SONATA ARCTICA – Silence

Sailing up as the outsiders to throne now that Stratovarius wisely have decided to take a break, Finnish Sonata Arctica releases their second full length CD. What makes these kids stand out are the incredible melodies they make, as well as their great guitar player. However, this CD doesn’t have as strong songs as the debut, “Replica”, which took the scene by surprise. The songs are a little more anonymous, as you don’t remember them all when the last song fades out. Sure, the great melodies are still there, but I think the debut had a stronger identity. The vocals remind here and there of Joey Tempest (!), though Tony Kakko has a much greater range. The guitar playing is strikingly good, and the keyboards go well with the music. There’s no doubt about the band making a big impression on the whole scene with this CD. Like I said, the outsiders to Stratovarius’ throne, but still Timo and Timo’s little brothers, though I believe the Sonata Arctica guys hate to be called that…