Hello all,
I am a huge sonata arctica fan and have been sitting with their new one for a bit and am ready to post my thoughts on this one.
UNIA - wow, where to begin? I had heard that this one was in a different direction than their previous work and I have to admit that it is a little bit different from their earlier stuff. I do like the production on this disc, it is nice and loud. If i could change anything, i would like the guitars to be a little less on the bass side if that makes sense. I have no production knowledge at all, i just know what i like to hear. i think the guitars sound a little muddy. the songs on this cd are not as speedy as on their other cd's. that is okay in my book because i typically like the mid paced songs by this band. what i am really missing the most is the melodies. typically for me the melodies on a SA disc are right up front and hit you in the face. on this cd, the melodies are a little harder to find. there are songs on here that the melodies are right there but most songs you have to find the melody. Also, I am a huge fan of Tony' s vocals and i think he is great at making huge choruses. i love the way he uses his voice. on this cd he has more of a harsh tone and i am not quite sure i am digesting it. i am also a fan of jani's guitar solos, the guy is amazing but on this cd, there are not many guitar solos at all. i think this cd is a heavier SA but i don't now if it is a better SA. i do have to give them props for going out on a limb and trying something different to keep their music sounding fresh but i miss the melody and the catchiness of the older SA. is this a bad disc, not at all, just not my cup of tea. i think there will be plenty of people who love this cd, i do like it but it is not one of my favorites. I think this disc is one that you have to sit with for a bit and digest it. This one may move up with more listens but right now, it is not my favorite SA cd. Not bad, just not my taste.
Here is my ranking of the SA discs.
1. SILENCE - This was my first cd by them and to me it is there best. this cd still gets lots of spins from me. I love every song on this album. love the mix of speed, mid paced and ballads. tony's vocals are amazing, there are tons of guitar solos. I love this disc from start to finish.
2. Winterheart's Guild - To me, this is the best sounding SA disc. I love the crisp guitar sound on this one. This disc is a little bit darker and to me a bit heavier. This disc has my favorite SA song, Broken, can listen to this one over and over. Another great disc there are a couple of filler songs but for the most part a great listen.
3. Reckoning Night - This disc is a good listen for me. I am not too fond of the production on this one. To me this one sounds very muddy, very similar to Unia. There are some solid songs on this one and i love the ones that i like. There are also some songs I do not like on this one as well. The ones I don't like, i really don't like. I grab this cd a good bit b/c the songs that i do like i love em.
4. Ecliptica - Okay, i know i will be blasted for this one being ranked so low on my list. Does not mean i don't like this disc, I do. The production is pretty good for when it came out so it sounds good to me. The songs are pretty good as well. I love all of the guitar solos which there are plenty on this disc. The thing that keeps me from going overboard on this one is Tony's voice. I think he goes too high on this one. I feel like on this one, he wanted to impress and wanted people to know that he could do it and so he hit it often. When Silence came out he still hit the high notes but seemed to have more control. Does this make sense? My favorite song on this cd is Replica.
5. Unia - Just can't seem to get into this one like i can the others. Not a bad cd at all, just not for me. I hope they return to the SA of old with their next one.
Comments are always welcome. I love to see your thoughts and opinions.
Thank you,
Brand
I am a huge sonata arctica fan and have been sitting with their new one for a bit and am ready to post my thoughts on this one.
UNIA - wow, where to begin? I had heard that this one was in a different direction than their previous work and I have to admit that it is a little bit different from their earlier stuff. I do like the production on this disc, it is nice and loud. If i could change anything, i would like the guitars to be a little less on the bass side if that makes sense. I have no production knowledge at all, i just know what i like to hear. i think the guitars sound a little muddy. the songs on this cd are not as speedy as on their other cd's. that is okay in my book because i typically like the mid paced songs by this band. what i am really missing the most is the melodies. typically for me the melodies on a SA disc are right up front and hit you in the face. on this cd, the melodies are a little harder to find. there are songs on here that the melodies are right there but most songs you have to find the melody. Also, I am a huge fan of Tony' s vocals and i think he is great at making huge choruses. i love the way he uses his voice. on this cd he has more of a harsh tone and i am not quite sure i am digesting it. i am also a fan of jani's guitar solos, the guy is amazing but on this cd, there are not many guitar solos at all. i think this cd is a heavier SA but i don't now if it is a better SA. i do have to give them props for going out on a limb and trying something different to keep their music sounding fresh but i miss the melody and the catchiness of the older SA. is this a bad disc, not at all, just not my cup of tea. i think there will be plenty of people who love this cd, i do like it but it is not one of my favorites. I think this disc is one that you have to sit with for a bit and digest it. This one may move up with more listens but right now, it is not my favorite SA cd. Not bad, just not my taste.
Here is my ranking of the SA discs.
1. SILENCE - This was my first cd by them and to me it is there best. this cd still gets lots of spins from me. I love every song on this album. love the mix of speed, mid paced and ballads. tony's vocals are amazing, there are tons of guitar solos. I love this disc from start to finish.
2. Winterheart's Guild - To me, this is the best sounding SA disc. I love the crisp guitar sound on this one. This disc is a little bit darker and to me a bit heavier. This disc has my favorite SA song, Broken, can listen to this one over and over. Another great disc there are a couple of filler songs but for the most part a great listen.
3. Reckoning Night - This disc is a good listen for me. I am not too fond of the production on this one. To me this one sounds very muddy, very similar to Unia. There are some solid songs on this one and i love the ones that i like. There are also some songs I do not like on this one as well. The ones I don't like, i really don't like. I grab this cd a good bit b/c the songs that i do like i love em.
4. Ecliptica - Okay, i know i will be blasted for this one being ranked so low on my list. Does not mean i don't like this disc, I do. The production is pretty good for when it came out so it sounds good to me. The songs are pretty good as well. I love all of the guitar solos which there are plenty on this disc. The thing that keeps me from going overboard on this one is Tony's voice. I think he goes too high on this one. I feel like on this one, he wanted to impress and wanted people to know that he could do it and so he hit it often. When Silence came out he still hit the high notes but seemed to have more control. Does this make sense? My favorite song on this cd is Replica.
5. Unia - Just can't seem to get into this one like i can the others. Not a bad cd at all, just not for me. I hope they return to the SA of old with their next one.
Comments are always welcome. I love to see your thoughts and opinions.
Thank you,
Brand
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