Sonata Arctica thread

[wolfking]

I've always had mixed feelings about this band, but for me, Unia was their peak.

Unia is my fav also, but have never liked the direction they went in after that.

While I don't hate the albums that came after Unia, I thought the album was a watershed moment that was going to propel the band to greater things. Sadly that didn't quite happen.

Fair statement.

[Evermind]

Pre-orders for the album are up on Madsupply. I'll probably get the digipack, the album art is cool but I don't really need another SA shirt, or I'll just grab one when they come to tour here I guess.

Only two years after the release of »Pariah's Child« and a massive world tour, the Finnish Melodic Metal quintet SONATA ARCTICA are already back for more – their ninth masterpiece entitled »The Ninth Hour« will see the light of day on October 7th.

Once again, the album was produced by SONATA ARCTICA themselves and mixed by Pasi Kauppinen, to create a typical yet refreshing sound that defines the spirit of the band in the year 2016.

“The studio work for the new record started seriously in mid-April 2016 in several home studios around Finland," singer Tony Kakko explains. “But the main recording and mixing took place at the Studio57 in Alaveteli, Finland. It functions as a kind of centre point and all work finally ends up there. We aimed to create another melodic, beautiful, surprising SONATA ARCTICA album… Did it turn out that way? I surely think so. But maybe I should leave that for you to decide!”

Tracklist:

01. Closer To An Animal
02. Life
03. Fairytale
04. We Are What We Are
05. Till Death’s Done Us Apart
06. Among The Shooting Stars
07. Rise A Night
08. Fly, Navigate, Communicate
09. Candle Lawns
10. White Pearl, Black Oceans Part II – “By The Grace Of The Ocean”
11. On The Faultline (Closure To An Animal)
Bonus:
12. Run To You

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Pre-orders for the album are up on Madsupply. I'll probably get the digipack, the album art is cool but I don't really need another SA shirt, or I'll just grab one when they come to tour here I guess.

Only two years after the release of »Pariah's Child« and a massive world tour, the Finnish Melodic Metal quintet SONATA ARCTICA are already back for more – their ninth masterpiece entitled »The Ninth Hour« will see the light of day on October 7th.

Once again, the album was produced by SONATA ARCTICA themselves and mixed by Pasi Kauppinen, to create a typical yet refreshing sound that defines the spirit of the band in the year 2016.

“The studio work for the new record started seriously in mid-April 2016 in several home studios around Finland," singer Tony Kakko explains. “But the main recording and mixing took place at the Studio57 in Alaveteli, Finland. It functions as a kind of centre point and all work finally ends up there. We aimed to create another melodic, beautiful, surprising SONATA ARCTICA album… Did it turn out that way? I surely think so. But maybe I should leave that for you to decide!”

Tracklist:

01. Closer To An Animal
02. Life
03. Fairytale
04. We Are What We Are
05. Till Death’s Done Us Apart
06. Among The Shooting Stars
07. Rise A Night
08. Fly, Navigate, Communicate
09. Candle Lawns
10. White Pearl, Black Oceans Part II – “By The Grace Of The Ocean”
11. On The Faultline (Closure To An Animal)
Bonus:
12. Run To You

White Pearl II 

[MirrorMask]

Interesting titles! very curious about the WPBO sequel, the Wildfire one(s) wasn't that bad.

[Luoto]

Closer to an Animal is out on Spotify. It has decent ideas but the execution comes off as a bit half-assed.

[ErHaO]

New song is ok on first listen, but nothing special. It just doesn't sound like a good album opener to me. I do like that the bass groove is clearly audible (some times even almost at the forefront), which is a rare thing in this genre.

I keep coming back to Pariah's Child, I really think that is a good album only marred by its shit production and a few weaker/out of place songs/elements. So I am looking forward to this for sure!

Pre-orders for the album are up on Madsupply. I'll probably get the digipack, the album art is cool but I don't really need another SA shirt, or I'll just grab one when they come to tour here I guess.

Only two years after the release of »Pariah's Child« and a massive world tour, the Finnish Melodic Metal quintet SONATA ARCTICA are already back for more – their ninth masterpiece entitled »The Ninth Hour« will see the light of day on October 7th.

Once again, the album was produced by SONATA ARCTICA themselves and mixed by Pasi Kauppinen, to create a typical yet refreshing sound that defines the spirit of the band in the year 2016.

“The studio work for the new record started seriously in mid-April 2016 in several home studios around Finland," singer Tony Kakko explains. “But the main recording and mixing took place at the Studio57 in Alaveteli, Finland. It functions as a kind of centre point and all work finally ends up there. We aimed to create another melodic, beautiful, surprising SONATA ARCTICA album… Did it turn out that way? I surely think so. But maybe I should leave that for you to decide!”

Tracklist:

01. Closer To An Animal
02. Life
03. Fairytale
04. We Are What We Are
05. Till Death’s Done Us Apart
06. Among The Shooting Stars
07. Rise A Night
08. Fly, Navigate, Communicate
09. Candle Lawns
10. White Pearl, Black Oceans Part II – “By The Grace Of The Ocean”
11. On The Faultline (Closure To An Animal)
Bonus:
12. Run To You

White Pearl II 

I am cautiously hyped for that. The Wildfire sequels were very dissapointing to me(in fact, I liked most of the other songs on SHN better). And their last epic had many awesome pieces, but just didn't come together that well (Larger Than Life).

[Scorpion]

I don't agree with that at all - the two Wildfire sequels are really good in my opinion, and added some very welcome elements of experimentation that I would love to see on a WPBO sequel, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that one.

[Evermind]

Yeah, I liked two Wildfire sequels. The third one is intense is hell.

You didn't come in peace, wore a flower in your hair
Didn't mean to harm anyone of us in here
You need what you take like a candle needs a snowflake

[ariich]

The Wildfire sequels were better than the original IMO.

[Evermind]

Checked out Closer to an Animal and after my first listen, I didn't like it. There are some good parts, but overall it's probably worse than anything on Pariah's Child except Love. Maybe it will grow on me when I get the full album.

[wolfking]

Hmmm.......after one listen of this song, this band continues to disappoint for me.  Probably will be the first album I don't purchase from these guys.

The song kinda reminds me of Unia and parts of Reckoning Night, like Puppet or something, but Tony just sounds bored and weak and the chorus is horrible.

[gazinwales]

Extremely disappointing to say the least.
I didn't buy the last album and I won't be buying this one based on that load of old rubbish.
Sonata are officially done for me.
First four albums are killer, the rest I can live without.

Thankful for Cain's Offering, with Jani keeping the old style of Sonata alive and well and truly kicking.

[Scorpion]

wow i wonder what that song was about

the lyrics were too subtle for me

(Also a pretty boring song. I'll check out the album when it's out, but I'll do that before I buy it. If the rest isn't radically better, I'll skip this one. )

[wolfking]

Extremely disappointing to say the least.
I didn't buy the last album and I won't be buying this one based on that load of old rubbish.
Sonata are officially done for me.
First four albums are killer, the rest I can live without.

Thankful for Cain's Offering, with Jani keeping the old style of Sonata alive and well and truly kicking.

Even though Tony is the sole songwriter, this band turned to complete shit once Jani left for some reason.  Unia is still my fav, but everything else after that is just not great at all IMO. 

[Scorpion]

While I don't agree entirely (I think if I made an album that had the best halves of TDoG and SGHN on it, it might even rival Unia in quality), but the decline has been steep. Oh well, their first five albums were really good, that's more than most power metal bands can say about themselves.

[Evermind]

And I really enjoy TDOG too, more than Silence and WHG, so the real drop in quality for me began with SGHN.

[gazinwales]

I would say that Jani had a lot more input and involvement than he actually got credit for.

[wolfking]

I would say that Jani had a lot more input and involvement than he actually got credit for.

Sure seems that way.

[?]

Closer to an Animal sounds alright... It's got a bit of a Paid in Full vibe, which I like, and I prefer it to the first singles from the last couple of albums, but it lacks catchiness and hence doesn't really sound like a single. Also, they seriously need to get Mikko Karmila back to mix their stuff, because I dislike the plastic drum sound they've had since Pasi started mixing their studio releases.

The Wildfire sequels were the best thing about SGHN, so even if the rest of the album doesn't end up sounding too great, at least I have WPBO2 to look forward to.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Closer to an Animal sounds meh and exactly like everything they've done in the past 5 years. The last truly interesting album they put out was Days of Grays in my opinion (with the exception of bright moments like Larger than Life from Pariah's Child)-

[ariich]

You guys is crazy, their last two have been their best so far IMO.

[wolfking]

You guys is crazy, their last two have been their best so far IMO.

[ariich]

I am. Their last two have been my favourites so far. Definitely more my style.

[wolfking]

I am. Their last two have been my favourites so far. Definitely more my style.

When did you become a fan?

[ariich]

I am. Their last two have been my favourites so far. Definitely more my style.

When did you become a fan?

Silence era - discovered them with the Songs of Silence live album.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I am. Their last two have been my favourites so far. Definitely more my style.

It's weird because one of the things I liked the most about Sonata Arctica in the Unia period is that they already had explored the power metal territory with a lot of class, and I really liked Unia because it felt like it was time of trying something different; but then they kinda slipped and began losing direction and focus. I do think there are some amazing moments throughout their last two albums, but there is some stuff that feels pretty filler and weird to me. Even when they try to revisit their old power metal sound it doesn't come close to the greatness that is Ecliptica/Silence, I think; and maybe that's why I liked Larger than Life so much. That song feels like something they're never gonna do again and that kinda makes it special in my book.

[ariich]

For me they've always had a bit of filler on their albums, but that doesn't bother me too much. And I always found Ecliptica a little meh. Good, but not very exciting. Silence and Winterheart's Guild were very strong power metal albums, but then they lost me a little. Reckoning Night just didn't excite me, and then I appreciated the way they were trying something different but it didn't always work for me. It's only been with the last two that they've really found a balance that suits my tastes - a great blend of quirky and melodic, fun and serious.

[wolfking]

I am. Their last two have been my favourites so far. Definitely more my style.

When did you become a fan?

Silence era - discovered them with the Songs of Silence live album.

Wow.  fair enough then.

[?]

I got into Sonata through Unia, but I find the latest two albums their weakest. Anyway, it's a cool thing that not everyone has the exact same opinions on everything.

Btw, there's a longer version of the album press release with some extra details: https://www.nuclearblast.de/en/label/music/band/discography/details/4387761.71005.the-ninth-hour.html Apparently the Caleb saga continues with another song as well.

„The album itself is not particularly gloomy, I think. Our music has mostly been happy sing-a-long stuff, but the lyrics never really fit that mould. If you are familiar with my lyrics in the past, I'd say we swim in similar oceans. I deal with my worries about the state of this planet, human greed, love, relationships, tragedy, death, but also war and politics in semi-tongue in cheek fashion (I feel the US elections are an endless chest of unbelievable wonders…). Our ‘murder-ballad-saga’ continues AND an old, epic lighthouse related tragedy now has a second part…”

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

I don't know how I feel about them making sequels to old songs lol. The whole The End of This Chapter saga was awesome, but I think it already said what it wanted to say (I dunno, I could be proven wrong of rcourse), but making a White Pearl, Black Oceans sequel?

[MirrorMask]

I think it's safe to assume that "'Til Death's Done Us Apart" is the continuation of the Caleb saga.

I've lost the plot of that saga btw, Don't Say a Word is the obvious sequel - "Unlike the last time here (The End of this Chapter) I now have the means and a will sincere", and at the end he kills her: "I promise you the end before the first light arrives".

Caleb was a prequel, the backstory and Juliet, which is btw among the very best songs of SA and probably, along with Deathaura, the best at all for me after Unia, is... well, the girl waking up at the last moment and saving herself by tricking Caleb into poisoninh himself? so if Caleb died what's the point of a sequel?

Looking forward to it anyway! hope Closer to an Animal won't be a red flag of the blandess of the record.

[?]

I got my digital promo of the album yesterday and have listened to it only twice, but I'd already say it beats Stones and Pariah pretty easily. Rise a Night is the only blatantly power metal song, but there are more solos than on any album since Reckoning Night, and the ballads are their best in ages. There's no comic relief song like X Marks the Spot, Cinderblox or Zeroes, and Tony's doing less of his harsh screams.

I know every time they put out a new album they say it's the missing link between RN and the new sound, but this is probably the closest they've come to actually doing that. I still need more time to let the album sink in before I (co)write a review, but my first impression is fairly positive overall.

[MirrorMask]

Good to know! It doesn't take that much to beath Pariah but the overal direction sounds quite good.

[ErHaO]

Teaser of the song Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHliwUXsHpM

The full version is/was on yt as well (unofficial channel), so I gave it a listen. Closer to an Animal grew on me and I think it is a decent track, but this song is much better, I really like it! This song definitely gives me the vibe member ? describes about it being inbetween classic and modern Sonata.

[wolfking]

I got my digital promo of the album yesterday and have listened to it only twice, but I'd already say it beats Stones and Pariah pretty easily. Rise a Night is the only blatantly power metal song, but there are more solos than on any album since Reckoning Night, and the ballads are their best in ages. There's no comic relief song like X Marks the Spot, Cinderblox or Zeroes, and Tony's doing less of his harsh screams.

I know every time they put out a new album they say it's the missing link between RN and the new sound, but this is probably the closest they've come to actually doing that. I still need more time to let the album sink in before I (co)write a review, but my first impression is fairly positive overall.

At least it seems like a step in the right direction.  Might have to give it a chance then.