Sonata Arctica
The Days Of Grays

Two years after the controversial "Unia," Sonata Arctica returns to the market with this new "The Days of Grays"; an album awaited with great anticipation, especially considering the style change that occurred with their previous work.

The single "Flag in the Ground" had brought the band back to what seemed like their former glory: a typical power gallop, with double bass and a melodic chorus that immediately imprints in the listener's mind: a return to their roots, then? Not exactly: to paraphrase what Henrik Klingenberg, the keyboardist, said, this latest effort is neither a return to the roots, nor as complex a work as the previous one.

The truth, as often happens, lies somewhere in between: "TDOG" indeed represents a bit of the sum of everything Sonata Arctica has been from the beginning of their career until now: there are more immediate and catchy songs, more complex and intricate tracks, and... yes, even a single true hint of old-fashioned power, with the already mentioned "Flag...".

The tracks can therefore be divided into these two broad categories: those who love the "Ecliptica-Silence" period and easy choruses will find joy in "The Last Amazing Grays", one of the best on the album, supported also by a well-accompanied bridge with a powerful orchestral backdrop (a feature that will return in many other episodes); for "No Dream Can Heal a Broken Heart", which also stands out for a female vocal contribution by Johanna Kurkela, and finally for "The Truth Is Out There", with two separate yet both convincing choruses, supported by excellent vocal interweaving.

On the other hand, those who appreciated the complex sounds and elaborate structures of "Unia" will be glad to know that these features have not disappeared and can be found in songs like "Juliet", with its circular structure: it associates an initial melodic chorus, as per tradition, with a slow and almost whispered part leading to an aggressive crescendo that culminates in the final reprise of the chorus. Alongside it is "The Dead Skin", with a central break that pushes almost to the limit of thrash (a somewhat exaggerated comparison, but it gives a good idea) and the pretentious "Deathaura", undoubtedly the most complex and challenging track of the entire work; 8 minutes with everything: from slow parts to more aggressive ones, time changes, vocal interweaving once again with the collaboration of the female voice, all supported once more by powerful orchestrations.

Everything perfect, then? Not exactly, because there are some flaws noticeable: on one hand, the ballads that had brought much fortune to the band in the early period are unfortunately quite disappointing here; "Breathing" and "As if the World Wasn't Ending" do not remotely reach the level of tracks like "Replica" or "Last Drop Falls", proving uninspired and, after several listens, boring. On the other hand, the guitar solos: very little space is left for the new axeman Elias Viljanen, who mostly finds himself having to play accompaniment, with few opportunities to launch into solos or guitar-keyboard duels that characterized the Finnish combo's early works.

In short, it is nonetheless an album that can satisfy both factions of Sonata Arctica fans; the complexity of the previous "Unia" has not vanished but has been shaped with the group's typical melodic attitude: the more articulated songs work this time, the interweaving and changes are better blended, less forced, and more melodic. All of this, however, paradoxically raises even more doubts: is this truly the path the group wants to take, a well-achieved mix of all its characteristics? Or is it perhaps a half step back, due to the poor critical and sales performance of "Unia", to please the mass of disappointed fans? The same "Flag..." seems to have been included precisely for this purpose, being a reworking of a track dating back to their early demos about 15 years ago. Doubts that only the next release might possibly resolve...