Sonata Arctica – The Ninth Hour (2016)

As one of the premiere Power Metal bands in the world, Finland’s Sonata Arctica needs no introduction. Arriving early October 2016, the band unleashes their ninth full-length release appropriately titled “The Ninth Hour”. Filed with eleven tracks and around 60 minutes of high-octane music, the band is at the top of their game and delivers the levels of epicness that fans expect from them.

Opening with the dynamic “Closer to an Animal”, the band starts in typical Sonata Arctica fashion with playful guitars and keyboards and the signature Tony Kakko voice. The album continues with excellent over the top tracks like “Life”, the brilliant “Fairytale”, and the mellow “We Are What We Are”, which adds medieval/folk music influences into the mix.

As the band sets the mood with their signature energy on tracks like “Till Death’s Done Us Apart” and “Among the Shooting Stars”, they up the ante with our favorite “Rise a Night”. This track is full of soaring vocal melodies a pulsating bass guitar line and tight drums. For the power-ballad fans, “Candle Lawns” will fill your needs in this release. The band delivers part two of their brilliant “White Pearl, Black Oceans” from their “Reckoning Night” 2004 release, and it showcases how much the band has evolved if you play them side by side.

Closing with the very dramatic and mellow “On the Faultline” we are both bummed out because of the vibe of the song and because another excellent release by Sonata Arctica has come to a close. The band has been refining their style for a few albums now and they effortlessly pull it off in “The Ninth Hour”. All tracks have their signature style and are perfectly led by Tony Kakko. If you are a fan of the band, this release will certainly entertain you and keep you engaged for plenty of repeated listens.

Label: Nuclear Blast Records

Release: October 7th, 2016

Genre: Power Metal

Country: Finland