Customer Reviews

Unia

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I've never been a huge Sonata Arctica fan, but Unia ain't your Daddy's Sonata Arctica. Virtually gone is the typical Euro-power metal tempo, replaced with some rather excellent songwriting that idles somewhere in the mid-tempo vein. There are plenty of up-tempo sections of songs, so it's not like they've totally wimped out, but I'm sure SA traditionalists and euro-power metal enthusiasts are screaming bloody murder because of the complete absence of the standard repetitive double-bass drumming.

Personally, I love it! I never liked repetitive double-bass drumming anyway. The songwriting is key here. Totally awesome, and quite unique. It's got a strong prog flavor that always keeps it interesting (reminds me of Savatage - Poets & Madmen) while retaining its metal edge throughout with some godly riffs (again reminds me of Savatage - Poets & Madmen). There are quite a few ballad moments sprinkled throughout (which I always felt SA was best at) and they also remind of Jon Oliva's songwriting.

I also hear influences ranging from Therion and Devin Townsend, to Star One (Ayreon) and Kansas. Unia is a very diverse album, much broader and ambitious than anything in their past catalogue. Don't pass this one off as just another Sonata Arctica album. This one gets a gold pedastal in my hallowed hall of fame for brilliant songwriting.

Before I start reviewing I have to explain the title "Unia". The Finnish langauge has a word "uni" (pl. "unet") which means "a dream" (dreams). "I dream, I see dreams" is in Finnish "Näen unia". So Sonata Arctica decided to give a Finnish name for the album. Well...I think it's much better title than "Dreams".

Anyway, it's great to notice that Sonata Arctica has taken a new direction. When I got this CD into my hands and listened to it...after first listening I was confused. I never expected such a great album! Although many of the songs didn't stick into my mind (except from the single track "Paid in Full" I was sure that this would be one of SA's best album - maybe even the best. I wouldn't say that this is a commercial album because many of the songs are difficult to like (this could be called "progressive melodic metal"). There's such great guitar, keyboard solos. Some songs remind me of Queen's 70's times. In fact, Tony Kakko (the song writer, the vocalist) says he likes Queen very much. Some songs has impulses from other great albums, like Pink Floyd's "The Wall", Queensrÿche's "Operation: Mindcrime", and Dream Theater's "Images And Words". However Queen II is nearer this album than any other Queen album. There's only three peaceful songs "For the Sake of Revenge", Under Your Tree", and the absolute ballad "Good Enough Is Good Enough". I have to say that ALL THE SONGS ARE GREAT!!! The lyrics are great too...there are mostly about "the dream world".
Stars: It Won't Fade, The Harvest, Paid in Full

There is really not much that I can say about this album because it is the closest thing to perfection that I believe this band has come to. It has consistency, complexity, originality and intrigue. By about the seventh song I was wondering if I was listening to the same band that made "Reckoning Nights." This album is the most focused and mature release that this band has produced.

Album Run-down:

In Black and White: 9/10 - A wonderful opening track for this particular record. It sets the mood with an abrupt beginning, complexity that is rarely matched and wonderful vocal melodies/harmonies throughout.

Paid In Full: 10/10 - This song is marvelous! The soulful voice and lyrics of Tony really come full force in this track! The melody is wonderful and rather catchy...This is the single for those who didn't know. If you didn't know, it's easy to see that it is after reviewing the entire album.

For The Sake Of Revenge: 8/10 - Whoa...I don't know if the fans were really ready for a song like this. The offbeat vocals with the hallow drumbeat make for a classical and unusual feeling. This is probably the most unique song on this record. It will definitely take a few listens for the average music listener. It is most impressive indeed!

It Won't Fade: 9/10 - This song engages the listener with a crunchy and progressive riff with intense harmonizing and once again, soulful vocals (this time, not so sad..but more angry than "Paid In Full"). This song experiments with ambiance that I don't believe Sonata Arctica has really truly achieved in the past. It's one of the tightest tracks on the album!

Under Your Tree: 10/10 - If there is one thing that Sonata Arctica is good at, it is making an effective and beautiful ballad! This song is no exception to this assumption! With melancholy keyboards starting us off and aiding the hook in this song, it is hard to not feel the emotion and love that pours from Tony and the rest of the band in this one. This is probably the band's most emotional performance yet. Bravo!

Caleb: 9/10 - A strange and intriguing track on this record, indeed! The lyrics are rather cryptic and the melody is a bit unusual. The presence of the keyboard makes the song easily accessible to fans of the old Sonata Arctica but this song is NOT traditional for this band. The crushing repetition of the final riff really gets my blood flowing! This is, in my opinion where the record begins to take a turn for a more eccentric and complex sound. It is well received!

The Vice: 10/10 - This track is quite possibly the greatest song in the history of this band. I know A LOT of people will disagree with me with other awesome tracks such as "Wolf and Raven, "The Cage" and "Full Moon." But, this has the most complex harmonies and musicianship that I have heard from this band AND it maintains structure and focus which is something I feel songs like "Wolf and Raven" were lacking. A marvelous triumph is this song!

My Dreams But a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare: 9/10 - This is an ambient and eccentric track to say the least! It has very unusual and distinct melodies throughout it with a heavy keyboard presence setting the mood of each progression in the song. It captured my attention because of the complexity and beautiful progression throughout the song.

The Harvest: 8/10 - Well, this one came off as a bit sloppy. It begins with some operatic voice and goes right into a traditional guitar/keyboard combo that I have come to expect from Sonata Arctica. This song runs like a chicken with its head cut off. But, there is a pretty sweet break that has a real kickin' guitar/keyboard solo and spanish guitar lead!

The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden: 9/10 - Some crazy ambiance right here! I have never heard Sonata Arctica make this type of song. It has processed vocals, the most interesting harmonizing I haven't heard since the days of Alice In Chains and a gorgeous hook that truly pulls you in. It is a beautiful song!

Fly With The Black Swan: 9/10 - This is an immensely uncharacteristic track. I don't have to tell you about the interesting harmonizing since "The Worlds Forgotten..." was more or less a segue into this song. The crunching guitars and powerful vocals keep the listener interested while the keyboards make that eerie atmosphere that it has been doing throughout this album.

Good Enough is Good Enough: 10/10 -This song begins with an orchestra playing a beautiful melody and when Tony comes in..the strings are weeping with his vocals and it creates a classical somber feel that really wraps up this album quite nicely. It is as if they put the record to bed. All I can say is, "ENCORE!"

Out In The Fields (Bonus Track): 9/10 - Looks I got my encore! This track (although it might be a cover? I'm not sure really.) is the closest thing to traditional Sonata Arctica that this album really offers. But, it's a good track to have and it's a lot of fun to listen to!

As for those complaining that Sonata Arctica is no longer straight-up power metal, I say look elsewhere. This band has been following a very consistent, gradual progression from power metal to a more artistic blend of original SA, Queen, Dream Theater, Classical, etc. ever since Their third album, Winterheart's Guild. Even Silence, their second album had hints of the deeper artistry to come.

Therefore it is no surprise that their fifth installment takes even further steps into this (for SA) previously uncharted territory. In fact, I am surprised at how Unia sounds like a very natural continuation of Reckoning Night. It's as if some meta-album just keeps unfolding with each successive release. I don't listen to a lot of progressive rock, rock opera, whatever; but from what I have heard SA does a better job at making art music more listenable and inspiring than most.

However, gone are the simple over-the-top driving power metal anthems of the Ecliptica days. In a way, this is unfortunate, since I feel SA did the best power metal out there. Like I said, however, if you want power metal, look elsewhere. These guys obviously have a need to continually expand into deeper, more artsy territory, and they are doing it quite well. Unia is definitely the best such effort to date. Some of the multi-part vocal work is particularly unique and astounding - also not a surprise, since this has always been SA's greatest strength (in the studio, that is - they would need to hire an entire chorus to do any of their later albums justice when played live). And there are still some good hooks in there. The "Out In The Fields" bonus track is a good example).

So, if you like the direction SA was heading with Reckoning Night, definitely rush out and buy this album. If you are expecting an album that hearkens back to the Ecliptica or Silence days, go buy Dragonforce Sonic Firestorm or something.

So it seems that, on a whole, fans are pretty happy with this release. At the very least, I know that I am. However there is always people who can't be pleased and something tells me if their complaints on this album were met then they wouldn't be satisfied in the first place. Let's examine these negative reviews for the farce they truly are, ok?

People complains that the mile a minute double bass is gone. Ok, true. But there is still tons of double bass. In fact, almost every song has double bass. Because it's not fast doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Sonata Arctica's old one hundred mile a minute double bass sounded dumb anyway because their songs aren't not up to speed with the drums. Now, onto the tempo. Up tempo? Since when was Sonata Arctica an up tempo, speed metal band? Um, never. Sure their first cd was pretty uptemp but after that they started making slow to mid temp albums with the up tempo just sprinkled throughout. I mean, Silence and Winterheart's Guild were pretty slow and even reckoning night was pretty slow too most of the time so I'm not sure why people are suddenly mad that that sonata are no longer play fast up tempo power metal when they never did that in the first place.

In fact, calling Sonata Arctica a power metal but would be a really big stretch. Ok, so their first album was power metal to the core but after that it's obvious they turned into more of a progressive metal band, which they are still are on this release. Reviewers act like this band just makes ballads now, which is not true. There is maybe two songs on here that could be considered a ballad. It doesn't really matter anyway since SA has always had several ballads on their albums so why should this one be any different to your hears? Oh wait, it's not. Just because these song are slow to mid-tempo doesn't mean they are not heavy and don't rock. In fact, almost every song has awesome heavy metal riffs. I mean, they may not be power metal but they are still definitely a progressive metal band. The negative reviewers act like they sold out and now play pop.

All the elements that make a good Sonata Arctica are still in great form: soaring and epic vocals, simple but effective riffs, double bass, good drumming, and this time the bass is very audible. I would also like to know that their songs have gotten longer and more complex in turns of overall songwriting. We have two songs that are over 6 minutes (caleb, My Dream's But a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare), one over 9 minutes (in black and white), and several more that over 5 minutes. Also, the cool keyboard laded solos are back, just check out Fly with the black swan. As they have done for awhile now, they end the song with a ballad (good enough is good enough).

My favorite songs are: In Black and White, The Vice, My Dream's But a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare, The Harvest, and Fly With the Black swan. I'll admit that there is two songs on here I don't like and that's the last song I've just mentioned, Good enough is good enough. It's just boring. For people wanting up tempo songs check out the harvest, the vice, and it wont' fade.

Lastly, I will mentioned the production: great. Reckoning Night had terrible production but this time it's clear and precise and you can hear everything going on.

All in all, an excellent edition to sonata arctica's already stellar discography.

So all of the negative nancy's who want power metal: go listen to ecliptica and STFU.

First a general view: Sonata Arctica's new 2007 album Unia is a progression from Reckoning Night carrying further the change of direction started by that album. It is a complex, beautifully produced album of diverse musical structures and styles. There is a sense that an awful lot of work went into this album. I have now listened to it three times and only now is it beginning to sound familiar, there is so much to absorb. Tony Kakko's lyrics, always worth listening to, are on another level in this album, and you will probably want to read them. This is nothing new, Tony has always been a master of the unexpected key change, but it is much more noticeable on this album then even on Reckoning Night. Tony's voice is stronger than ever before and he has put in a heroic effort, to great success.

The opening track "In Black and White" sounds almost epistolary, as though Tony was writing a letter and set it to music. The track has an immense power, despite not being the crashing speed metal of classic tracks like "Full Moon". There's something of the mind-worm about this track; it's the one I end up singing in my head, despite the fact that it's not as immediate as some of their older stuff. I love it.

Track 2 "For the Sake of Revenge" is another lyrically strong song (they all are) but it's not very metal. Pleasant enough, but not particularly memorable.

"It Won't Fade" begins with a low organ and builds to a sort of chanted exposition over choppy guitar. It's lyrically strong again, but I personally felt a little bit short-changed in that Jani's guitar is just used as a filler.

"Under Your Tree" is once again, a keyboard dominated song, it is quite reminiscent of "Broken" from "Winterheart's Guild", but isn't particularly strong. The tone is sad, as is the lyric. Lyrically, yet again, it is superb. It is a conversation with Tony's dying dog and was so moving that I went straight home to hug my own dog. Listen carefully.

"Caleb" begins with a dialogue with a nice piano part. The dialogue doesn't go with the song, and is pretty cheesy, but it does certainly jump into a superb guitar break. The rhythm is insistent and choppy, and the constant multiple vocal harmonies really stand out. Jani is also released for a guitar solo towards the end of the piece.

"The Vice" is a complex song with some strange time signatures, and the vocals are quite bizarre, but it will grow on you.

"My Dream's but a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare" reminds me strongly of "The Boy Who Wanted To Be A Real Puppet" from "Reckoning night" but it's not as catchy and may end up being a track I fast forward past.

"The Harvest" is a little more power metallic, but still has that odd vocal feel, as though this album were intended to be a light opera.

"The Worlds Forgotten, the Words Forbidden" is the victim of one of the weirdest productions I have ever heard. The vocals have been processed and the artificial sound adds nothing to the song.

"Fly with the Black Swan" starts as it means to continue, with a distorted block of dropped power chords, and then blends into a bluesy slide guitar break. It's a good track though, and I found myself driving strangely while listening to it. (That's a good thing). There are some good lyrics and a great vocal delivery.

"Good Enough Is Good Enough" concludes the album on a downbeat. It's a track of orchestrated violins and appears to belong to no particular genre. You cannot call it rock, or metal; it's just a song.

On balance then. Fans of "Reckoning Night" will love it; those Sonata fans who are devotees of the first three proper albums will probably be divided. There is little sign of the hysterically happy-making power/speed metal Sonata Arctica we have come to love. If, like me, you think that "The Cage" is a track you must sing along to, even at work, then this album is probably best left until you have listened to it on You Tube. I had hoped for another "Black Sheep", "Full Moon", "Silver Tongue" or "Sing in Silence", but there isn't one.

On the other hand, I love the album. I don't have the version with the bonus track "Out in the Fields", (which I presume is a cover of the Gary Moore song, and which will sit very strangely next to this collection of songs) So I will buy it. This is a masterpiece by any standards, and only falls short if one's expectations were set by the first three albums. Sonata Arctica have moved on and I think it's a good thing that their new style is so distinctive. I just hope that the next album has a little more "music to bang your head by".

It's hard to pin a label on this band other than fantastic musicianship and an ability to write some unbelievably unique and otherworldy lyrics. Unia doesn't have the speed of it's predecessors and yet gives one the impression that they have mastered their art. Another reviewer compared them to Queen, and the influence isn't hard to find in this album. Only a speed metal purist could miss the double bass drum with such beautiful and powerful music.

One of the reasons I've been a devout Sonata follower for the past 5 years is the fact that they aren't afraid to do something different and progressive instead of sticking to one formula that worked for them like most other bands. This album continues that tradition by breaking off into something so incredibly well crafted and innovative I couldn't even begin to describe it to you, so just buy it! To think I thought the last album was a different sound, Unia combines the Sonata Arctica amazing instrumentation and powerful melodies/vocals we've come to love with new sounds, intricate rhythm structures, and complex arrangements that add a whole new dimension to the music. I don't know if I could pick what my favorite songs to tell you about would be seeing as they are all amazing, but I'll give you insight to some of the more unique ones - The album starts off stong with "In Black and White" with a unique vocal performance by Tony, and a very inspiring solo by Jani, the construction of the melody is superb (which goes for every other song). "Under Your Tree" is one of the most powerful songs I have ever listened to, it doesn't strike you till the very end when the lyrics come together and finally tell you what the subject of the song is, a truly moving performance. "Caleb" is another powerful song that tells one of Tonys brilliant stories, this track is very well put together and I thought the keyboards were beautiful. "The Vice" is the coolest sounding track on the album with the most uniquely performed vocal track I've ever listened to, and even though it may sound sporadic over any other melody the vocals flow beautifully over this well orchestrated piece. "Fly With The Black Swan" is a beautiful song that has so many unique aspects to it, such as the intro slide guitar to the vocal harmonies to the seemingly sudden rhythm change towards the end, this song also has my favorite keyboard solo. Of course, every other song on this album is most deserved of your listen, so please, take my word for it that this album is in need of your immediate purchase. It might be my new favorite Sonata album, and it most certainly proves why SA is my absolute favorite band of all time. Long Live Sonata Arctica!

First off let me say that I have a LOT of respect for this band. I probably hold Sonata Arctica in my top 5 metal bands of all time.
However, as excited as I am about the band, I found this album to be extremely disappointing.

I heard many people say that Sonata had changed direction a little, for this album. And, it's true, the album is quite different from any of the past recordings. It's not that the songs are slower (as some have said) that bothered me (Actually the lack of continuous double kick was welcome!) - I love Sonarta's slower songs normally. Songs like Tallulah, Shamandalie, Replica, Broken and Graven Image are absolutely fantastic.

The problem with this album is that it's technically excellent, but melodically, well, weak!!
It seems like the band are trying too hard to do something "new" and "technical", but they are loosing something very special in the process. I can honestly say that the only song I would rate highly is "Paid in Full", which sounds just like typical Sonata. The rest (although technically brilliant) just feel too abstract, with no real melody, or hook.

Anyway, I bought this album purely on the merit of the band, having only heard (and loved) "Paid in Full".
My suggestion to anyone wanting to buy this album, is definitely TRY before you buy. And if you're new to Sonata, try any of the previous albums before this one.

I wouldn't say this album sucks - far from it, but to me it is weaker than any of the previous albums.

i have winterhearts guild, reckoning night, silence, and now "unia". Unia is completely different from all their other albums. it seriously took me over 10 listens to understand what was going on. For the people who like the traditional sonata, dont buy it. its nothing like any of their other albums. the beats arent very repetitive, like their other albums. i would have liked to hear more technicality from jani. and it really sucks that he isnt in the band anymore....... BUT... BUY THE CD. give it a try. its realllyyyyyyyyyy good. fav tracks: in black and white, paid in full, for the sake of revenge, it wont fade, caleb, the vice, my dreams but a drop of fuel for a nightmare, and the harvest. which is practically the whole cd!