Band:	Sonata Arctica
Album:	UnOpened
Style:	Power metal
Release date:	July 16, 1999
A review by:	Malcolm

01. UnOpened
02. Mary-Lou

This was the first real acquaintance with this Melodic Speed Metal band from Finland that many times have been compared to it's compatriots in ?Stratovarius? and if you have heard this single and in the forthcoming album ?Ecliptica? you?ll understand why.
But on their last effort, ?Sonata? has found their own path to walk a darker path.
?UnOpened? was released in the summer of 1999 and the title-track was also on the Metalliliitto-compilation that was released at the same time as the singel itself.
It was a great success for the band and it lead them into the Power Metal scene.
?Sonata's? Keyboard orientate Power/Speed Metal struck big in Japan and in their home country Finland.

?UnOpened? is also one of ?Sonata Arctica's? most populare songs when they play live, but the big problem is that ?Sonata? have grown tired on playing that song live, that's the reason that it wasn's on the Live album, ?Songs of Silence?.
The song itself is a really good one, both the music and the lyric is shape.
It's about a guy that got a letter from his love but he dears not open it.
A really nice song, whit a strong point in it, that love can be immortal.
And the B-side on this single is the song that sooner should take part as Japanese Bonus Track on ?Sonata's? debut ?Ecliptica?; the song is ?Mary-Lou? (The heavy version).
On a later singel (Last Drop Falls, 2001 and the E.P. Orientation, 2001) they should do an acoustic version on this song.
The song is about a little girl that runs away from home with a boy who later leaves her when she's pregnant.
A typical ?Sonata? song, many of their ballads are about lost loves, bad loves or something, very personal lyrics and that is very good as it relate the lyric (and music) to the group.

At this time, ?Sonata Arctica? was:
Tony Kakko ? Vocals and Keyboards
Jani Liimatainen ? Gitarr
Janne Kivilahti ? Bass
Tommy Portimo ? Drums

As you can see, it's almost the same lineup as today and that's the strong thing about ?Sonata Arctica?, they have kept a stable lineup over the years and that's strong these days.

This is more of a collector thing, nothing that regular ?Sonata Arctica? fans go out and buy and I think that it's pretty hard to get these days to, but it's really nice to own if you are a big fan of ?Sonata Arctica?.

Killing Songs: All. But it's just a 2 track Singel.

Score: Right? single- No Quote. (But in Singel quote: 7/10)