Customer Reviews

Successor

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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I've already said this before, but I must say it again. I'm very glad I discovered this band. If not for the internet, and the positive reviews written by the great reviewers on this site (Phaylon and Markgugs in particular), I would have never known anything about this band. Thanks, guys.

Anyway, "Successor" is an Ep album containing seven songs: an edited version of "Full Moon" (it's just a little shorter, I think they cut out the intro), two covers ("Still Loving You", by the Scorpions and "I Want Out", by Helloween), two new songs, and two live tracks. 30 minutes of great music.

I would say that the Scorpions cover was what initially attracted me to this album. That was already a great song, but I knew SA doing it would be a thousand times better. Well, it's good, maybe not all that much better. They sped it up, for one thing, and made into more of a power metal type song. I would liked to have heard it done exactly like the original, but oh well. I guess that's not too exciting to do it that way. The Helloween cover is great. I'm not too familiar with that band, but I'd guess this version is not too far a deviation from the original, and is every bit as good and then some. The two new songs, "San Sebastian" and "Shy", are great too. "San Sebastian" is a high-speed power metal track that just rocks good and hard. "Shy" is kind of a weird, but strangely touching ballad. It's mostly acoustic, and fairly emotional (but who is this Dana person he keeps writing about?). It could have been better, but it isn't bad. The live tracks ("Replica" and "My Land") are great too, almost a match for the recordings. The only bad thing is the quality. In certain parts, you can't hear the vocals that well, and the keyboards don't sound quite right. It sounds like it may have been an outdoor venue. One good thing is that you can hear the bass better than on the recordings (not that it's all that impressive). But hey, it still got me wishing I could see them in concert (even though I'm sure they'll NEVER come to America!).

All in all, a great album. If you are a fan of this band, you must own this. Don't start with it (get one of their studio albums first), but after that, get this. I have ordered "Silence", and can't wait to get it. I know it's gonna be great. Hail Metal!

All the songs that sonata's fans are looking for:

1- FullMoon(Edit) - No differencies,just shorter. 2- Still Loving You (Scorpions Cover) - Much better than the original Scorpions' version. 3- I Want Out(Helloween Cover) - Helloween classic. Great version. 4- San Sebastian - New song. Fast and melodic. 5- Shy - Fine ballad from "Agre Pamppers" demo. 6- Replica(LIVE) - Faster than the "normal" version, nice solos! 7- My Land(LIVE) - The best Sonata music (fantastic solos)

Great influences from Stratovarius & Hellowenn(with Michael Kiske)

I'll get straight to my primary point: I'm a sucker for ballads, and "Shy" is probably Sonata Arctica's best venture in this area despite tough competition from their other albums. It seems to be a bridge that connects Letter to Dana from Ecliptica with The End of This Chapter from Silence in a loose thematic chain; although it could just be a stretch of my imagination (I theorize also that Fullmoon, Wolf and Raven, and the Cage are a similar chain).

Apart from this, we get a slightly clipped Fullmoon (a little bit of the beginning has been cut), a good but forgettable rendition of Still Loving You, a speedy and well done take on I Want Out, and the album's standout track: San Sebastien, a rowdy, energetic number that boasts catchy vocal melodies, athletic drumming, and some impressive soloing from the guitars and keyboards (You will notice that the keyboard effect has been changed and the odd fill before the final section was cut for the Silence version). Two pleasant live tracks round out this EP, essentially a snack between Ecliptica and Silence, and a fully satisfying one at that.

I just reviewed the other S.A. CD entitled Silence and as I said on that review I might as well state again in this one! If you are bored with the everyday ho-hum of modern pop, rock, hip hop, or heavy metal I suggest you check this band out!
It is unlike anything I have ever heard before and it is totally worth spending hard earned money on!
The guitar solo's are amazing, the lead singer's voice is HOT, and the whole mood of the CD just makes you want to get up and take on the world!
Buy this CD if not for yourself, do it for the kids!

I'm actually not a huge metal fan, but Sonata Arctica amazed me from the first time i listened to them. first there was Ecliptica, and after that, the minute i saw there was another album, i rushed to get it...

The covers are all better then the original one's. and the live acts are really good. great CD if you like metal and even greater if you just getting to know metal. the solos are great and the music is nice and melodic.

In short: it's worth the money

Sonata Arctica made after the debut album "Ecliptica" an EP. Althought Ecliptica wasn't so successful in the world...after Silence and Winterheart's Guild most of the songs became live favourites. "FullMoon" was one of them. Here is an edited version (I don't why it is edited because they have taken the best verse away.) FullMoon is a dark melodic metal song. Two covers: Still Loving You (more aggressive than Scorpions') and "I Want Out" (pretty same as Helloween's"). You love or hate SLY. "San Sebastian" is a great song. It is one of my Sonata favourites. This version is the original one....not the revisited version which is great too. The original one is much more faster. "Shy" is a ballad, the part 2 of "Letter to Dana". The live tracks of the songs of Ecliptica are great.