Description

At first it may seem a little ludicrous for Finland’s Sonata Arctica to be releasing the second live album of their career (and both recorded in Tokyo, Japan), with only four studio full-lengths (and a smattering of EPs) from which to populate their set list, but you won’t hear their die-hard fans complaining. After all, these power metal champions don’t have many casual fans; just outright haters or devoted followers for whom their rarely wavering sonic template and scientifically orchestrated stage show simply can’t be improved upon. (Keep in mind that, like most of their melodically inclined Euro metal brethren, Sonata Arctica’s stage show is essentially comprised of a scaled down re-enactment of Iron Maiden’s format, where meticulous musicianship seems to take precedence over spontaneity more often than not.) (Regarding Iron Maiden listen to Kakko’s change of lyrics in Black Sheep. Instead of singing “In love with the maiden, the flower of winter, lowbrow children, in grove of the inland” Kakko sings “We’re not Iron Maiden, we’re not from England, we are Sonata, and we come from Finland”). This is why the Fin’s can get away with alternating their fast and slow numbers, almost without fail, and their fans seem to eat it right up! Heck, For the Sake Of Revenge almost feels like a case study for this technique, as the audience is alternately buffeted with hurricane winds generated by the countless sixteenth notes and double kick drums contained in “Misplaced,” “8th Commandment,” “Black Sheep,” and their like; or stranded in the dead calm surrounding majestic trad metal anthems and power ballads such as “Blinded No More,” “Broken,” and “Graven Image.” Death and black metal fans will of course get nothing out of this release (let’s see them maintain a straight face as the band launches into the amazingly irony-free “Victoria’s Secret”), but For The Sake of Revenge is tailor-made for Sonata Arctica’s unquestioning power metal devotees. For The Sake Of Revenge was recorded at Shibuya AX in Tokyo, Japan on the 5th of February 2005.

Track list:
1. Prelude For Reckoning
2. Misplaced
3. Blinded No More
4. Full Moon / White Pearl, Black Oceans
5. Victoria’s Secret
6. Broken
7. 8th Commandment
8. Shamandalie
9. Kingdom For A Heart
10. Replica
11. My Land
12. Black Sheep
13. Sing In Silence
14. The End Of This Chapter
15. San Sebastian
16. The End Of This Keyboard Sing-a-long
17. Gravenimage
18. Don`t Say A Word
19. The Cage
20. Vodka Hava Nagila Sing-a-long
21. End Credits / Draw Me Outro
22. The Men Of The North In The Land Of The Rising Sun-documentary
23. Biographies
24. Discography
25. Photo gallery
26. Finnish commentary