Sonata Arctica thread

[MoraWintersoul]

Also, if you're having problems with drums, here's an idea what to do onstage while they're being fixed instead of throwing cymbals around and rapping

[?]

A great interview with Tony

Nice to hear that they consider bringing My Land back into the setlist, I haven't heard them play that one live - of course it used to be a staple, but I became a fan after they dropped it.

[Fisi]

A great interview with Tony

Nice to hear that they consider bringing My Land back into the setlist, I haven't heard them play that one live - of course it used to be a staple, but I became a fan after they dropped it.

Am I the only one who doesn't get the point with Tony's solo album? I mean, the guy composes all the music for Sonata Arctica, he is the frontman of the band and his vocals are definitely a big part of their music. He really doesn't need a solo record just to express his creativity. I'd suppose he would want to do the solo record to make some stuff that's completely different to the Sonata Arctica style but then again he said some of his solo tracks have become Sonata Arctica tracks, so that isn't the case either. Well, if he was going to make a real solo album on which he would be the only musician playing, that would be really interesting. I highly doubt that though... He is a nice guy and everything, but to me it seems like he's doing a solo album only to get some money and fame. Well, I have nothing against that, it just seems a bit weird.

[?]

Tony's comments on the solo album's style have been slightly contradictory - in one interview he said he'll stay in the rock/metal area, but in another one he said he'll explore some styles that wouldn't be possible within Sonata and he has lots of mellow stuff written. My guess is that it'll be something between those two: some rock/metal songs that don't fit SA and something completely different. Somewhere Close to You was originally meant to be on the solo record, but the other guys liked it so much that it was recorded for SGHN. In the Finnish magazine Soundi Tony mentioned that he'll probably only sing and play the keyboards, the rest of the instruments will be played by some hired musicians, because he isn't a great guitarist and can't play drums.

Initially I was surprised to hear about his plans for a solo album, as he writes basically all the music for Sonata, but I realized that he has such a diverse taste in music (he even likes reggae!) that maybe not all his ideas would be suitable for SA. It reminds me of the Steven Wilson situation: despite being the chief songwriter for Porcupine Tree, he has lots of ideas that the whole band wouldn't stand behind, so that's why he makes solo albums.

[MoraWintersoul]

I've been hearing of him planning a solo album for years now already. What bothers me about that is that there really is no need to keep a separate Sonata folder and TK folder in his head since, whatever he comes up with, the whole band has stood behind it. They've engaged in crazy genre jumping for, like, ten years now and the whole band stood behind every drastically different album. Just look at the jump from Reckoning Night to Unia! And even if it weren't for that, the fact the songs written for his solo stuff keep appearing on Sonata albums shows how much the band likes everything he writes.

[?]

Who knows, maybe the other guys have certain limitations to their taste? Maybe they're not ready to execute all Tony's ideas - I mean, we don't know what kind of material he has come up with. Besides, even some of the songs that ended up being SA pieces were changed: Tony said Somewhere Close to You was "softened" a little to fit the Sonata mould.

[MoraWintersoul]

Who knows, maybe the other guys have certain limitations to their taste? Maybe they're not ready to execute all Tony's ideas - I mean, we don't know what kind of material he has come up with. Besides, even some of the songs that ended up being SA pieces were changed: Tony said Somewhere Close to You was "softened" a little to fit the Sonata mould.

Yeah, you're right, we shouldn't judge until we see what's up with that. Either way I'll be really happy to hear whatever he comes up with!

[Fisi]

I've been hearing of him planning a solo album for years now already. What bothers me about that is that there really is no need to keep a separate Sonata folder and TK folder in his head since, whatever he comes up with, the whole band has stood behind it. They've engaged in crazy genre jumping for, like, ten years now and the whole band stood behind every drastically different album. Just look at the jump from Reckoning Night to Unia! And even if it weren't for that, the fact the songs written for his solo stuff keep appearing on Sonata albums shows how much the band likes everything he writes.

This is exactly what I was thinking about. But yeah, I hope that his solo album would consist of as many different styles as possible, I certainly don't want it to basically be a Sonata Arctica album with different musicians. But yeah, time will show what will become of it. And if the heaviest Sonata Arctica song ever (imo) was really born as a song for Tony's album and then 'softened' to fit the SA style, this solo album could really be something worth looking forward to. 

[?]

This video made my day

[MoraWintersoul]

This video made my day

I saw it like 10 minutes ago and was thinking of posting.
I wish Tony would knock it off with the cowboy thing already, but whatever floats his boat

[wasteland]

Well, aside from the... ahem... questionable music, the idea was carried out quite creatively 

Also, he kinda looks like a football player we have here 

[gazinwales]

For me the last 3 SA albums have been almost like Tony K solo albums. His multi layered vocals now dominate the sound.

[?]

Also, he kinda looks like a football player we have here 

Hmm... They look similar indeed!

BTW, this blues tune reminded me of the video game song he's been playing in the acoustic set lately: Increased Chances

And while I'm at it, here's the acoustic version of Tallulah from the gig I went to - you can even spot me in the audience at one point

[?]

A blast from the past - a full gig from Portugal (2000)

The quality isn't too great, but the historical value is high. Also, Tony actually sings that superhigh part in Destruction Preventer! (without the "EEEEEEEEEND!" but it's still impressive)

For me the last 3 SA albums have been almost like Tony K solo albums. His multi layered vocals now dominate the sound.

SA have always been pretty vocal-oriented IMO, and I'd say Reckoning Night already had a huge amount of vocal layers (see: chorus of Don't Say a Word) so it was not an overnight transition.

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

OMG that is the first time I hear Destruction Preventer live 

[?]

OMG that is the first time I hear Destruction Preventer live 

Second one for me, as I've already seen this video from their first gig under the Sonata Arctica name.

[?]

Wow, Reckoning Night has truly grown on me! It's funny how it used to be my least favorite album... Right now I'd rank the SA discography like this:

1. Unia
2. Reckoning Night
3. Silence
4. The Days of Grays
5. Ecliptica
6. Winterheart's Guild
7. Stones Grow Her Name

Yeah, the new album's appeal didn't last that long. It's not bad by any means, but some songs just drag it down. Don't Be Mean simply screams "filler!", I don't like how half the length of I Have a Right is just the chorus getting repeated over and over again and Losing My Insanity never felt fresh because I had known the song for 5 years. Only the Broken Hearts is good, but gets a tad repetitive towards the end and the "thank you for all the pain" section gives me the impression that Tony was running out of lyrical ideas. Shitload of Money was awesome live, but the studio version doesn't manage to capture that energy, which is why I listen to it rarely. The rest of the album is really good though.

[MoraWintersoul]

Yeah, now we're in the same place with it.

[wolfking]

1. Unia
2. Silence
3. Ecliptica
4. Reckoning Night
5. Winterheat's Guild


6. Stones Grow Her Name


7. The Days of Gays

[?]

Yeah, now we're in the same place with it.

Once again we can agree!

My taste seems to be pretty studio-oriented - their most "live"-sounding album is my least favorite, while a lot of Unia and TDOG songs are too complex to be played live and they lost (most of) the backing tracks for RN before the Unia tour. WHY CAN NONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES GET PLAYED LIVE?

[Trial of Thought]

1. The Days of Grays
2. Unia
3. Silence
4. Ecliptica
5. Reckoning Night
6. Winterheart's Guild


7. Stones Grow Her Name

[Orthogonal]

1. Unia
2. Reckoning Night
3. Silence
4. The Days of Grays
5. Ecliptica
6. Winterheart's Guild
7. Stones Grow Her Name

That's about how I'd rank them too. Stones Grow Her Name is crap. I am almost embarrassed for them. It's so bad, I've nearly given up on them, but I will give them one more chance. Hopefully it was just a bump on the road and not a new direction.

[?]

I don't think SGHN is crap - it's a good album, but Sonata should be able to make an album better than just 'good'. Tony has said that the whole band is so happy with the new direction that they'll probably continue with the same style on the next record. I'm ok with them keeping a more straightforward sound, but I hope there will be less repetitive songs next time.

[wolfking]

SA have really struggled since Jani IMO.  Elias just does not do anything for this band IMO, I'm not a fan of him at all.

[MoraWintersoul]

I think Elias is a phenomenal guitarist (and a great personality as well), it's just that Sonata themselves have moved away from the speedy duelling solos-scene and people couldn't care less to check out his solo stuff or Elias' live takes on Jani's solos to see what he can do when he really goes for it.

Make no mistakes, my two favorite albums (Unia and RN) were released with Jani in the band, and I love him dearly and I followed his post-Sonata career with maximum attention, down to the Sydanpuu/Dream Asylum/whichever else demos he did shortly before leaving and vids of his acoustic gigs with Timo and what not, it's just that I prefer Elias and I think he fits the band perfectly. The Days Of Grays is a cool album, and both Elias and Henkka have great performances on SGHN, my main problem with SGHN (and I never thought I'd say this about SA) is Tony's repetitive, and I dare say lazy songwriting.

[wolfking]

I am fully aware of Elias and his ability his solo work is damn good.  I don't know I guess it's not his fault, it's Tony's style shifting, but I don't think he adds that something that Jani did, just my opinion.

[MoraWintersoul]

Yeah, I get what you mean and why you mean it. Jani has a great tone, lots of fire, an amazing feel for pop melodies (to quote a fellow fan, he had Timo Kotipelto sing "temptress in lace and leather, you make me lose control" over an essentially dance metal tune, the dude is camp as fuck in the best possible way) and I just love the way he fit into old Sonata, my preference is based on the fact Elias fits, by his playing style and writing style, into both old and new Sonata, and Jani is not as diverse.

What is rarely discussed is how Sonata lost an awesome backing vocalist with Jani. And he's a great lead vocalist too:
https://www.mikseri.net/artists/sydanpuu/kahleet/123743/
https://www.mikseri.net/artists/sydanpuu/hautaa-minut-tanaan/123748/
(don't worry mods, official links, uploaded by the man himself)

What I also thought I'd never say is that perhaps we need someone as stubborn as Jani in the band to steer Tony from the course when he attempts something not Sonatastic. I thought Henkka could be that person, I mean, he is a huge proghead/metalhead and he's the first to encourage Tony to truly let all his weirdness and multi-layered melodies and twists and turns into Sonata music. But he apparently has no problems with the "keep it simple, don't add any more sections, when in doubt just repeat the chorus another 15 times"-approach.

[?]

Elias isn't any worse than Jani as a player - the only complaint I could give about him is his tone on TDOG and SGHN. But then again, it's hard to beat the excellent guitar sound of Unia

I don't know I guess it's not his fault, it's Tony's style shifting, but I don't think he adds that something that Jani did, just my opinion.

As Milena said, there's not that much room for soloing in the modern SA style, so the lack of leads may make his playing look a little boring, but that's Tony's "fault" because he writes the songs. Even if Jani did come back (which won't happen - he's moved on), I don't think it would make much of a difference, because Tony's writing has changed.

Oh, and no offense to Jani, but I find Sydänpuu lyrics a little cheesy!

[MoraWintersoul]

Oh, and no offense to Jani, but I find Sydänpuu lyrics a little cheesy!

Aren't they supposed to be cheesy?

In line with "you can't beat Unia's guitar tone", can we talk about how Unia was the first and last SA album with actually audible and prominent bass lines?

[wolfking]

Unia is simply a piece of magic that Tony will never recreate.  It is head and shoulders above every other SA album.  To be honest, he shouldn't even bother trying, he's created a timeless masterpiece.  Pity it's so underrated and frowned upon by the douche bags.

[MoraWintersoul]

Unia is simply a piece of magic that Tony will never recreate.  It is head and shoulders above every other SA album.  To be honest, he shouldn't even bother trying, he's created a timeless masterpiece.  Pity it's so underrated and frowned upon by the douche bags.

The album is completely phenomenal, layered, interesting, FULL of hooks, awesome lyrics and an almost post-apocalyptic feel to some of the songs and lyrics, some choking sadness that hasn't been repeated since. Even the bonus songs are better than a lot of their regular album songs.

[?]

Oh, and no offense to Jani, but I find Sydänpuu lyrics a little cheesy!

Aren't they supposed to be cheesy?

Maybe they are

In line with "you can't beat Unia's guitar tone", can we talk about how Unia was the first and last SA album with actually audible and prominent bass lines?

Yes, it's nice to actually be able to hear Marko - too bad that probably won't happen again

Unia is simply a piece of magic that Tony will never recreate.  It is head and shoulders above every other SA album.  To be honest, he shouldn't even bother trying, he's created a timeless masterpiece.  Pity it's so underrated and frowned upon by the douche bags.

The album is completely phenomenal, layered, interesting, FULL of hooks, awesome lyrics and an almost post-apocalyptic feel to some of the songs and lyrics, some choking sadness that hasn't been repeated since. Even the bonus songs are better than a lot of their regular album songs.

Yeah, all the pieces were in their right places when they were making Unia, even though Henkka considers that recording session a dark time because of the situation with Jani. This actually makes me think about Awake - sometimes a little bit of tension in the studio can actually be a good thing and result in something amazing. Speaking of Jani's exit; I'm not the biggest fan of military service and I'm glad I've been relieved from it, but he should've done it when Sonata weren't too popular yet - Tommy went into the army before the recording of Silence, why couldn't he have too? If you have some responsibilities, you should fulfill them in time.

[wolfking]

Yeah, people are different, Jani seemed like a bit of an opinionated person IMO so I think he just thought he didn't need to do it.  Even though I miss him, the band did the right thing regarding him.

[MoraWintersoul]

Speaking of Jani, apparently he's doing Sydanpuu again?

https://janihatesyouall.blogspot.com/2013/03/still-alive-not-feeling-fine.html

Also he talked about how he recently met up with Henkka and Marko, and how he must get the new DT DVD, and all sorts of stuff, recently. I really dig reading his blog... when we take his "I fucking hate all people and I like getting drunk" statements aside, he's a cool guy.

[?]

Yeah, people are different, Jani seemed like a bit of an opinionated person IMO so I think he just thought he didn't need to do it.  Even though I miss him, the band did the right thing regarding him.

He would've had to face the situation sooner or later, so I think it was pointless for him to delay it again and again. The guys made the right decision indeed.

I really dig reading his blog... when we take his "I fucking hate all people and I like getting drunk" statements aside, he's a cool guy.

Agreed, I read his blog occasionally and all those posts about drinking are pretty pathetic, but it's nice to read when he talks about music, like stuff that he's been listening to. I didn't know he liked Adam Lambert! I've heard the Anssi Kela song he linked (well, it's hard to avoid hits) and it's freaking catchy indeed, although I'm not a fan