Sonata Arctica - Ecliptica
When I first heard about Sonata Arctica's debut Ecliptica there were lots of varying statements being made about the band. Some hailed them as the most promising Melodic Speed Metal band to come along in years, while others simply slammed them as nothing more than a Stratovarius clone. While the Stratovarius influence is indeed there, Sonata Arctica simply blows their Metal heroes out of the water with this debut release.

It took me a few spins to get into Ecliptica. When I first heard it I honestly was not that impressed, and nothing really jumped out at me. After shelving it for a week or so, I popped it in my CD player one day and was utterly blown away. The fantastic melodies started to sink in with each subsequent listen, and the talent of these (very) young Finns began to shine through. When you take into account the fact that all of the band members, except the vocalist, were less than 20 years old when they released their debut you can't be anything but impressed.

The guitar playing on this album is lightning fast and unbelievably precise. Simply listen to the guitar soloing on the opener Blank File and you'll see what I mean. In many cases Jani Liimatainen out-performs his Stratovarius comrade Timo Tolkki when it comes to shredding through some of the faster sections of Ecliptica. Picturing the Past opens with some fantastic neoclassical guitar work that makes Jani's Yngwie influences quite evident. And this dude was a teenager when he played this stuff! Amazing.

Even more amazing are Sonata Arctica's vocals. Tony Kakko, who also plays all keyboards on the album, simply rips your head off with his high pitched screams, and the catchy choruses for most of the songs on this album will get stuck in your head for days.

Special mention must go to Tony's performance on the album closer Destruction Preventer. This track speeds along for the most part and then eventually slows down towards the end for short acoustic interlude to give the listener a chance to catch their breath. Tony sings a few mellow lines to lull us into a false sense of security, and then BAM! As he belts out the line, "Unless.this is truly the end" his voice hits high notes that, honestly, no guy should be able to sing, and the song explodes back into the speedy chorus and finishes up leaving us speechless.

Tommy and Janne, respectively, handle the drumming and bass playing on Ecliptica, and even though neither of their parts really stood out for me they set a solid foundation for the remaining two members to build upon.

My favorite song on Ecliptica is probably My Land, though I had to listen to it at least a dozen times before its brilliance started to shine through. With each listen of My Land a previously overlooked vocal passage or guitar riff would jump out at me and add new layers to an already excellent song. The music in My Land alternates from delicate, to heavy; slow and moody, to speedy and wild - it really is a roller coaster of a track.

Although this is Speed Metal through and through, Sonata Arctica throws two highly enjoyable ballads into the mix as well: Replica and Letter to Dana. Replica is a fantastic song about a man who returns home from war and tries to cope with living a normal life again. Tony's voice is the highlight of this track for me, as he gives the most emotional performance of the album.

If you're into speedy, neoclassical tinged Power Metal, Sonata Arctica will not disappoint. Although they aren't the most original band in the world, and certain areas of Ecliptica are lacking that special touch that keeps this album from being perfect, these Finnish Metalers have delivered one hell of a great album. After 3 full-length albums, Ecliptica still stands as their finest and most solid release. If performers such as Stratovarius, Yngwie Malmsteen, or Symphony X are your cup of tea, you need to check this one out!

Written by Matthew
Friday, May 14, 2004
Show all reviews by Matthew

Ratings

Matthew: 8.5/10

Members: No members have rated this album yet.


This article has been shown 3841 times. Go to the complete list.



RevelationZ Comments


Comment by J Leeson (Anonymous) - Monday, January 10, 2005
i cant believe there hasnt been a comment before mine - i plan to lead as people should follow. SONATA ARCTICA ARE AWESOME!!!!! there is so much depth to this album. i love it so much, it is definately in my top 5 cds in my large enough collection. 10/10!!! if you like this album type after me











Review by Matthew
None

Released by
Spinefarm Records - 2000

Tracklisting
1. Blank File
2. My Land
3. 8th Commandment
4. Replica
5. Kingdom for a Heart
6. Full Moon
7. Letter to Dana
8. Unopened
9. Picturing the Past
10. Destruction Preventer


Style
Melodic Power/Speed Metal

Related links
Visit the band page

Sonata Arctica - Official Website

Other articles
Silence - (Tommy)

Live with Platitude at The Rock, Copenhagen, 10th of November, 2004 - (Nina)

Unia - (Brian)

The Days of Grays - (Alanna)



Z supported shopping






Ratings
1 - Horrifying
2 - Terrible
3 - Bad
4 - Below average
5 - Average
6 - Good
7 - Very good
8 - Outstanding
9 - Genius
10 - Masterpiece
666 - Unrated

More details...


Daily Spotlight
D:A:D - Riskin' It All
CoverThis was my first D:A:D album and in fact the first time I really started taking notice of Rock music back in the day. 1991 t....
Read full review















Retro Reviews

(Tommy)
AC/DC - High Voltage
CoverIt could very well be that it's a long way to the top of Rock N' Roll, but here thirty years after the release of their debut album, AC/DC is at the very peak of Rock music and have been there for wha....
Read full review






(Michael)
Legs Diamond - Town Bad Girl
Cover"Town Bad Girl" was a triumphant return for Legs Diamond. The band released their first album back in 1977 and "Town Bad Girl" has one foot in Legs Diamonds' 70's legacy and another in 80's Hard Rock.....
Read full review








Archive
 · Albums of the month
 · Retro Reviews
































Back to the top - © 2002-2011 RevelationZ Magazine - Back to the top