Sonata Arctica
Reckoning Night

THE REVIEW

With their fourth full-length album (first work under Nuclear Blast), the Finnish band Sonata Arctica gifts us with another gem of classic power metal. Reckoning Night confirms them as the most esteemed successors to the giant Stratovarius, which, after a series of internal issues reminiscent of a Z-grade soap opera, is in a state of crisis.
While respecting all the genre clichés in an absolutely orthodox way, the new songs from the Sonata camp have a decidedly more personal flavor compared to the past, slightly distancing themselves from the influence of the aforementioned Strato, which heavily marked the band’s early productions.

Reckoning Night is a true sonic train that leaves no room to breathe from start to finish: no ballads, no mellow passages... The only exception is a track with just a keyboard, atmospheric like few others and in my opinion, very well executed.
The songwriting is well crafted as are the arrangements and production. The vocal lines have a touch of genius, as we've always been accustomed to by our singer/songwriter/mastermind/etc., Tony Kakko. The keyboard sounds are nothing short of stunning and give everything that "icy" flavor that I personally adore. Those two wolves on the cover, then... Emerging from the water like that... Too beautiful!
It's courageous for a classically power group to experiment with structures different from the usual "verse-chorus-verse-chorus" and use some odd times... Although our guys give their best in the faster, more driven tracks... Long live power!

All in all, an excellent album that won't replicate masterpieces like the previous "Ecliptica" or "Silence" but will surely satisfy fans of the genre and beyond!