SONATA ARCTICA - Flag In The Ground - MAKING OF

[Rebel]

Jani was not Sonata...
Look at what Henkka said in an interview...

AMG: So, switching topics a bit, did you guys get a strong reaction to the whole situation with Jani?

Henkka: Uh, yeah. Somewhat yeah, a lot of our fans were like “Hey, why did this happen?” and blah blah blah blah blah and I think, I don’t remember exactly what we said in our statement at the time, but I think it should have been made clear that this was something we couldn’t do anything about. It’s basically pretty hard to have a guitar player without a passport who can’t travel anywhere. And he was really messing his life up and not, uh… I mean, he was dodging the phone for like 3 or 4 months, so it’s impossible to work with somebody if the situation is like that. Originally the thing was like, we said like, “OK, you get your shit together and Elias is covering for you and you get your stuff done and when you’re ready you come back.” But then we still couldn’t get ahold of him and he wouldn’t answer the phone and then we were on tour with Elias and at some point we just had to say, “Look, if you’re not making this effort this is not going to work out.” So.., but I think partly he did not want to be in the band anymore but he just couldn’t manage to tell us that. That I think could have been one of the reasons that he let everything slip through his hands and go, you know, at least some statements that I read by him later.. he seemed like he didn’t want to be in the band, but just couldn’t say it out loud or something like that. Of course it was a difficult time for us, we were in the middle of recording an album when these things started to happen. Then we got the album ready and then it was a total disaster and we had shows booked for like one or two years ahead and we had no guitar player and so for us that was a pretty chaotic time for the band, but I think we got through it and things are way easier with Elias. I mean, I just got off the phone with him to call you, so.. It was a really… there were really a lot of problems and a lot of stuff that I won’t go into and that we didn’t tell the public because it wouldn’t have been fair, but basically…the tip of the iceberg is something that people know and that was eventually what led to the situation where we chose to fire him.

People who can't let Jani go... go to listen to Cain's Offering instead...

Also, Flag in the Ground is a song composed back in 1996, so is not new material.
I also see people who think that it will be a very bright album or a new Reckoning Night just for listening to that song.
The band said it is a dark album, so don't rush conclusions.
I can't wait for the album

That's completely fine if Sonata wants to go with a new guitarist, IMO, Jani Liimitainen kicks his ass four ways down main street, but I welcomed Matias with open arms, because listen to Deep Unknown, that's NOT Tolkki style. Maybe it's just that FITG was ACTUALLY written for Jani, but it doesn't impress me in the least. Elias =/= Jani, and shame on Tony for writing Jani style for Elias I guess.

Funny how Henkka fails to mention that Jani was in the army much of the "Didn't answer the phone phase"

[Mehida]

Also, Flag in the Ground is a song composed back in 1996, so is not new material.

Only small parts of the song are from '96. The lyrics are totally new, and most of the song completely rewritten, so I would consider it as new material.

Where was that said?

[Rebel]

I just gave the samples a listen, and as of yet, I am still unimpressed, it's better than FITG, however, it's still an inferior product compared to Unia.

[mayhem-for-all]

Tony for writing Jani style for Elias I guess.

Jani style
I have never noticed any style.
On ecliptica and soe parts on Silence guitars were a lot like Tolkkis and later on they didin't make that great parts either.

second Tony doesn't write any solos it is now confirmed they work them out in a group.

and why is Jani so good?
You know come market me the In Black and White intro again but you know 1. Tony Wrote it 2. It isn't that demanding 3. Cains offering is just good but not spectacular. 4. Jani never had any sonata spirit. He was a member of the band just like the rest of them and it was his call to quit. He didn't want to do it anymore.

[Rebel]

It's not in the solos, and it's not in the technical ability, it's fairly simple stuff to be honest, Jani had a great ability to trade back and forth between the really basic, heavy metal power chord chugging, and the blistering speed explosions, and a lot of people can do that, however, as Flea said about bass players, the most important aspect of the bass's sound is the emotion you're putting into playing the instrument, and the same is true for guitar. Jani had an incredible tone and attitude about his playing that, in my opinion, completed the Sonata Arctica sound. Metal, to me at least, has always been something that transcends the notes and goes into the heart of the music. Tony was very good at writing music that brought out that raw metal sound Jani could create, but it's not Elias' gig, I can tell that from Flag in the Ground. The other stuff seems to cater to him better, but only hearing samples, they don't grab my attention like the Cain's Offering samples, or the Polaris samples did, and I'm pretty sure Blind Guardian's new album will also be more bombastic and epic.

I'm not going to go around saying the album sucks, I'm a bit of a power metal loyalist, so I don't want to hurt the genre's image, (Not to mention I'm sure it won't suck), but Sonata Arctica in the last few years has been playing themselves into the big leagues, they're not just a Strato-Worship band anymore, but I don't think Days of Gray will stand up to Polaris, or what Blind Guardian will be putting out next year.

[exe knight]

^ I think The days of grays will be alot better than Polaris, atleast judging by that video, it's better than any song on Polaris.

[Ragehead91]

^ I think The days of grays will be alot better than Polaris, atleast judging by that video, it's better than any song on Polaris.

This. And really, I never thought I would say that about Sonata Arctica.

[shg]

I like Sonata Arctica's new song "Flag In The Ground", but somehow Tony Kakko sings timidly. At least on video.

What bothers me on the video is Kakko's overly bleached teeth...

EDIT: http://www.metalfromfinland.com/news/20 ... o_released

[Rebel]

I'm a pretty big SA fan (Well, at least, I'm a pretty big fan of Eliptica, Silence, and Unia), but this album does not strike me the way that Polaris did, or like the track "Sacred" from the new BG album, or even Cain's Offering (Although, I think they'll be comparable), maybe the rest of the album will prove me wrong, but we'll see.

[Saffron]

Also, Flag in the Ground is a song composed back in 1996, so is not new material.

Only small parts of the song are from '96. The lyrics are totally new, and most of the song completely rewritten, so I would consider it as new material.

Where was that said?

Tony himself said it in an interview. There was a link in the SA-forum, under the topic "New album: THE DAYS OF GRAYS", But the topic has grown so big I can't find the link...

[Mehida]

Many thanks mate
I'm gonna check it now.

[Rebel]

Something about their Keytarist just bothers me as well, not so much his playing, but his attitude in his interviews. Again, here's to me being wrong about the new SA album, I want something to tide me over until I get more Hansi.

[Saffron]

Also, Flag in the Ground is a song composed back in 1996, so is not new material.

Only small parts of the song are from '96. The lyrics are totally new, and most of the song completely rewritten, so I would consider it as new material.

Where was that said?

Tony himself said it in an interview. There was a link in the SA-forum, under the topic "New album: THE DAYS OF GRAYS", But the topic has grown so big I can't find the link...

Read in the SA-forum now, and the song is a rework of the song "Blackout" from the demo "Friends til the end"