Sonata Arctica - Don't Say A Word

*=Staff's pick	Don't Say A Word* Ain't Your Fairytale World In My Eyes* Two Minds, One Soul

Genre	Power Metal	Tony Kakko	Vocals
Tracks	4	Jani Liimatainen	Guitar
Runningtime	17 Min.	-	Guitar
Label	Nuclear Blast	Marko Paasikoski	Bass
Release	08 Sept. 2004	Tommy Portimo	Drums
Country	Finland	Henrik Klingberg	Keyboards
Similar artists	Stratovarius, Thunderstone

The melodic masters in Sonata Arctica are soon about to release their fourth full lenght album entitled Reckoning Night, and this single gives you a preview of what is about to come. Sonata Arctica have in my opinion passed their countrymen and predecessors in Stratovarius a long time ago as the premier melodic power metal act from Finland and with the songs you get to hear on this one they definitely strengthen their position as number one. Two new tracks from the upcoming album as well as two cover songs are offered here and I swallow it all down just as easily as a cold beer, and it is just as good.

The titletrack Don't Say A Word has all the ingredients you can expect from Sonata, a relatively fast paced track filled with melodies and with a catchy refrain. Nothing out of the ordinary according to their own standards, but much better than many other bands in this genre. Sonata Arctica has a high standard on their material and this is no exception. It goes a little faster with the next track, Ain't Your Fairytale, and the only way to describe it is that it is a traditional fast paced Sonata Arctica track. Fast, melodic and simply irresistible. Great vocals as always from Tony Kakko and their unique quality of strong melodylines from guitar, keyboard and vocals can be found in both of these tracks. And it is there where their real strength lies, with all the great melodies they put in their music.

Apart from the two tracks from the upcoming album there are also two cover tracks on this single. World In My Eyes from Depeche Mode and Two Mind's, One Soul from Vanishing Point. For me that grew up with bands like Depeche it is a thrill to hear Sonata's version of World In My Eyes, they've managed to keep the original sense of the song and added metal, I just love this one.

The tracks from the upcoming Reckoning Night is not any of their best tracks but promising enough of what is about to come. If all tracks on the upcoming album hold as high standard as these, it will be very good. And if they can top the album with one or two tracks being a little better than these it will without a doubt be one of this autumns strongest releases.

Production	Vocals	Compositions
7	9	6

Summary
7 chalices of 10 - Thomas