So based on what I've been reading

[Rebel]

"The Days of Grays" was a complete bag of mediocre?
For all the anticipation and hype around their new guitarist, it sounds like SA just isn't getting the job done on this new album. Would that be the consensus?

[Ragehead91]

Pretty much yes.

[Rebel]

Awesome, I'll resume my Unia-worship in peace then.

[Ragehead91]

Awesome, I'll resume my Unia-worship in peace then.

Well, you should listen to it yourself If you haven't already done it. Maybe you'll like it despite everyone else thinking it is medicore.

[NeverendingAbyss]

I like the album, but it lacks a symbolically long song.

[Ragehead91]

I like the album, but it lacks a symbolically long song.

And Guitarsolos. And no, keyboard solos don't count as substitutes.

[browneyedgirl]

Oh Lord, my son just ordered that album! Should I be prepared for a bunch of cussing and footstomping at his wasting about 20 bucks? I thought this album was alright?
>facepalm<

[Ragehead91]

Oh Lord, my son just ordered that album! Should I be prepared for a bunch of cussing and footstomping at his wasting about 20 bucks? I thought this album was alright?
>facepalm<

It sort of is a return too their roots. There are still a few elements of Unia here and there, but it is somewhat of a return. But to me it wasn't outstanding. To me it was just medicore. There is just one song that really got stuck in my head. And that is "Flag in the Ground". But maybe he'll like it.

[stratowerner]

Imo Unia is weak with only 2 good songs,but with the new''masterpiece'' it's even worser..I can't believe they still sell out big venue's just on the the old albums!

[mayhem-for-all]

It was great.
If you will check out Sonata arctica forums thread for this album it is full of praises.

a really good album.
Best they have made so far.
Not that typical sonata instrumentally since there were very few solos but there is lots of vocals vocals and even more vocals.

[Rebel]

Imo Unia is weak with only 2 good songs,but with the new''masterpiece'' it's even worser..I can't believe they still sell out big venue's just on the the old albums!

In Black and White, Paid in Full, Fly with the Black Swan, Caleb and My Dreams but a requiem for a nightmare.
I count at least 5

[Irinia]

I disagree with you, after many listens. I know many think an album should be good straight away, but for me I appreciate albums more if the songs need to "grow on me".
In the biginning I thought it sounded strange, weird, the lack of solos annoyed me and I wondered if Tony had lost his mind. It sounded a little bit like noise and mess to me..
Then I put the album back in its case and listened to other music for a while, Unia amongst them. After a while I brought TDOG back into my player and had a different experience. However, I had to think about the fact that Sonata is no longer the Sonata I used to know, this album is different - tried to have an open mind.

Now I absolutely love some of the songs and pretty much like the rest. Only one I don't like is Breathing, cos I think it's boring I especially like The Dead Skin, Zeroes and The Truth is Out There - Also The Last Amazing Grays and Deathaura hits me.
The lyrics and songs I thought was hopeless to remember, I now know by heart. I was able to follow the change in style and music, many people will probably fall off and stop liking the band, but then again new listeners will come to. Bands evolve, and we might not like the way they are headed, but they will still go that way.
However, I kinda hope the next album will be a little more band, less orchestra and a little more moderate vocal experimentation
I am going to the Sonata concert in Oslo 13th of December and I really, really can't wait!

I love Sonata!

[Intiaani]

I thought of ordering it for Christmas... I have heard, like, the last part of it in a shopping mall and it wasn't that bad. There was a song that had like zero content and was worthless as hell, but I think that's the one about any review (Finnish, anyway) have already noted. Looking forward listening to it though. It can't be worse than Unia. That music video song was, although a bit cheap sounding, still very good in my mind.

Sorry. I just never got in that stuff. Kakko said it himself that he had too much time before the deadline. He just ended up adding layers and layers of stuff just because he felt it's cool to add them. (In Finnish)

[browneyedgirl]

Oh Lord, my son just ordered that album! Should I be prepared for a bunch of cussing and footstomping at his wasting about 20 bucks? I thought this album was alright?
>facepalm<

It sort of is a return too their roots. There are still a few elements of Unia here and there, but it is somewhat of a return. But to me it wasn't outstanding. To me it was just medicore. There is just one song that really got stuck in my head. And that is "Flag in the Ground". But maybe he'll like it.

I hope so! I am sure I will hear about it either way!

[Rebel]

Kakko said it himself that he had too much time before the deadline. He just ended up adding layers and layers of stuff just because he felt it's cool to add them. (In Finnish)

But it IS cool.

[mayhem-for-all]

Oh Lord, my son just ordered that album! Should I be prepared for a bunch of cussing and footstomping at his wasting about 20 bucks? I thought this album was alright?
>facepalm<

It sort of is a return too their roots. There are still a few elements of Unia here and there, but it is somewhat of a return. But to me it wasn't outstanding. To me it was just medicore. There is just one song that really got stuck in my head. And that is "Flag in the Ground". But maybe he'll like it.

I hope so! I am sure I will hear about it either way!

If he likes Tonys vocals and the less speed and instrumentally dominated old songs he will propably like the album AFTER a few (don't worry by few I really mean just 2-5) listens for each song.
It won't sound that great at first but He will most likely like it.

And I'm not saying he should listen to it a lot or that carefully or that it woukd be behind years of meditations with some asian monks .
He will quite soon have an image of how he is going to like it.

[Intiaani]

Kakko said it himself that he had too much time before the deadline. He just ended up adding layers and layers of stuff just because he felt it's cool to add them. (In Finnish)

But it IS cool.

I never learnt to like it, and it was not because of the layers. It was about the music being something totally new and neverbeforeheard in metal - and I didn't happen to like it. :/ I realized it, like, in the third listening-thru and I have never listened the whole album since. It's actually sad that I think it as the far worst Sonata album (of those I've heard - everything, sans The Days of Grays). I recognize it is different and a fresh wind to the pretty blatant melodic metal scene. Just not my cup of tea.

[mayhem-for-all]

Kakko said it himself that he had too much time before the deadline. He just ended up adding layers and layers of stuff just because he felt it's cool to add them. (In Finnish)

But it IS cool.

I never learnt to like it, and it was not because of the layers. It was about the music being something totally new and neverbeforeheard in metal - and I didn't happen to like it. :/ I realized it, like, in the third listening-thru and I have never listened the whole album since. It's actually sad that I think it as the far worst Sonata album (of those I've heard - everything, sans The Days of Grays). I recognize it is different and a fresh wind to the pretty blatant melodic metal scene. Just not my cup of tea.

I have to say that is a lot nicer way to put things than most who tell tehy don't like new sonata stuff.
You get some bonus points from that.

I mean some people are saying stuff like "this isn't Sonata since it isn't like ecliptica" and "This is not how they should sound and we the fans should decide how they sound"

That stuff usually is the most facepalm causing thing ever.
And I don't like how sonata fans so often idolize them so much.
Like Jani for example.
they are still making topics like we want Jani back.
They should just stop embarassing themselves.
Secondly (yes this is partially news)

“It’s an interesting question, even if I’ve heard it a million times already (laughs). I just wasn’t really enjoying the band anymore and it started to feel quite a bit like work. I also wanted to write my own songs, and in Sonata Arctica that’s pretty difficult because Tony (Kakko / vocals) is a very prolific songwriter himself. I didn’t want to step on his toes and I didn’t know if my style of writing would work in that context. I also realized at some point that Sonata Arctica was taking up so much of my time that I never had time to do anything on my own. I started to lose my motivation for Sonata Arctica and it started to show in my relationship with the guys in the band. I just wasn’t into it anymore. There wasn’t really that much drama. Not nearly as much as everyone would like to think because that would sell a lot more magazines (laughs). We just kind of grew apart.”

On the Unia album: “It’s not my favourite out of the albums I’ve done with them. It’s my least favourite, actually. Unia got mixed reviews. Some people liked it a lot and some people really disliked it. I’m kind of leaning on the disliking side as well because it just got too experimental for my taste. It kind of lost that red line bringing us to the things we were supposed to do, like hooks and melodies. Instead we were trying out a lot of weird shit (laughs).”

On Cain’s Offering: “It took quite a while to get it from an idea to an actual album. I think it took one-and-a-half years or so. I started really working on it in February 2008, and it just came down to getting the right people and the right songs, and booking the studios. I think a lot of people will be surprised when they hear the album. It’s all my stuff. I wrote the lyrics and the vocal melodies, and then I sent Timo (Kotipelto / STRATOVARIUS) the demos with me singing the songs. He learned them from that and then we went into recording with me producing his vocals. He did an awesome job.”

On fan expectations: “They probably expect Cain's Offering to sound like my old bands because I have this big stamp on my forehead saying ‘Played With Altaria / Played With Sonata Arctica’ (laughs), so that’s the kind of stuff they’re expecting. I didn’t actually pay an attention to any of that. I didn’t really care that much about what people would think. I was more concerned with getting the songs across. It was quite funny because for a long time while I was making this album I didn’t play any guitar because I was so into the production part of it. I only had rough guitar tracks down, so when I went in to record the tracks for real I was kind of anxious to see how things would go. I was wondering if I’d be able to pull it off (laughs). I guess it was a good thing because it got me to think outside the box a bit and not to all the things I’m known for. This is much more diverse than the stuff I’ve done in the past. This album takes stuff from a lot of music that I like and putting them in a blender, and this is what came out of it. If you’re expecting run-of-the-mill power metal or something the likes of Altaria, you’re going to get a bit more than that.”

http://www.metalfromfinland.com/news/20 ... ta_arctica__

[Intiaani]

Yeah but it's just a more civilized and reason stating way to tell that I didn't like the album. Well, it seems though that some people don't like music because it's not "Sonata Arctica" then? And what would be Sonata Arctica if Sonata Arctica isn't? The same goes with Edguy: I think Sammet always knows what's Edguy better than Ragehead91.

It kind of lost that red line bringing us to the things we were supposed to do, like hooks and melodies. Instead we were trying out a lot of weird shit (laughs).” - -
http://www.metalfromfinland.com/news/20 ... ta_arctica__

I felt about the same way. It is, not that I expected anything, but, it just didn't work. "Out of box" there means those damn genre lines again, so Jari's stating too that he didn't like it because it wasn't "THE Sonata" after all. Well, there's same in my point of view... although it wasn't about the un-Sonataness, it was about this weirdness and that the music and I didn't just "click".

[Rebel]

It's not that I want Sonata to get Jani back, I'd love it, but it's not happening, I just don't think they're nearly as good of a band with Elias than they were with Jani. It would be like trying to replace Jens. Hell, they got damn lucky in finding a replacement for Tolkki (I advocated Jani for the post, but Matias is just as good).

[Burning Reflection]

I've listened to it over and over and still don't like it. There are cool parts, but the songs as a whole are unmemorable and lack a punch that even songs on unia had. It seems like most of the instruments were dumb down to emphasize Tony's imo way over produced and fake sounding vocals. I don't see how they can do any of that live or without some kind of backing track. I usually like his lyrics but these were a step down in my opinion. I think Tony kind of has a pompous "better than that" kind of attitude that he needs to get over. His current lyrics are just not that good and ever since he's been trying to denounce their label as power metal he thinks of himself as some omnipotent artist or poet when he's neither of those. Sorry love Sonata, just not a blindly following fan boy.


PS: Cain's offering is the exact opposite of what I thought of the Sonata album. One of the best releases of the year imo.

[hiro23]

To tell you the truth I thought it was great, different but great, sounds like they combined both old and new sound for this one.
Personally I applaud them for doing it.

But once again, just my opinion

[mayhem-for-all]

I have to say that even though the album is just great I still want them to keep changing.
This kind of album this time around and something a bit different next.
It is a good addition to their discography and a great album IMO.