After their stunning debut
Sonata Arctica returns with their sophomore album and remarkably they have kept the same high standard. Once again the result is a very melodic Power Metal release featuring great symphonic elements, catchy tunes and even more variation than last time around.
Weballergy starts out with a champagne bath of lush keyboard symphonies, I really like the way it almost sounds too bombastic. The double bass drumming is performed with clever flair for oblique rhythms and that huge chorus goes right in. A fantastic shredding guitar solo followed by harmonious key spot for once again to end with the speedy guitar in leading position is a marvellous passage in one of my favourite songs of all time, and that says a lot, its just down right perfect.
The End Of This Chapter can be characterised as a horror love story, yeah it sounds pretty weird. Anyway it works quite well, fittingly it paints a creepy mood added many melodic ingredients.
A more uncomplicated approach is gone for with
Black Sheep, an up-tempo song displaying great guitar work but also relying a bit much on a monotone refrain.
Silence offers two high-class ballads that give the album an additional soft side.
Last Drop Falls gains strength from deep bass lines and rich keyboard moods.
Tony's expressive and emotional vocals really shine in
Tallulah, a broken heart portrayed with beautiful ease. A gentle piano base receives support from cool acoustic guitar rhythms, expressive leads and a fittingly direct refrain.
I would pick
Sing In Silence as the albums weakest link, the simple build-up goes on and on and when the refrain finally sets in its easily forgotten.
Wolf And Raven leaves a path of aggression and wildness behind. Energetic and smart drumming is one highlight, the jamming guitar/keyboard mid-section another.
Tony Kakko's great ability to create elements that sound good on their own but fabulous in a larger and more layered setting comes fully to justice in the long epics,
The Power Of One is one heck of a thrill, the way this song melts into one solid unit comes from some great creative thinking.
Mystic acoustic guitars open the festivities, soon after to be accompanied but a tight rhythm section displaying great heavy guitar riffs and deep bass lines. This one has to be felt and experienced with considerable concentration, it has so much to offer.
There are other great songs than those I have mentioned; in fact I think this is one of the best Power Metal albums I own.
The album is packed with great keyboard passages and I love many of the guitar realisations, overall the instruments are used with a fair amount of creativity that gives the music an extra dimension, the tight accumulative effort only makes this album sound even stronger.
The sound quality lives up to the standard of the music; the balanced and very transparent production is a good match for this kind of music.
Lyrically the themes are broad, covering the complex notion called love, stories of myths and fantasy and people stuck in difficult phases in life. They generally go very well with the mood of the songs and I like the fact that they don't give themselves up too easily.
An album filled to the breaking point with thrilling Power Metal of the most melodic kind.
Written by
Tommy Wednesday, January 19, 2005
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