
The band has changed that approach later on in its career which has lead to more experimental records that are loved by some and loathed by others such as Unia. While this album includes all the band's trademarks such as variable melodic vocals, energetic drum patterns, dynamic bass guitar sounds, fast and harmonious guitar sounds as well as atmospheric, cinematic and epic keyboard layers, the band fails to push the limits and try out anything new on this output. While this record is still very good, it can't however compete with the band's first strike for three specific reasons.įirst of all, stagnation has never been a key to success. You like Melodic Power Metal? You will love Silence by Sonata Arctica.Sonata Arctica's first strike Ecliptica is one of the greatest melodic power metal records ever conceived, so it only makes sense that the Finnish quintet didn't change its style when writing, recording and publishing its second output Silence. They didn't get so much advertise in comparison with other bands. Power Metal needed a band like Sonata Arctica and I have to say that they became famous with their own powers. They are really talented and you can see that on every single track. They also have a couple of great 'sad' ballads who add some a bit of grey among all the other bright colors. I can say that their music is like a picture with many bright colors. Great melodic guitars lead the way along with some awesome keyboards who create a great picture. On this CD you can find 13 very good Melodic Power metal songs that will appeal to any fan of Power Metal. Silence is not way different than their first CD but of course the guys are more mature now and you can see that through their music arrangements. Here we have their second full length album. They have influences but they work a lot on their ideas. They don't plain copy the bands I mentioned above. They have something magical in their music. I can't deny that they sound a lot like Stratovarius (with the Keyboards), I also can't deny that they have a lot of Helloween and Gamma Ray arrangements but hell there's something about Sonata Arctica that makes me like them a lot even if I hate the bands who sound a lot with my childhood heroes, Helloween. Sonata Arctica have as their starting point the bands I mentioned above but they have add something that made them to stand out of the crowd. What is the biggest drawback of the new Melodic Power Metal bands? Most of them sound like Helloween, Gamma Ray and Stratovarius.

Sonata Arctica is without any doubt one of the strongest newcomers in the European Melodic Power Metal scene.
