Sonata Arctica - Unia (2007)

Tracklist:
1. In Black and White
2. Paid in Full
3. For the Sake of Revenge
4. It Won't Fade
5. Under Your Tree
6. Caleb
7. The Vice
8. My Dream's But A Drop Of Fuel For A Nightmare
9. The Harvest
10. To Create a Warlike Feel (bonustrack)
11. The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden
12. Fly With The Black Swan
13. Good Enough is Good Enough


A Band's Tale: From Power to Progressive - 8,3/10

After four albums with each one containing increased progressive influences, the time is finally here: a true progressive album. Having almost totally abandoned their trademark sound of power metal, Unia is much heavier and more mid-paced. Velocities of old will not be told, not even hinted at, and there are some changes in the overall sound. Are these changes for the good or for the bad? I think it’s for both. But first let me tell you this, if you plan to listen to Unia, plan to let go of the good old power metal. You will only like this album if you can take it for what it is, instead for hating it for what it isn’t. Having said that, let’s have a close look at the album.

As soon as the album begins we are already confronted with the heavy guitar, displaying a simple riff, serving as an aggressive intro in combination with Tony Kakko’s vocals. And there the song “In Black and White” kicks off! No more power metal, but a mid-tempo song full of keyboards. Though the guitar sound is way heavier than on previous albums, the songs are not necessarily heavier. “For the Sake of Revenge” for example almost doesn’t feature any guitar, but instead has a very annoying low keys-tone during the verses. Keyboards truly are the most dominant on this album, with the guitars merely as a companion, and the vocals as guidelines. And believe me, there are a lot of vocals on this album. Multi-voicing, singing contradicting melodies in between, and the normal melody.

The biggest change of this album has not really been mentioned. It’s progressive! Key, bar, and mood changes occur all the time. Sonata’s vision of progressive metal sounds very enthusiastically at times, pretty chaotic, at times even weird or awkward, but also playful. It seems now that they’ve decided to go progressive, they intend to make sure they aren’t mistaken for playing something else. A song like “To Create a Warlike Feel” for example, though merely a bonus track, can’t hold steady for a few bars or there it changes again. At times it sounds a bit chaotic, but it actually has its charms. It does take quite some time to get used to, but that only increases the fun of it all, right?

Done analyzing, let’s start the rating. Did this change of sound turn out for the good? Partly, but I can assure you that the good part overshadows the bad part by far. First the bad part: the album might drag a little. I almost never have the urge to listen to Unia, simply because it’s way too complex. I’d rather listen to Winterheart’s Guild or Reckoning Night, simply because they are more energetic and catchier. Now, the good side of this album is the quality. The songwriting is really topnotch. Tony Kakko knew what he was doing, so it seems. From no. 1 hit “Paid in Full” to a complex epic like “My Dream’s But a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare” it sounds very professional. It also sounds a bit crowded like on “The Harvest” or “The Vice”. But there’s also just a beautiful ballad like “The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden” or “Good Enough is Good Enough”. When listening the album all the songs sound great, whether they are crowded, complex, ballad or aggressive. Long song titles though.

In the end, Unia is a pretty good album. Though it has its flaws and it needs getting used to, the quality of the songs is no less than on previous albums; it’s just no longer that power metal they used to make. I would like to recommend this album to all progressive metal fans and to open-minded Sonata Arctica fans.

Stronger tracks: “Caleb”, “My Dream’s But a Drop...”, “Fly with the Black Swan”, “To Create a Warlike Feel” and “The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden”.



Originally posted on Encyclopaedia Metallum.