Sonata Arctica - Unia review
| Band: | Sonata Arctica |
| Album: | Unia |
| Style: | Power metal |
| Release date: | May 25, 2007 |
| Guest review by: | Milena |
01. In Black And White
02. Paid In Full
03. For The Sake Of Revenge
04. It Won't Fade
05. Under Your Tree
06. Caleb
07. The Vice
08. My Dream's But A Drop Of Fuel For A Nightmare
09. The Harvest
10. To Create A Warlike Feel [digipack bonus]
11. The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden
12. Fly With The Black Swan
13. Good Enough Is Good Enough
14. They Follow [Japanese bonus]
15. Out In The Fields [Japanese bonus] [Gary Moore cover]
16. My Dream's But A Drop Of Fuel For A Nightmare [Japanese bonus] [instrumental version]
This is one of the bands that may be a perfect example of how heavy metal fans are often ungrateful and don't know what they want. Reckoning Night, their previous album, was very well received, but there were some complaints about some generic and repetitive songs - people thought that the band should add some more variations to their style. Then came Unia, the album that totally redefined Sonata Arctica's music; people, of course, complained that they should basically repeat Silence a thousand times over in order for the fans to be satisfied. Well, you can't please everyone, and Sonata Arctica gave a big middle finger to the latter ones.
What basically changed on this album? Finally, the music fits the lyrics - it's dark, deeper, layered, chaotic and weird. I've been listening to the album for almost four years and still find stuff I haven't noticed on the previous listens. This is probably the only album of theirs that deserves a pure ten for performance because finally all of the band members get to play unique and fun stuff. This especially applies to Tommy Portimo, who can get creative with his drums, and Marko Paasikoski, whose bass lines are at last audible. Tony Kakko's vocals have been improving over the years, so no surprises there. The solos are fewer in number, but very creative - even Jani Liimatainen found some strength in him to play well, being bored with the band as he was.
Speaking of tracks, there are of course many interesting stories to hear from Tony Kakko. There's a song about their stalker-character, "Caleb", which this time tells a story of his childhood and how he became what he is known for. "It Won't Fade" is the wolf song on the album, which sounds like it's dedicated to Liimatainen, their guitarist I mentioned before (for the full story of his departure from the band, head to their interviews and other stuff). There are, of course, the storytelling ones we're used to, but in weirder package ("Fly With The Black Swan", "The Vice"), and, to make for a recently more highlighted Sonata-theme, songs about modern world alienation of man ("The Harvest", "The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden").
The biggest downside of the album? Well, though there were a lot of quirky elements back on Reckoning Night, the change was too sudden and it was too hard to swallow for a lot of fans. The next album is an improvement in that field. Also, the production can be brilliant at some aspects, but there are a lot of weird effects used on Tony's voice.
Overall, this is an album that needs a lot of listens in order for the listener to fully appreciate it. One advice to the disappointed fans: if you don't like it, DON'T listen to it. There are plenty of other fish comfortably swimming in the shallow parts of the power metal sea. Sonata Arctica has decided to sail uncharted waters.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 10 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 10 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by Milena | 23.03.2011
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
6.8
6.8
|
Rating: 6.8 |
After a career of releasing similar albums, Sonata Arctica's fifth studio effort - "Unia" - goes away from their usual style to offer something slightly more progressive. As a warning, "Unia" will have some fans and some detractors, and I belong to the latter category, despite loving progressive metal and liking the band. Read more ›› |
Comments
| howNowBrownSow Posts: 13 |
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603  |
Written by howNowBrownSow on 23.03.2011 at 15:20 There is a legion of us, but the ones who don't like it are the more outspoken. Go to the official Sonata forum, and you'll see that all the major members and biggest fans like it 
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| WorpeX Made of Metal Posts: 1352  |
I never understood the hate surrounding this album. Granted, this was the first SA album I heard, but when I heard the rest of their discography, I really couldn't tell much of a difference in style change. I love this album, great review, it matched a lot of the feelings I had about it.  My favorite tracks on it are It Wont Fade, For the Sake of Revenge and The Vice.
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| Susan Smeghead Elite Posts: 6941  |
"One advice to the disappointed fans: if you don't like it, DON'T listen to it. There are plenty of other fish comfortably swimming in the shallow parts of the power metal sea. Sonata Arctica has decided to sail uncharted waters." Best line ever in a review. All reviews should have such a disclaimer attached to them.
---- "A life all mine Is what I choose At the end of my days" --The Gathering "A Life All Mine" from Souvenirs
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| Aluminum Alloy Posts: 47  |
The middle of this review is good, and you of course have every right to praise the album. however, the first and last paragraphs come across as pointless whining about other whiners. yes, alot of people don't like the album, many for legitimate reasons. the simple whiners, you'll never win an argument with them, so don't bother, it just makes you look petty.
---- Here at the edge of this world Here I gaze at a pantheon of oak, a citadel of stone If this grand panorama before me is what you call God... Then God is not dead
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by Susan on 23.03.2011 at 16:56 Well thank you Many of us are reviewing our fave bands-personally, the more I love a band, the more I know their weak as well as their good sides, but in the end...it all comes down to the readers' and the reviewer's personal taste and experience. So, yeah, I like adding disclaimers.Written by Aluminum Alloy on 23.03.2011 at 17:08 I beg to differ; it makes me a bit annoyed that the people who complain do it very loudly and all over the place, so many people, when they read those and similar opinions, pay less attention to the albums which are criticized. If I can phrase myself better and more strongly, maybe some people will pay attention to this opinion too, and give a fair chance to the album in question. There need to be more opinions on the web so we can all enter debates - so sometimes they can get a bit edgy. And that's why these sentences are edgy too
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Zenzero Zenzero Posts: 472  |
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| dragonfire1603 Posts: 22  |
To me personally it's their best album so far. It's maybe a little harder to get into it, but that's exactly what I like about it. As you said in your review: "I've been listening to the album for almost four years and still find stuff I haven't noticed on the previous listens." That's what makes it exciting! Nice review!
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| Aluminum Alloy Posts: 47 |
Quote:Written by Aluminum Alloy on 23.03.2011 at 17:08 i agree with you that there should be alternate opinions available, which i why i think your review is good as a counterpoint to the other on here, a task the middle, the actual "review" portion of this review, fulfulls quite well. however, "edgy" music debates get nowhere. soon both sides disintegrate into personal attacks (where your "shallow parts of the sea" comment is heading), and the music gets lost in the shuffle. (for a perfect example, look at the comments on the reviewfor Avenged Sevenfold's Nightmare. that's a debate going nowhere) phrasing yourself "strongly" only makes you lose credibility with level-headed people. phrasing yourself well however, makes those level-headed people (frankly, the ones worth discussing with) far more willing to take your opinion seriously.
---- Here at the edge of this world Here I gaze at a pantheon of oak, a citadel of stone If this grand panorama before me is what you call God... Then God is not dead
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| Luneth Account deleted |
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| farfaramir Posts: 128  |
It is a good album, but not a masterpiece. And To Create A Warlike Feel is the best song in the album (with caleb), and it's a bonus track! >_>...
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| -Mayhem- Posts: 63 |
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Quote:Written by Aluminum Alloy on 23.03.2011 at 21:15 I meant 'well' too, when I said 'strongly', really I usually don't argue about music, but from time to time I get the irresistible need to stick it to the people who aren't open enough-the ones that don't even try. I guess it's wrong but I'm working on that Written by [user id=107773] on 24.03.2011 at 00:10 Well, I think you're speaking for yourself there, I've literally seen people type 'we want Silence and not this shit' a thousand times over, that's why I wrote this sentence Written by -Mayhem- on 24.03.2011 at 07:46 Just because it's exactly how you feel about the album doesn't mean it's a great review, a great review should be greatly written, and the opinion stated is just an opinion it would be of better help if you guys could point out the flaws in writing so I could work on that, some of the guys and girls are doing that and I appreciate that anyone else?
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| -Mayhem- Posts: 63 |
Written by Milena on 24.03.2011 at 08:08 Yes you are right and there are many good reviews out there that I disagree with. But of course when someone agrees with you, you automatically like the text somehow.
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by -Mayhem- on 24.03.2011 at 15:47 Yeah, somehow we all fall under that little mind trap
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Dargor Posts: 168  |
I have waited a long time to meet someone who thinks like me. Well said, very nice review. I totally agree with you. 
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by [user id=35732] on 30.12.2011 at 22:47 Like I've said many times, each one to his own but surely, I know some very laid back persons who are against every complicated form of music who enjoy this a lot, so I don't think it's that hard to get into.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by [user id=35732] on 30.12.2011 at 22:58 Oh well, they just had to get it out of their systems, or so they said, so I predict gradually softer albums, more away from the metal realm - it already happened with TDoG.
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| Milena gloom cookie Staff Posts: 4603 |
Written by [user id=35732] on 30.12.2011 at 23:34 I can already see that it won't contain a lot of "metal", but as long as it's good, I don't really care too
---- 7.0 means the album is good
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| BlankFile Posts: 705 |
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