SONATA ARCTICA — Ecliptica (review)

SONATA ARCTICA — Ecliptica album cover Album · 1999 · Power Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Time Signature
Picturing the past...

Genre: Euro power metal

The Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica represents a kind of power metal, which I actually have a bit of an aversion toward - namely, the über-epic type of polished power metal, where everything is smeared with keyboards and other effects that make cheesometer go to eleven. It has nothing to do with whether or not I like power metal or not, because I do - I am just not too enthusiastic about cheesy happy puppy Euro power metal.

In the light of this, I must say that Sonata Arctica's debut album "Ecliptica" more or less clicked with me already at first listen. One reason is that there is a real punch to tracks like 'Blank File', 'Picturing the Past' and 'Destruction Preventer', all of which rock hard and are full of metal energy. Moreover, Sonata Arctica really showcase their capacity for writing extremely catchy chorus lines. Just check out 'Blank File', 'Kingdom for a Heart', 'Full Moon', 'UnOpened', and 'Picturing the Past'. Indeed, the ability to create such catchy choruses is Sonata Arctica's major strength, and it does not make matters any worse that Tony Kakko is as good a singer as he is.

There is some cheesiness on this album, of course, in the form of prominent keyboards, a couple of ballads, and loads of Yngwie Malmsteen-like guitar wankery, but on an album like this, I can live with it.

One of the better Euro power metal releases, and the best release in Sonata Arctica's catalog, "Ecliptica" is definitely a classic that any fan of the genre should own.
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