Written by [user id=1909] on 05.09.2009 at 13:09

after hearing the songs "Everything Fades to Gray" and "Flag in the Ground"

yes, i find those two the best songs too...and possibly two only really great songs...

Its sounds weird, but I realy listen flower metal, but when Im ill whit some tempretuure n flue I realy like flower cheesy metal like this band. freedom call, stratovarius etc yesterday I lsiten all time those myspace songs from sonata arctica and I liked them, dunno why ist thet, better emeotinal illness when doom helps, fisislacly when youre week seems cheesy staff helps more, Im shame thet I sad it

Written by Bad English on 06.09.2009 at 13:17

Its sounds weird, but I realy listen flower metal, but when Im ill whit some tempretuure n flue I realy like flower cheesy metal like this band. freedom call, stratovarius etc yesterday I lsiten all time those myspace songs from sonata arctica and I liked them, dunno why ist thet, better emeotinal illness when doom helps, fisislacly when youre week seems cheesy staff helps more, Im shame thet I sad it

Don't be ashamed! Power metal is all about the atmosphere of the music, and it's supposed to hit you in the heart, especially Sonata Arctica!

Well my review won't be like that.

Written by Irritable Ted on 06.09.2009 at 17:24

Every review I have read so far is the same, so how will yours differ, Are you going to say it is a return to form, or are you going to say it is even worse than everybody else? When will you publish it?

Well, I can't say anything for sure yet. I've had the album a while but there's no point in publishing a review so far before it is released. So it'll be on in a couple of weeks.

I like the album quite a lot.

Sonata Arctica are one of these bands that will have a lot of overly obsessive fans that look at each album with a microscope in minute detail for any kind of change or anything to criticise. There's going to be a lot of people bashing it or whatever just because it is slightly different in one way or another. Bottom line is, it is a good album. It all depends on what you go for in power metal.

Written by Zelse on 06.09.2009 at 17:12

Written by Bad English on 06.09.2009 at 13:17

Its sounds weird, but I realy listen flower metal, but when Im ill whit some tempretuure n flue I realy like flower cheesy metal like this band. freedom call, stratovarius etc yesterday I lsiten all time those myspace songs from sonata arctica and I liked them, dunno why ist thet, better emeotinal illness when doom helps, fisislacly when youre week seems cheesy staff helps more, Im shame thet I sad it

Don't be ashamed! Power metal is all about the atmosphere of the music, and it's supposed to hit you in the heart, especially Sonata Arctica!

Atmosfere its like lsiten pop radio, atmosfere is in ehavy, doom, black metal lil death but not power sometimes Marcel is wright when he says core and slipknot is more metal how flower bands

Written by Baz Anderson on 06.09.2009 at 17:30



Sonata Arctica are one of these bands that will have a lot of overly obsessive fans that look at each album with a microscope in minute detail for any kind of change or anything to criticise. There's going to be a lot of people bashing it or whatever just because it is slightly different in one way or another.

Well Baz I disagree....people who dont like the album arent necessarily overly obsessed fans who fantasize about the "good old days". I happen to be someone who take whatever they do with a pinch of salt and was very impressed with Unia - in fact I think its fantastic when bands progress and become better musicians. I have been a fan of theirs since Ecliptica and am by no means one of those who wants them to return to their roots...it would make no sense and I hate bands who become stagnant.

I just dont think they had any direction on the new album. It feels disjointed and not at all complete - rather a bunch of lapped together songs. Its pretty clear that since Reckoning Night they wanted to add a bit more progressive spice in the mix, the difference being that proper progressive metal bands manage to gather different influences and assimilate it into a coherent whole. What SA have done here is too much....too much experimentation, too many hollow songs and too many fillers. It starts off magnificently and then from the 2nd half of the album it sounds like they lost interest.....It is as if they try to pull off something really unique but dont have all the tools to do it with.

Anyway, no use harping on about it, Im looking forward to your review and see where you draw your positives from - because at the moment and after numerous spins I feel the album is a story of two halves....couple of good Unia-like songs and then the rest where they just lost the plot.

Im also reserving my final judgement until release date....then I will go into more depth on my exact thoughts.

Written by Irritable Ted on 06.09.2009 at 23:17

I have now listened to the whole thing in high quality (took me days to find and I'm sure it will be taken off Youtube any minute) and I have changed my mind, it sounds brilliant, now I can't wait.

It doesn't sound anything like Unia, which I really hated (one of the biggest disappointments of my metal life). I'm a fan of the slower tracks from Silence, like End Of This Chapter and Last Drop Falls so this is just right for me.

Deathaura is the only track that could take a few listens to to take in fully.

Any Sonata fans who have read any review on here wait till you hear it before deciding wether to buy it or not. You might be surprised, I was. The question now is which version do I buy?

And Valaskjalf, I respect your opinion, this is not a dig at your view, to which you are entitled.

lol no worries dude, believe me I really WANT to like the album and if it happens when i listen to it in better quality then im all for it...who knows..

Finally listened to the new album as the good quality version is finally out. Probably the only sonata arctica album I can get into comparing with previous experiences

I've finally given this album a few more listens and I have to say, I'm absolutely in love with it. Much better than Unia, Tony's singing goes from very soft to powerful, from tearjerking to screaming. He is really the star of the show in this album, once again, but he does it so much better than Unia. The album reminds me so much of Nightwish, and that's a good thing. So many epic moments, and some truly BEAUTIFUL songs (In The Dark, that chorus, oh my god is that beautiful!) and the vocal version of Everything Fades to Gray is hauntingly beautiful.

This is a winner of an album, fuck the haters.

I liked it already after the first listen XD

If you talk about "Everything Fades to Gray", i noticed that song even in that horrible quality of first promo i listened to...really good

Written by Zelse on 09.09.2009 at 20:02

This is a winner of an album, fuck the haters.

Why, just cuz i think this album sucks?. Dude we people tend to differ, specially in musical tastes. So i would tell you, fuck you for been a fanboy.

Written by Fhuesc on 11.09.2009 at 06:42

Written by Zelse on 09.09.2009 at 20:02

This is a winner of an album, fuck the haters.

Why, just cuz i think this album sucks?. Dude we people tend to differ, specially in musical tastes. So i would tell you, fuck you for been a fanboy.

I'm just saying it the way I would if I were sitting around discussing it with friends. That's not being a fanboy. Don't take it so seriously, like I'm trying to put down anybody who disliked the album, dude. It's like if Alice in Chains came on the radio and someone in the car voiced their dislike for Alice in Chains, so you and your friends all say, "Stop being a fag" or something. Just don't take it so seriously...

Negative comments are never welcome...what is so strange about it?

I wouldnt give two shits if Sonata Arctica became radio friendly....my problem is that the new album sounds like it is done by a band who is out of their depth. Trying to create something "weird" for the sake of being weird and forgetting the songwriting. Two, maybe three good songs and the rest either slows down to a dreadful painful death or just make no sense.

And by "no sense" I dont imply that I dont understand progressive elements in metal, in fact its one of my favourite metal genres - only difference is the bands who can pull it off really well like Circus Maximus, Suspyre, Seventh Wonder etc. actually write good music. Im obviously not saying Sonata Arctica tried to become a "prog" band or whatever but theyve been flirting with progressive elements since Reckoning Night (to some degree) and got it just right in Unia. But when you dont write proper songs and add those elements it sounds incoherent.

I actually think Circus Maximus is pretty bland and cookie-cutter prog metal, very much an early-90s Dream Theater throwback. I think Unia's actually much 'weirder'; The Days of Grays actually has wonderful song structure and is composed wonderfully. The songs don't sound so 'patched' together like half of Unia did, and there are some new things, but I think this is by far the most mature and sophisticated piece of work Sonata has ever made. Tony's voice is stronger than ever and you can hear just how much control he has over it and how wild his range is (not just pitch - he is wonderful at quiet, whispering songs, but can scream and bark perfectly for Sonata's sound and it works so well).

I can understand why people would abandon the band after Reckoning Night, but in my opinion, the new album is the culmination of Unia's experimention and the classic fast and catchy anthems of Sonata's older days. It's a wonderful album, and I'm glad they're taking this direction. It sets them apart from every other power metal band who does the same thing Sonata did on their first two albums. Whether or not the newer material is 'good' is all subjective, and that's all this boils down to - personal opinion. If one person doesn't like it, who cares? Only your own opinion should really matter. But just because you dislike the new stuff doesn't mean you can't enjoy the old stuff!

Written by Fhuesc on 11.09.2009 at 06:42

Written by Zelse on 09.09.2009 at 20:02

This is a winner of an album, fuck the haters.

Why, just cuz i think this album sucks?. Dude we people tend to differ, specially in musical tastes. So i would tell you, fuck you for been a fanboy.

My comment is not directed at Zelse personally.

I'd just wish to say that it's such an annoyance (and suchs a shame) that so many Powermetal fans can't deal with negative criticism. Why are they, in general, so oversensitive?

I'm a Black Metal fan and I often discuss different opinions with BM fans on boards. But it almost never turns into flaming wars and insults. I like BM but nevertheless it never prevented me to be critical towards this genre and to say that x or y band sucks. And I would say it's like that for many BM fans. We can criticize and be negative about a genre we like (and I would say the Death, Thrash and Doom fans can criticize what they like too- being unable to stand criticism and negativity is typical to PM fans). Why do so many PM fans are unable to do the same? Why do they can't live with criticism?

And it's those PM fans who constantly blame us for our close-mindedness? Sorry, but there's nothing more close-minded than being unable to criticize and be negative about anything, only because it belongs to a genre you like.

Written by Lord_Regnier on 13.09.2009 at 22:14

so many Powermetal fans can't deal with negative criticism. Why are they, in general, so oversensitive?

too many people are calling us "gay" because of our music we like...never heard about people being "gay" for listening to thrash or death...as well, you are often calling our music "primitive", "childish" and "stupid"...how often you hear this about death or thrash? and about negative pm critics - so often it is just "i cant stand power metal...end of discussion"...

then dont make yourself being surprised of our respond on that...

p.s. you may know i listen to many bands throughout many genres - practically in all genres (except thrash, grind and *fill-anything*core), i found some bands i kinda like...i started with "soft" power metal and then followed the long way ending in black and brutal-death metal waters...but i still like many from pm and i got really pissed off with many not constructive and often offensive critics from "true enough" metallers...

I guess not only PM fans, but Metal fans in general get pissed off when someone criticizes Metal, also I've seen thrash metalheads who get pissed off almost the same way as power metalheads(as with death fans and etc...), the thing is that many thrash metalheads(I'm not saying EVERY, but many of them do that) criticize a lot, but they don't like to be criticized, and well, that also applies to many metalheads in general, we criticize other genres a lot, but when we get criticized, what do we do? I think PM fans are not so different from other typical metalheads. Fortunately, there are metalheads who can stand criticism.

Also, I think many took Zelse's post way too serious, I mean, I think he's only saying: "I like this album, if you don't, I don't care", just like that, not to be taken too seriously I guess.

I don't think there's much point in people who like the album and people who don't like the album talking about the album.

If you like it, fantastic, we'll enjoy it. If not, great, go listen to something you do enjoy.
That way we're all happy.

My review will be up some time this week seeing as it first comes out on Friday.

Ellrohir and ZuzuzOr: you both have good arguments. The 'can't stand criticism' attitude is by far not limited to PM fans. I just have the impression it's more common and glaring.

And I know you listen to other genres, Ellrohir.

Sweet im excited for this!

Is the new album out in the UK yet?

Wow I like The Days Of Grays very much. It's not 'great old' SA but better than Unia for me. The 2 songs from the single are awesome and the rest is very enjoyable too. and I hope I'll like it even more later.

Well here's my review, it's finally time for the album to be released!

http://www.metalstorm.ee/pub/review.php?review_id=7137

Thank you for the review!

Agreed with most of the points

Great! Thanks, although I'm sure there'll be quite a few people who don't. Hahaha.

Yes there would be one side who considers this album a total crap and second side who will love it and call for higher rating