all fans adore. And even then, I know, I Have a Right is pretty much a setlist staple right now and I have no issue with this, but the other three tracks are pretty much my least favourites from SGHN. Play Wildfire sequels. Play The Day. Play a fucking Tonight I Dance Alone bonus track, it's better than half of the album.
Now, you have some great new songs on your new record and you are literally promoting it with this tour. Why the hell you only play a lead single, the second single and a ballad? Where's Till Death Done Us Apart? I mean, screw that, okay, that song may be too difficult, but how about We Are What We Are? Among the Shooting Stars? This isn't The Ninth Hour tour, this is "we play whatever we want from the last three albums, man" tour.
I have no idea why there are more SGHN songs than Pariah's Child songs, too, but at least they played Blood which is one of my favourite songs from them. Although the crowd was pretty much standing still during that, apparently no one knows that one.
One song from Ecliptica (alright, I get it, this is their first album and they aren't doing this stuff anymore). One song from Unia. One song from Winterheart's Guild. One song from The Days of Grays. No songs at all from Reckoning Night. Four songs from Stones Grow Her Name, including the fucking cover, Shitload of Money and Cinderblox.
I'm seriously done with this band, at least live performance-wise.