Sonata Arctica
Stones Grow Her Name

After almost 2 and a half years since the decent "The Days Of Grays",Sonata Arctica returns, one of the Finnish bands that has gained good success in the European metal scene in recent years. Little remains of the classic power metal from the early albums, but this is not news for the fans of this band.

If in the last albums Sonata Arctica had added progressive elements and considerably lightened the sound by venturing into less power and softer musical territories, in this latest work "Stones Grow Her Name" the direction taken by the band is very clear: further experimentation by adding new elements to their sound and seeking fairly catchy songs. A testimony to this is the single "I Have A Right," a radio-friendly and very pop track, based on a theme that inevitably gets stuck in your head. Or you just need to listen to the first two tracks of the album Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful) and Shitload of Money to hear guitar sounds that are unusual, which at times even remind me of bands like Rammstein, and frankly, I didn't like it.

Fortunately, however, in this album, compared to the previous one, the guitar is indeed noticeable and stands out, apart from the sounds, brilliantly both in the rhythmic and solo parts. In Losing My Insanity, my favorite track, we return to almost power metal territories and the beautiful interplay between guitar and keyboard solos also returns. After the aggressive and not too melodic Somewhere Close To You, the perhaps best-achieved tracks of the entire album arrive. Alone In Heaven transitions from an acoustic start to fitting verses and concert-worthy choruses, creating a strong impact; with The Day, in my opinion, one of the best points of the album is reached. Sweet and somewhat melancholic atmospheres outlined by keyboards and a variety of the song that, however, doesn't lose that melodic taste that's in the band's DNA, making for a very successful song.
Cindlerbox could surprise any listener due to the presence of atypical instruments for a metal (or rock, if you prefer) band like the use of banjo, double bass, and violin, which blend with the band in an original way. Perhaps a bit confusing, but it honestly caught me right away; perhaps too experimental, but the song flows very pleasantly. After this peculiar episode, here is the ballad we expect in a Sonata Arctica CD. We're not at the level of the band's best ballads, either in taste or composition. Don't be mean doesn't come close to tracks like Last Drop Falls or Tallulah, but it still manages to move me, thanks to Tony Kakko's expressive voice combined with the entry of the violin, which draws a sad but absolutely effective melody.

Finally, here are the two Wildfire, episodes that continue the Wildfire present in Reckoning Night; tracks lasting 7 minutes, which require several listens to fully absorb. All the aforementioned experimentation is manifested in these final tracks. Many good ideas are occasionally put together very well, and at certain points a bit less so.

Overall, however, I was absolutely satisfied with this work, as opposed to the last album, in this "Stones Grow Her Name" all the elements of the band contribute to the album. Sonata Arctica is one of my favorite bands, so I expected a rebound compared to the last two albums which had several missteps. Here there is no perfection that I find on "Silence" or in the sounds on "Winterheart's Guild", but at least it comes fairly close. Close enough to give a favorable rating to the album. Tracks like Losing My Insanity or The Day, to mention just two, are among the best pieces in their discography in my opinion. The band further revives itself in the current music landscape and is far from an eclipse. The class of a composer like Kakko and the skill of the other members is still in great shape. Well done.