Sonata Arctica-Stones Grow Her Name

Any one else Interested? I pre-ordered it with a shirt not too long ago.
So far, what they have shown sounds like Typical Sonata, maybe a little more poppy and catchy though

Now THAT sounds like the Sonata Arctica I used to love. They totally lost me with Reckoning Night and beyond; they sounded like they were trying to be the next Queen or something. But I still love stuff like "Full Moon" and their awesome cover of "Still Loving You".

I like this song.

I've tried getting into this band but they just don't do anything for me.

Yea I ordered the cd with a shirt as well. The only album I don't like of theirs in Urinea, I mean Unia

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Yea I ordered the cd with a shirt as well. The only album I don't like of theirs in Urinea, I mean Unia

That one was the real nail in the coffin for me. I didn't like the several before it but that sealed the deal. I'll need to hear extensive samples off this new one before I even consider buying it.

Liked up to Winterheart Guild.

this is a good song.

the song PAID IN FULL is one of my faves from the band, and thats on UNIA

tohostudios wrote:

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

Yea I ordered the cd with a shirt as well. The only album I don't like of theirs in Urinea, I mean Unia

That one was the real nail in the coffin for me. I didn't like the several before it but that sealed the deal. I'll need to hear extensive samples off this new one before I even consider buying it.

I am with Toho on this one. I thought the last couple of albums were horrible. I love the first three and, like Hammerfall, they wont get any more of my cash until I hear something I like.

I liked up to Winterheart's Guild.

tohostudios wrote:

Now THAT sounds like the Sonata Arctica I used to love. They totally lost me with Reckoning Night and beyond; they sounded like they were trying to be the next Queen or something. But I still love stuff like "Full Moon" and their awesome cover of "Still Loving You".

I like this song.

"FullMoon" is one of the best power metal songs every written. So good, that one. And yeah, their version of "Still Loving You" slays!

I expect this new album to be like their more recent albums, which I've liked but agree don't compare to Ecliptica.

Dark Horseman wrote:

I liked up to Winterheart's Guild.

Since you've posted this twice now, here's a pity reply.

Thanks man.

I enjoyed Unia and the last one, but the last one I really loved was Reckoning Night (still one of my favorite albums in the genre. I'm sure I'll be getting this.

Ecliptica was okay, everything afterward deteriorated steadily (except for Unia which had a couple of good tracks on it) reaching up a point of pure dood-ness with the last album

It would be a nice surprise if they can get back to Ecliptica with this one, although I'm not holding my breath.

Ecliptica was fun. never really invested into them.

Got this today and just finished listening to it........... I liked the last album this one was a dud. They lost all their catchy melodies and their music just isn't fun like it used to be. I'm all up for change but holy crap write a decent song at least.

Thanks for the warning. Looks like I shall continue to ignore this band and keep playing Ecliptica.

yea you won't like it.. it might get better with more listens but I doubt it. It almost reminds me of a more upbeat Unia

Phoenix Reign Drummer wrote:

yea you won't like it.. it might get better with more listens but I doubt it. It almost reminds me of a more upbeat Unia

ill pass too then. Ecliptica/Silence it shall remain.

I understand the dislike for Unia and beyond, but what's wrong with Winterheart's Guild and Reckoning Night?

DallasBlack wrote:

I understand the dislike for Unia and beyond, but what's wrong with Winterheart's Guild and Reckoning Night?

Winterheart's Guild is ok but I can't stand Reckoning Night. They basically threw away the power metal I liked them for in the first place and started going all proggy or trying to be the next Queen or something. I don't think I ever even made it all the way through Reckoning Night.

tohostudios wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

I understand the dislike for Unia and beyond, but what's wrong with Winterheart's Guild and Reckoning Night?

Winterheart's Guild is ok but I can't stand Reckoning Night. They basically threw away the power metal I liked them for in the first place and started going all proggy or trying to be the next Queen or something. I don't think I ever even made it all the way through Reckoning Night.

I can't agree with that at all, Reckoning Night is almost pure power metal. Maybe you didn't like the songs, but to claim it was proggy or anything like Queen is a far cry from what I hear when I listen to it. There are maybe three songs that could be argued with but not songs like Misplaced, Ain't Your Fairytale, Don't Say A Word, My Selene, and Wildfire are just as much as Euro-power as anything from past albums. The Boy Who Wanted To Be A Real Puppet and Shamandalie were ballad like (more the latter than the former as The Boy... is not that mellow), but not at all in a prog way. The only songs I could see being a turn off to you are Blinded No More, White Pearl,Black Oceans, and Reckoning Day,Reckoning Night (some spacey instrumental that even I skip when I listen to it).

You sure you're not thinking of Unia?

Like I said, I only spun it once and didn't even finish it. Maybe one of these days when I'm in a listening rut I'll dig it out again and see what I think. I just posted what I remember about it; could be I'm confusing it with Unia. Reckoning Night has a ship or something on the cover right? I definitely remember hating the songs. Nothing wrong with the band or the singer but I hated the songs.

If you ever do give it another try, you might want to skip the three songs I mentioned as I'm sure those will reinforce your origional opinion. This was the first song on the album, you may still not like it but you will understand why I was confused by your proggy/Queen reference:

It's the layered vocals. I still hear echoes of Queen. OK, it's not nearly to the same degree as some of Savatage's stuff with Zak but the song structure and layered vocals still smack of Queen to me. Slow down the tempo and I hear Queen even more. I want my power metal to be the simple verse/chorus/verse/chorus which that isn't.