Sonata Arctica
Winterheart's Guild

THE REVIEW

I was truly surprised by the immense work of Sonata Arctica baptized "Winterheart's Guild." With this studio album released in early 2003, a significant leap in quality has emerged compared to Ecliptica and Silence (already very good albums).
The technique is beginning to take on a more geometric and concise form, especially thanks to the addition of the new pyrotechnic keyboardist Henrik Klingeberg (no more Tendina, aka Mikko Harkin). The quality of mixing has significantly improved as the Keyboard & guitar solos are clear, and Liimatainen "calms" his guitar. The bass by Marko Paasikoski is almost entirely ignored, even though it's not exactly a loss because, in my opinion, he's not a good bassist (it's enough to see him playing with a pick). The atmosphere of this CD creates a lighter mood compared to the two previous albums, touching on Progressive Rock. The multiple vocals recorded by Tony Kakko are well-done, and he also provides the lyrics, which are very mature and poetic. The rhythm section, entrusted to Tommy Portino, is almost excellent; if he "hit" a bit less in the ballads, he would be a great drummer. But the greatest asset of this album is the melody, the ease, and immediate catchiness of the songs, especially in the choruses.

Since I will mention the songs in a random order, I want to provide here the tracklist, visible to all eyes: 1) Abandonned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited 2) Gravenimage 3) The Cage 4) Silver Tongue 5) The Misery 6) Victoria's Secret 7) Champagne Bath 8) Broken 9) The Ruins Of My Life 10) Draw Me. Silver Tongue, Victoria's Secret, Champagne Bath, Broken, and The Ruins Of My Life form a concentration of high-level technique with the usual "Sonata Arctica" catchy choruses. Among these, I have a preference for Silver Tongue. Abandonned, Pleased, Brainwashed, Exploited contains explosive power but is not heavy at all with a very lively and full chorus. Gravenimage is a good invention: it starts only with piano + strings, then lights up with the entrance of the other instruments, always maintaining the initial melody. The last track Draw Me is quite sad, melancholic, even though it is not the mythical Space Die Vest; if the band's goal is to bring down the listener's morale, I'd say they succeeded. I want to linger more on The Cage and The Misery. The first is a very lively song with the most beautiful chorus sung by Tony Kakko, and the initial show-off by the keyboardist is beautiful (I just can't give up the term's connotation). The final background chorus is also beautiful. The Cage is one of the most beautiful Power songs, and those who want to know this sublime musical genre can get an idea by listening to it. We just have The Misery left: initially, it may seem like a kind of sad, poorly executed ballad, but no, guys, no, The Misery is relaxing, engaging, and can also be moving. Heartbreaking is the simple solo by Liimatainen superimposed on the chorus.
In short, I want to highlight again the catchiness of the melodies of this album, which I LIKED IMMEDIATELY UPON FIRST LISTENING. Furthermore, I want to recommend it to those who are used to commercial, poor music, which identifies Metal simply as "heavy music." A definition that is far too short for a world as vast as Metal and, moreover, incorrect: POWER AND PROG METAL ARE NOT HEAVY.

Sonata Arctica, a group that creates songs with great vitality, with artists endowed with exceptional technique (except the bassist), but at the same time have soul, creativity, and personality.