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Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild review



Reviewer:
9.5

652 users:
8.4
Band: Sonata Arctica
Album: Winterheart's Guild
Style: Power metal
Release date: March 17, 2003
Guest review by: Manic


01. Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited
02. Gravenimage
03. The Cage
04. Silver Tongue
05. The Misery
06. Victoria's Secret
07. Champagne Bath
08. Broken
09. The Rest Of The Sun Belongs To Me [Japanese bonus]
10. The Ruins Of My Life
11. Draw Me

Like a cold Scandinavian wind on a big snowfield - just as powerful starts the newest album of Sonata Arctica. Like the ice patterns made by Mother Nature - just as beautiful are the melodies of Winterheart's Guild. Like a howl of a mighty wolf - just as strong is the vocals of Tony Kakko.

Winterheart's Guild flows up and down with speed and power. The first track 'Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited' makes a really powerful start. With this awesome power they grab you into the pleasant ice storms of Sonata Arctica and you can't fight your way out of there. Even more - you don't want to leave the storm. As the album continues the storm gets a bit slower and warmer - 'Gravenimage' - a soft and beautiful track that takes your journey from the ice deserts under the protection of high cliffs where you can warm yourself with a small fire and watch the amazing beauty of Northern Lights. Yet your journey isn't over and you have to step into the storms again. And so you travel trough the storms from a cave to a small village and so on.

Sonata Arctica has its uniqueness in their keyboards. They use them better than any other metal band. Yet there's not too much keyboard sounds. Still it's metal and guitars make the leading work. But the keyboards add that something to the background, which makes Sonata Arctica unique. The same is with Winterheart's Guild - it's an album full of power and beauty. Power like 'Victoria's Secret' [yes, their newest single is on the album too] & 'The Ruins of My Life' and beauty like 'The Misery' & 'Broken'.

An album that has the same quality as Silence and Ecliptica. An album that won't leave any power metal fan cold. An album that is worth its every minute.

Written by Manic | 22.09.2003




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.


Comments

Comments: 19   Visited by: 137 users
05.04.2007 - 08:24
Rating: 9
Danny Thomas
its true, this album will freeze your nuts to a tree, its that good. my favorite sonata arctica, though silence comes in a close second
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Our children are dead. Burnt in the ruins that were left by war.
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06.04.2007 - 13:15
Rating: 10
matthioso
Amazing album. fantastic! my fav song is 'the cage'.
the only song I don't like is'draw me'
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www.seedofrock.be
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14.06.2007 - 22:47
ThrashMetal_Rulz
Account deleted
Great album, not as good as Ecliptica but definetly Sonata Arctica's second best.
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02.07.2007 - 22:47
Arcaliz666
Account deleted
Written by [user id=19092] on 14.06.2007 at 22:47

Great album, not as good as Ecliptica but definetly Sonata Arctica's second best.

I completely agree, Winterheart's Guild it's a one of the best works of Sonata Arctica, but as good as Ecliptica.
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17.07.2007 - 17:26
CrimsonSoaked
Account deleted
The Best album of Sonata Arctica along with Silence
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18.07.2007 - 00:08
Nighthowls
Paratrooper
Fucking Great Album only second to Ecliptica
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01.09.2007 - 19:59
Apathy
Account deleted
My favourite Sonata Arctica's album by far!
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11.02.2008 - 23:25
Rating: 8
+{Jonas}+
I R Serious Cat
Great album. Hmm Victoria's Secret....
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"Nobody wants to be the weird kid, you just end up being the weird kid. You don't know how you ended up getting there" - Rob Zombie

http://jonas-bs.deviantart.com My dA, mainly photography, go check it out!
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16.03.2008 - 01:33
strayreverie
Account deleted
Written by matthioso on 06.04.2007 at 13:15

the only song I don't like is'draw me'

I know this is an old post but just had to comment. I think "Draw Me" is such a beautiful song! It is a very lovely ending track because of its sadness and nostalgia and sense of finality - I often skip the track because it leaves me feeling quite depressed!

As for albums, I love Winterheart's Guild as much as I love Ecliptica and Silence - they are impossible to rank so I won't even try.
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18.03.2008 - 02:00
Jonnz of Steel
One of my first metal albums and still one of my favourites
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27.08.2008 - 03:00
Rating: 9
BlankFile
What can i say about this amazing album? I think most people here said it all. With this album Sonata Arctica proved again that they are a competent, creative and constant band. After i´ve listened to the first song "Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited" i quickly realized that they were back to blow our mind again with fantástic compositions as usual. Stay Metal people |m|
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19.09.2008 - 03:51
MortalTheory
Account deleted
fucking badass album. I REALLY like APBD. and victoria's secret.
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15.06.2009 - 11:03
Uirapuru
Liver Failure
It's good, but worse than ''Silence'' to me. It is definetly more ''metal'' than the previous, but I prefer the Sonata of the lame/catchy ballads like Tallulah, Last Drop Falls and stuff, where the metal is just a detail.

''Cage'', ''Victorias' Secret'' and ''Broken are the highlights in this.
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member of the true crusade against old school heavy metal, early 80s thrash, NWOBHM, traditional doom, first and second wave black metal, old school death metal, US power metal, 70s prog rock and atmospheric doomsludgestoner. o/
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03.09.2009 - 13:49
Ellrohir
Heaven Knight
Listening to it right now and it is wonderful! much better and much more interesting than superb-ranked Ecliptica
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My rest seems now calm and deep
Finally I got my dead man sleep


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19.03.2010 - 20:05
Rating: 7
farfaramir
Not their best, but still a good one.
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21.03.2010 - 15:08
Lord_Regnier
Written by farfaramir on 19.03.2010 at 20:05

Not their best, but still a good one.

Welcome here!!! I don't think I have to tell you who I am.
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"Why would we fear death, when life is so much more frightening?"
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12.04.2010 - 16:35
Rating: 7
farfaramir
Written by Lord_Regnier on 21.03.2010 at 15:08

Written by farfaramir on 19.03.2010 at 20:05

Not their best, but still a good one.

Welcome here!!! I don't think I have to tell you who I am.

Hey! Yes, I have to admit I discovered this page because you named it several times in the forum.

Thanks for the welcome .
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15.03.2011 - 08:55
Rating: 9
Milena
gloom cookie
Staff
The best album of the first three.
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7.0 means the album is good
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18.06.2012 - 00:05
Rating: 10
PsychoticNK
This band is way better than Stratovarius
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