Description

Rare original limited picture disc Finnish prog metal quartet Sonata Arctica specializes in a soaring, orchestral variation on European heavy metal, fusing the sweeping, romantic bombast of bands like Europe with the over-the-top instrumental chops of Dream Theater. Born in 1996, the band, which included vocalist Tony Kakko, guitarist Jani Liimatainen, drummer Tommy Portimo, keyboardist Mikko Harkin, and bassist Janne Kivilahti, recorded a handful of demos before releasing their first single, ‘UnOpened’, on Spinefarm Records in July of 1999. Producer Mikko Karmila (Children of Bodom, Stratovarius, Nightwish) recorded and mixed Sonata Arctica's full-length debut, Ecliptica, and the album was released in 2000. On ‘Ecliptica’ the band continues the tradition of their Finnish contemporaries, like Stratovarius and so on. It would take an album or two for Sonata Arctica to find their own style. Sure, hit songs such as ‘Blank File’ and ‘Unopened’ will satisfy the everyfan of heavy metal, but the same ideas repeat too many times during the album. If you like Stratovarius then you probably like Sonata Arctica too. Track listing: 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