Sonata Arctica - Winterheart's Guild
Tracklist
01. Abandoned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited02. 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
Additional info
Recorded at Tico Tico Studio, by Ahti Kortelainen during September - November 2002.Mixed by Mikko Karmila at Finnvox Studios and mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios in November and December 2002.
Guest review by
Manic
Manic
Rating:
9.5
9.5
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Rating:
9.5 |
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. Read more ›› |
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Comments
Comments:
18
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755 users
 Posts: 13287 |
Posts: 13287
I don't understand how the first two albums have a better reputation than this one. This is just magic.
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Posts: 507  |
Posts: 507
Their worst album for me, the only songs that save it are Gravenimage and The Ruins of My Life.
---- If this grand panorama before me is what you call God Then God is not dead.
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| Posts: 13287 |
Posts: 13287 Written by Zuzuz0r on 20.12.2009 at 05:07 Worst? You mean you prefer "Unia"? Just goes to show how tastes differ... "The Cage" and such are just some of the best in the genre in my opinion.
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 Posts: 8700 |
Posts: 8700
I somehow only remember "The Cage" from listening to this album...my bad? maybe...
---- My rest seems now calm and deep Finally I got my dead man sleep 
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Posts: 507 |
Posts: 507
@Baz Anderson: Yeah, I prefer Unia over WHG, I've never really liked that album, even when Sonata Arctica was my favorite band ever, I felt dissapointed when I listened to it after Silence, and I got bored instantly when listening to it.
---- If this grand panorama before me is what you call God Then God is not dead.
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| Posts: 13287 |
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 Posts: 9720 |
Posts: 9720 Written by Zuzuz0r on 20.12.2009 at 05:07 Those clearly are the best songs on the album and in my opinion two of their - if not even THEIR - best songs ever. "APBE" is also great and so is "The Cage." The rest is your usual Sonata Arctica filler stuff, but due to those four aforementioned songs I agree with Barry and rate Winterheart's Guild as Sonata's best album to date.
---- All life begins with Nu and ends with Nu... This is the truth! This is my belief! ...At least for now. - The Mystery of Life, Vol. 841 Ch. 26
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 Posts: 9125 |
Posts: 9125
I really think this is Sonata's finest moment. It has fillers like any Sonata album, but The Cage, Gravenimage, and Broken are really some of their best songs imo.
---- My Author's Blog (in French)  "You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you" "I've lost too many years now I'm stealing back my soul I am awake"
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 Posts: 4862 |
Posts: 4862
I'm not a fan of this band, or generally into happy power metal - but I own a couple of Sonata's CD's, and ultimately 'The Cage' seems to be their ultimate anthem IMO. It's still kind of cheesy, but the melodies and everything just work so well - if only they had other songs that worked so well.
---- 
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 Posts: 2955 |
Posts: 2955
Victoria´s Secret is just beautiful. Along with a bunch of other songs. How can anyone prefer Unia? I like St. Anger 
----  ---- 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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 Posts: 1361 |
Posts: 1361
Of course this is SA's best album! The Misery is an amazing ballad. Victoria's Secret is so beautiful and the middle part is a modern day concerto. Gravenimage is beautiful as well, beautiful piano intro...Champagne Bath, Broken, The Cage are all great songs...
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Posts: 111  |
Posts: 111
Ecliptice and silence are great, but this one is really amazing, their best album. And one of the best power metal albums of all time for me.
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| Cal Wolvington
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 Posts: 4603 |
Posts: 4603 Written by Baz Anderson on 20.12.2009 at 03:06 Agreed.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| LordHypnos
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Posts: 328  |
Posts: 328
Gravenimage all the way. Although Draw Me really sticks out to me as well. This is one underrated album in my opinion.
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Posts: 1375  |
Posts: 1375
Like they say in Finland: there's no two without a third one. Winterheart's Guild is more or less the same as the previous ones, but considering how great the first two Sonata's albums were, it's no wonder this also kicks some serious ass. It's all downfall from here, Reckoning Night is still really damn good, but after that it's mostly mediocre to bad.
---- You've got a lot of guts. Let's see what they look like!
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