"What the hell am I waiting here for,
Expecting you to come and give away your life…
Expecting you to come and give away your life…
Just for a moment of my time,
Have a hole where I should have a heart,
I'm made of wood,
I'm falling apart,
I would give a kingdom for one more day."
Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica from the song "Kingdom For a Heart" from the album Ecliptica, 1999.
Have a hole where I should have a heart,
I'm made of wood,
I'm falling apart,
I would give a kingdom for one more day."
Tony Kakko of Sonata Arctica from the song "Kingdom For a Heart" from the album Ecliptica, 1999.
The debut of Sonata Arctica’s first album, Ecliptica, is a lesson for every Power Metal performer.
A smashing package with a handful of “singles” that are catchy and fast. The lyrics are entertaining to a degree, but the playing is fast, furious, and articulate. I fully understand how “articulate” sounds, but these guys are technically masters of their instruments.
Blank File opens the album with the traditional Arctica high vocals and quick paced guitars.
My Land slows it down a bit to capture the heavy metal bass riffs and thundering drums with the guitars filling the air with their cutting jabs.
The next four songs capture the essence of the band and have become concert standards.
8th Commandment, the first “hit” is a song of angst that ties the band together perfectly. The bold vocals, the dicey guitar solos that soar, the keyboard solos that add a touch of flair against the background of the steady rhythm section of drums and bass are the components of a strong song. The song is about the angst of having a partner that lies and the revenge that will ensue. The opening riff sets the standard for all Power Metal that remains today.
Replica (the second hit) slows it down but the lyrics of mankind’s angst reign on this quasi-ballad.
Kingdom For a Heart (the third hit) is, in my most humbled opinion, is the best song on the album. So catchy, so reminiscent of the past; and yet so fresh. The lyrics, the changing tempos, and the music blend so perfectly in this one song.
Full Moon (the fourth hit) is another amazing moment that calls back to the realm of folklore as it is a song about a man turning into a wolf—the wolf being a later signature image of the band.
Letter To Dana is one of the weaker moments of the album. With the opening flute, it almost sounds Jethro Tull-like.
Unopened (the fifth hit) stands as one of the greatest songs in the Power Metal genre. Honestly, it is amazing that this band has so many signature tunes on one album. This one is so catchy it is unreal. The only knock is perhaps for the overuse of “tickling” keyboards. You would understand that last line if you heard the bridge of the song. It is simply about unopened letters and unrequited love.
Picturing the Past and Destruction Preventer are standard fill-in material; but no less fascinating for a band of such amazing talent.
This is an excellent debut album by a band of such promise as Sonata Arctica—and they have never failed to deliver.
A smashing package with a handful of “singles” that are catchy and fast. The lyrics are entertaining to a degree, but the playing is fast, furious, and articulate. I fully understand how “articulate” sounds, but these guys are technically masters of their instruments.
Blank File opens the album with the traditional Arctica high vocals and quick paced guitars.
My Land slows it down a bit to capture the heavy metal bass riffs and thundering drums with the guitars filling the air with their cutting jabs.
The next four songs capture the essence of the band and have become concert standards.
8th Commandment, the first “hit” is a song of angst that ties the band together perfectly. The bold vocals, the dicey guitar solos that soar, the keyboard solos that add a touch of flair against the background of the steady rhythm section of drums and bass are the components of a strong song. The song is about the angst of having a partner that lies and the revenge that will ensue. The opening riff sets the standard for all Power Metal that remains today.
Replica (the second hit) slows it down but the lyrics of mankind’s angst reign on this quasi-ballad.
Kingdom For a Heart (the third hit) is, in my most humbled opinion, is the best song on the album. So catchy, so reminiscent of the past; and yet so fresh. The lyrics, the changing tempos, and the music blend so perfectly in this one song.
Full Moon (the fourth hit) is another amazing moment that calls back to the realm of folklore as it is a song about a man turning into a wolf—the wolf being a later signature image of the band.
Letter To Dana is one of the weaker moments of the album. With the opening flute, it almost sounds Jethro Tull-like.
Unopened (the fifth hit) stands as one of the greatest songs in the Power Metal genre. Honestly, it is amazing that this band has so many signature tunes on one album. This one is so catchy it is unreal. The only knock is perhaps for the overuse of “tickling” keyboards. You would understand that last line if you heard the bridge of the song. It is simply about unopened letters and unrequited love.
Picturing the Past and Destruction Preventer are standard fill-in material; but no less fascinating for a band of such amazing talent.
This is an excellent debut album by a band of such promise as Sonata Arctica—and they have never failed to deliver.
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