Sonata Arctica - The Days of Grays

As five finnish boys started to conquer the world...

The band was founded back in 1996 under the banner of „Tricky Beans“ and their sound had not much in common like they sound today. As a label discovered the band in 1999 they changed their bandname into Sonata Arctica and with that also their music style. During the years bandmembers changed caused of different reasons.

Todays line up is: Tony Kakko (Vocals/Keyboards), Marko Paasikoski (Bass), Henrik Klingenberg(Keyboards), Elias “E.Vil” Viljanen (Guitars) and Tommy Portimo (Drums).
The Day of Grays is the bands fith full length album and every single album reached status of gold. So I think this one will make it too. This new one doesn't have the power and straightness of Silence. This sounds more like a rock opera. It all starts with an instrumental that makes appetite for more....and sure it will come. „The last amazing gray“ is a melodic and ear catching song. It will bring you feet to movement. In the first moments „Flag in the ground“ appears very irish but it takes speed soon. Amazing changes of tempo from the drummer, fast and rockin'. And the irish elements appear from time to time again....good song. „Breathing“ is a ballad in usual style. Charming but not a song that will be remembered for a longer time. All songs are well arranged and have a little opera touch. They use different instruments that underline that. But that fits and rounds up the bands sound. Sometimes it remembers me a little bit to Ayreon without the complex work of that band. For me the best song is „In my eyes you're a glant“. Melodic, hard and dark...simply brilliant. Some songs could have been longer than their 3-4 minutes radio length. Definetely an album to listen at home to find out what it contains. To listen during a car ride the album is much too bombastic.

A real good progressive power metal album that shouldn't be missed in your collection.

Points   9/10

review by Angel