Tricky Beans kicked their career off twenty years ago… later on they changed their name to Sonata Arctica, and their first album “Ecliptica” was released in 1999. Quickly hereafter becoming one the premiere Finnish representatives in the power metal genre.
Over the years they’ve established themselves in the scene releasing one solid album after another, always staying safe within the confines of their own little sound universe. Vocalist Tony Kakko has a strong high pitched voice, which quickly became one of their trademarks, the powerful and fast paced guitar riffs another, along with the very dominant and up-front keyboards.
Their style and sound haven’t changed much over the years, and the persistence and beliefs in their own strengths have been to their advance. So is it more of the same on studio album number nine from Sonata Arctica?
The cool fast paced melodic power metal hymns are present, just listen to “Fairytale”, the cool ballads are there “We Are What We Are”, “Among the Shooting Stars” and “Candle Lawns”, and the basic power metal songs are also there… and they even move outside the box on more than one occasion: “Till Death Do Us Part” and “On the Faultline (Closure to An Animal)”. And they’ve found room for an 10 minutes epic; a fine sequel to “White Pearl, Black Oceans…” (from Reckoning Night).
“The Ninth Hour” is another fine Sonata Arctica take on melodic power metal, with more of the same, within the safe confines and even with some new input… maybe not their finest hour, but still a fulfilling experience if you like melodic power metal.
Solid!
Tracklist:
- Closer To An Animal
- Life
- Fairytale
- We Are What We Are
- Till Death Do Us Apart
- Among the Shooting Stars
- Rise a Night
- Fly, Navigate, Communicate
- Candle Lawns
- White Pearl, Black Oceans, Pt. II – “By the Grace of the Ocean”
- On the Faultline (Closure to An Animal)
Playing Time: 62:07
Release date: October 7, 2016
Label: Nuclear Blast
Website: www.sonataarctica.info
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