Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica

Sonata Arctica is a new band out of Finland that consists of a bunch of kids. That's right, the musicians are all around the age of 20 or so, yet, judging by their debut release titled "Ecliptica", these guys are well prepared to run with the big boys. By listening to a couple of minutes from their album, its easy to see who their melodic metal heroes are. The Stratovarius sound is heavily copied, with lightning paced songs mirroring such Strato classics as "Speed of Light" and "Black Diamond". Another thing instantly noticeable is the fact that the production is totally crisp and sharp, and is better than what some of the higher profile bands are getting these days.

Performance-wise, all elements gel. Vocals are of the high pitched variety, dominated by a Finnish accent which gives the delivery an overall Timo Kotipelto-ish feel, with a dash of the Tobias (Edguy) charm. Guitar is huge, with strong neo-classical overtones. Darting, riffing, and flying right along, sometimes in the soloing spotlight, and at other times at war with the keyboards, which are also extremely solid in tone, that will bring back memories of the old Jens/Yngwie battles. Lyrically, they could use a little help, but when compared to some of the heaps of cheese on the market lately (mainly Zonata and Sinergy), "Ecliptica" sounds brilliant, which is not really saying much of course. But Sonata Arctica already are developing a knack for writing catchy melodies and friendly harmonies, and "Ecliptica" is their showcase piece to prove it.

The breakneck opener, "Blank File", screams along at a high pace, and makes one wonder, which instrument in this race will make it to the finish line first. My favorite would have to be the epic beauty of "My Land", with its KILLER opening guitar melodies and vocals. This is how melodic metal was meant to be played, stepped down a few notches from the high speed stuff, and injected with riffs and icy cool keyboards pumped up to bombastic porportions with plenty of room to breathe. This gives some of Stratovarius's best offerings a run for its money. It slows down a little near the end, with simply gorgeous vocals keyed down and then breaking out with a piercing shriek that pushes the song to a screaming peak before its soaring finish. Faultless in musical architecture and enjoyable till the last note. "Replica" upholds this assault of pure musical beauty, fueled by strong melodies, also a bit toned down from the rest of the offerings on the disc. Very nice chorus, supported and topped off by weaving guitar. Although similarities can be pointed out between this song and other bands, it still has taken a piece of uniqueness that is all its own. "Kingdom of a Heart" comes off with another great melody and a chorus that reminds me of the folk metal pacing of some of Skyclad's stuff, but wrapped up in a punchy melodic speed package. "Full Moon" begins light and acoustic, and rounds off as being another mid tempo killer, this one gallops along like a racehorse at times. The straightforward speeding fury of "UnOpened", "Picturing the Past" and "8th Commandment" are all taken from a page out of the book of Stratovarius. Topping it off is the keyboard laden pounding pulse of "Destruction Preventer", a tune that seems to have been developed with one thing in mind, to flaunt every inch of talent in the band, musically. Ripping keys, roaring vocals, pounding drums, and lightspeed riffing drive all seven minutes home. The last 30 seconds of the tune is sweet silence, with a little flute melody tacked neatly onto the end.

Being a band with alot of promise, Sonata Arctica, delivers more icy cool melodic metal from the frozen lands of Finland. With their debut being as good as it is, I can only imagine that they will improve over the next few years and end up being one of the heavy weights gunning for the high profile spots in this metal subgenre. Even if Sonata Arctica's "Ecliptica" treads down well worn paths, it still remains refreshingly familiar. Fans hungry for more Stratovarius and wanting it immediately will eat this right up.

Rating - 7.9
by Alanna Evans
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