I must be the only fool on here to think Unia is amazing and TDOG is an absolute shitter apart from "The Last amazing Grays" and "Flag in the Ground" (which ironically probably fit better on Unia than the latest album.

REALLY dont get what they were doing with this album...Zeroes is probably the worst song ive heard in metal for a very very long time, the entire album gives me a mental picture of an un-cool older guy buying himself some trendy clothes to be cool, instead he's making a total fart of himself. Thats what TDOG is to me - trying all kinds of random shit for the sake of being fresh....in the end its simply a stinker.

I have come to the conclusion that "Unia" is a great album.

Written by Baz Anderson on 29.01.2010 at 19:48

I have come to the conclusion that "Unia" is a great album.

Fantastic lol For once Baz, in probably 5 years we actually agree on something *hi 5

Jumping on the conversational bandwagon, I thought Unia was very enjoyable too.

Well as Ive mentioned I felt they somehow lost the plot on the last album - to me Unia was their most impressive, mature and diverse YET listenable album yet. I just feel they went a bit weird on the latest one....Im all for new directions in music but the album feels too Tim Burton and overly theatrical for me. It somehow consists of 2 halves...the somewhat progressive Unia-like songs such as "Flag in the Ground" and "The last amazing grays" and another one or two songs, while the other part of the album is a strange pseudo-spooky kind of music which I find bizarre and utterly unable to gel with.

Sonata Arctica stays one of my main inspiration, even if the band has quite ... changed since the first album :p The last one were very interesting too, even if I was more fan of the "true" power metal speed

Unia was a grower on me, I hated it, but love it now that i've listened to it more. I really like the newest album as well though, I really love the theatrical aspect of it. But I'm also a big fan of Tim Burton lol. I think Deathaura is one of the best songs they've written in a long time.

I finally got a chance to listen to The Days of Grays. I think it's a very good album. My favorites included "Deathaura," "The Last Amazing Grays," "No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart," and "Everything Fades To Gray." The Days of Gray is a really nice progression from Unia, which was also a good album. I can't complain here.

Here are my all-time Top 10 european / melodic / neoclassical power metal albums - including Sonata Arctica's Silence => http://metalstorm.ee/users/list.php?list_id=83 - with a little description to each one.

OFF: I have a band called Mandara and I'm the keyboard player. Our style is very similar to these bands but I think it's unique at the same time. We are still recording our first 2 demos - planned to be released around May & August. The 1st one called "Meadow Of Dreams" contains 4 songs - Endless Night Momentary Dawn, Embrace My Dream, Hypocrite Reality and Holy Prophecy. I'll upload some stuff to myspace when we are ready - I hope you will enjoy my/our music!
Sorry for the adv!

The band has posted a little vid from their rehearsal room. It looks really nice and quite big rehearsal room.

Wow i'm glad i wasn't the only one that noticed the "Tim Burton style" in their latest album The Days Of Grey. For me i really enjoyed it, it shows them and their music is maturing probably to what they wanted their music to be in the first place.

Written by Silent_wolfer on 03.04.2010 at 01:48

Wow i'm glad i wasn't the only one that noticed the "Tim Burton style" in their latest album The Days Of Grey. For me i really enjoyed it, it shows them and their music is maturing probably to what they wanted their music to be in the first place.

Well I know that they never wanted to be considered Power Metal. I mean in an interview Toni said specifically they dont consider themselves powermetal so perhaps their last 2 albums are a jump into actually fullfilling that statement. They probably started off power metal but now im not so sure. More like Gloomy-Spooky Melodic metal or something lol

Written by Guest on 03.04.2010 at 05:33

Written by Silent_wolfer on 03.04.2010 at 01:48

Wow i'm glad i wasn't the only one that noticed the "Tim Burton style" in their latest album The Days Of Grey. For me i really enjoyed it, it shows them and their music is maturing probably to what they wanted their music to be in the first place.

Well I know that they never wanted to be considered Power Metal. I mean in an interview Toni said specifically they dont consider themselves powermetal so perhaps their last 2 albums are a jump into actually fullfilling that statement. They probably started off power metal but now im not so sure. More like Gloomy-Spooky Melodic metal or something lol

Haha not sure if their is such a genre but maybe that's where they wanted to started off since they wanted to be like their heros Stratovarius and Tony maybe wanted to change it since it was probably getting to old for him.

Written by Silent_wolfer on 06.04.2010 at 04:51

Written by Guest on 03.04.2010 at 05:33

Written by Silent_wolfer on 03.04.2010 at 01:48

Wow i'm glad i wasn't the only one that noticed the "Tim Burton style" in their latest album The Days Of Grey. For me i really enjoyed it, it shows them and their music is maturing probably to what they wanted their music to be in the first place.

Well I know that they never wanted to be considered Power Metal. I mean in an interview Toni said specifically they dont consider themselves powermetal so perhaps their last 2 albums are a jump into actually fullfilling that statement. They probably started off power metal but now im not so sure. More like Gloomy-Spooky Melodic metal or something lol

Haha not sure if their is such a genre but maybe that's where they wanted to started off since they wanted to be like their heros Stratovarius and Tony maybe wanted to change it since it was probably getting to old for him.

They actually didn't start off as a metal band at all, their first demos was pop-music. But it didn't go very well, and they started to get bored of it and started to play metal.

Written by =maD.Doc:. on 08.04.2010 at 19:41

Written by Silent_wolfer on 06.04.2010 at 04:51

Written by Guest on 03.04.2010 at 05:33

Written by Silent_wolfer on 03.04.2010 at 01:48

Wow i'm glad i wasn't the only one that noticed the "Tim Burton style" in their latest album The Days Of Grey. For me i really enjoyed it, it shows them and their music is maturing probably to what they wanted their music to be in the first place.

Well I know that they never wanted to be considered Power Metal. I mean in an interview Toni said specifically they dont consider themselves powermetal so perhaps their last 2 albums are a jump into actually fullfilling that statement. They probably started off power metal but now im not so sure. More like Gloomy-Spooky Melodic metal or something lol

Haha not sure if their is such a genre but maybe that's where they wanted to started off since they wanted to be like their heros Stratovarius and Tony maybe wanted to change it since it was probably getting to old for him.

They actually didn't start off as a metal band at all, their first demos was pop-music. But it didn't go very well, and they started to get bored of it and started to play metal.

Yeah i heard about that they started playing Hard Rock and was influenced by Stratovarius during their change of sound.

One of the best metal bands ever. I like them too. Good power presence, sublime vocals. I miss Jani Liimatainen. Two classes over Elias "E.Vil" Viljanen in my opinion.

They have to take care though. For me they appear of being about to fall in the same trap as other bands, namely trying too much a variation of ideas. As a result some of their tracks appear somehow lacking essence mostly due to some poor (for not saying pathetic) lyrics.

Agreed, I have not heard the latest album (yet) but the mixed reactions to it don't fill me with hope.

Unia was a wonderful album, but I think The Days of Grays is a true maturation in their sound. I think it's their best album yet, and that's saying something, because I love all their albums. TDoG has this sophisticated atmosphere to it, I'm always blown away by Tony's songwriting and lyrics. Deathaura gives me chills, and I love all the moments with just piano/drums/vocals, like the verses on The Dead Skin - I think it's perfect.

Has any1 seen them live in the near past? were they so weak as they were at metalfest open air budapest, or that was just a bad day of the band? :/

Written by Guest on 28.08.2010 at 18:26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev3VwmpBXyo Powerglove - Gotta Catch Em All (Feat. Tony Kakko)

I saw that! I think I became nerdier just by listening to it, but still found it quite awesome. Even my friends that don't listen to metal liked it.

Written by Guest on 31.08.2010 at 01:53

Written by Hrothdane on 31.08.2010 at 01:44

Written by Guest on 28.08.2010 at 18:26

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev3VwmpBXyo Powerglove - Gotta Catch Em All (Feat. Tony Kakko)

I saw that! I think I became nerdier just by listening to it, but still found it quite awesome. Even my friends that don't listen to metal liked it.

Yeah it's kinda nostalgic if you used to be a pokemaniac

Used to be...right...yeah totally. Hehe *hides Nintendo DS*

Hey i have just a few things to say of Sonata arctica i have every album and dvd from ecliptica till unia, i bought reckoning night but i didn't want to, coz i didn't really like it, i listen to it but they where just afew songs that i could like, but i just wanted to keep my colection, so i also bought unia and i could say it was like or it should be call like reckoning night pt. 2.... the same stuff just like 3 songs where ok for me and they where just ok nothing especial... so what i have to say that sonata arctica for me it use to be good till winterheart's guild then the others albums they are just an big epic fail for me.... once again thats what i think

Huge Sonata fan, currently my second favourite band [Ecliptica still an unbeatable album, though Silence and Winterheart's Guild were very good too].

I think people underrated The Days of Grays, so many great tracks: Deathura; Last Amazing Grays; No Dream can heal a Broken Heart; The Truth is Out There and Flag in the Ground are brilliant (you gotta love 'we are free from eternal serfdom' :p)

Just seen them in Guatemala city concert last sunday and I can tell this is one of the best concerts i have atttended, the music quality incredible, the attitude of the band to the crowd was fucking awesome, Tony Kakko is a great enterteiner. Sonata really gave all they could in that concert and it was the most fucking awesome experience I had! long live to Sonata Arctica.!

That's my top#1 band. These guys got me into metal more than 5 years ago and i still think that noone can beat them. Well, i guess it's like this for most of the people over there

Also a huge Tony fan, love his talent and his voice.

I personally dig all Sonata Albums prior to Unia. The direction of the band changed tremendously after that album. But, I have to disagree with you in that Silence is an amazing album.

Who said Silence was bad? Lol

I don't think anyone will say anything Sonata post '04 could beat Silence, though I think it is fair to say Ecliptica is their best work.

They are my favorite band, if not my all-time favorite, both because of awesome story-telling lyrics, and because the eargasming music itself.
They are purely talented, and I've got all their Cd's but Unia and The Days of Greys.
I think their last two albums are not as good as you could possibly say about them. It's my opinion at least.
Also, I think that their lose without Jani as a guitarist, kind of ruined the old Sonata.
I wish Elias will do better guitar parts, and bring Sonata back to their glory old days.

Honestly I've kind of lost interest in this band after Unia. I still some stuff off Winterheart's Guild and Reckoning Night, but I don't like Ecliptica as much as a used to, and the same goes for Silence. I'm really beginning to appreciate the earlier stuff from Stratovarius more, not to mention Blind Guardian and Wuthering Heights.

Sonata just needs to do something different with the drums. When I listen to them, I feel like I hear the same beat for almost four straight albums.

Written by AtLossForWords on 09.02.2011 at 23:28

Honestly I've kind of lost interest in this band after Unia. I still some stuff off Winterheart's Guild and Reckoning Night, but I don't like Ecliptica as much as a used to, and the same goes for Silence. I'm really beginning to appreciate the earlier stuff from Stratovarius more, not to mention Blind Guardian and Wuthering Heights.

Sonata just needs to do something different with the drums. When I listen to them, I feel like I hear the same beat for almost four straight albums.

Going through that currently myself. I don't remember the last time I fully listened to Ecliptica or Silence from start to finish...listen to the odd track on Winterheart's Guild and Reckoning Night, but have nearly lost all interest in them and they used to be my favourite Power band. As for appreciating early Stratovarius...well, I'll get there