Is amongst the best (if not the best) Melodic Speed Metal releases of the last It's maybe not as good as the first album, but let's face it, Ecliptica Their fantastic debut album Ecliptica ? Difficult to say. Now I know exactly what question is in your mind : Is this new opus better than Last time I said: ‘ Sonata Arctica is definitely one of the best newcomers on the melodic power metal scene’ this time they took over the throne.īottom Line: These guys are so good at what they do that I expect them to take their music on the next album to an undiscovered level of power metal because in “Silence” they did everything that could possibly be done within known frames of this genre.After a long waiting of a year and a half, the new Sonata Arctica arrived.

From the galloping ‘Weballergy’ that will make you stand and pump your fist, through the romantic ‘Last Drop Falls’ and ‘Tallulah’ to a powerful choir-ending in ‘The Power of One’, beautiful melodies, great solos and arrays of emotion will capture your mind and won’t let go for a long time. It doesn’t matter if it’s a ballad or high-speed song they are all perfect. The outstanding work of Mikko Harkin’s keyboards creates an excellent atmosphere, which combined with flawless guitars, and a super-tight rhythm section takes this album to new highs. Tony Kakko with a strong, melodic voice doesn’t only depend on falsetto like so many power metal vocalists but rather sings in his ‘normal’ range that gives him much better control and ease of expressing emotions. From fast songs to dreamy ballads every track is just perfect. As hard as it is to believe “Silence” beats “Ecliptica” in almost every aspect compositions, arrangements, production and musicianship. Was the wait worth it? Hell yes and then some. Their debut “Ecliptica” impressed me so much that ever since I heard Sonata Arctica were hitting the studio to record their second full-length I impatiently counted the days, hoping that out of the hordes of power bands in existence, these Finns could give this genre a kick in a butthole and with “Silence” bring enthusiasm to what are typically a boring variety of releases. So, here it is, the sophomore release from a band that opened my eyes to power metal.

Sonata arctica silence