It’s no secret that right now my favorite band in the world is Orphaned Land. And if it was a secret, I guess it’s not really a secret anymore. Orphaned Land does what no other band alive does and they do it so very, very well. Mabool was fantastic, but 2010′s The Never Ending Way of OR’WarriOR was my record of the year and is really my standard for what a modern progressive metal record should be like. The mix and production from Steven Wilson was excellent, the song writing was tremendous and it’s one of the very few records over about 45 or 50 minutes that I can even handle these days. So I was super pumped when I got a promo copy of the band’s DVD The Road to OR-Shalem. I’m not a huge fan of DVDs, as I’ve said in the past, but this one is definitely worth your time—both as fans and non-fans. 

One thing that has happened recently in DVD trends in metal is that instead of doing a monster box like Amon Amarth did, bands have been going home to their home crowds and filming there. So we got Amorphis in Finland last year and Sonata Arctica there this year. And that’s great! But this is different. Having Orphaned Land play a club show in Tel Aviv makes this DVD truly special. First, because the band can interact in Hebrew, but also because the fans are just so fucking die hard and the feeling is immense. While the direction of the DVD is pretty good but bordering a bit on frantic (so many fast cuts—it’s like Steve Harris edited it himself), part of what makes this DVD so cool is just the crowd that’s so in love with this band.

Depending on how long you’ve been a fan of the band, the setlist might be a bit of a bummer, on the other hand. In the main, edited concert DVD there’s only a handful of songs older than Mabool, and most of that appears to have been pushed to the bonus material (and one of them is performed by Steven Wilson—and the rendition is a letdown)—which could be seen as a bit of a shame. As I’d have preferred that they just played ORwarriOR from start to finish and then done the songs from Mabool as the encore, I wasn’t too upset by it. And the band was in such good form that it was less about what they were playing and more about just watching them play—which is a blast.

Seeing the band’s personality live is part of the fun of this because I’ve never seen them live. There were a few things that stood out for me. First, Yossi Sassi Sa’aron, the lead guitar player, has to be the happiest man alive. It’s kind of a weird thing, but watching him play, you get this feeling that he just can’t think of anything else in the entire world that he’d rather be doing and it’s a bit infectious, even if it’s a tad silly. This is not to say that Kobi (vocalist), Uri (bass) and Matti (rhythm guitar) aren’t awesome to watch, but Yossi kind of steals the show for me (followed closely by drummer Matan who is a true showman, given that he’s behind a kit). In any case, the band plays with great precision and passion that coupled the way that the crowd reacted.

DVDs are often made by their extras, however, and I really thought that The Road to OR-Shalem was made by the documentary and the extra songs that weren’t included. Yehuda Poliker‘s tracks with the band were very cool, and Matan’s drum solo was actually really entertaining. But the documentary was probably the most interesting. First, seeing the old footage from back when these guys were just pups (they were so little!) was definitely cool. But also, hearing them express their influences and how they came to the point where Orphaned Land went from being something pretty alright and fairly interesting to being something really amazingly unique and cool (the difference, in my opinion, between El Norra Alila and Mabool). Hearing, too, their views on religion and politics (something that was expressed in my interview with Kobi as well) was interesting. And getting to hear it expressed by all the members of the band and their Arab Muslim fans was definitely cool because it is what makes this band not only awesome but transcendent.

The Road to OR-Shalem is something that every Orphaned Land fan should probably own. It’s a really great production with a fantastic setlist, cool surprises and catches the best band in metal in 2011 at the height of their career. In a globalized world, Orphaned Land is spearheading a movement of smart, interesting metal with a very different feel from it’s Northern peers and that’s what makes it so damned special. This DVD encompasses and embodies that. It’s a very cool package, and I rarely say that about DVDs or live albums.

Related posts:

1. Orphaned Land – The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR Review
2. Orphaned Land Post a New Track on Myspace and get Confirmed for Wacken!
3. Two Weeks Late.. but better than never..

#50: Europe – Wings of Tomorrow – “Wings of Tomorrow” — Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Everyone laughs about Europe, sure they were cheesy as hell, but these first two records they released had a good, classic metal approach and they were excellent song writers. This is still one of the most underrated heavy metal songs ever as far as I’m concerned and let me say something else: Norum is another retardedly underrated guitar player. Sure, this is the top 50, you say, this can’t be better than ALL the other heavy metal from the 1980s! What, did you ever fucking listen to 80s metal? Europe was better than most of that shit. So eat it.

#49: Opeth – Morningrise – “The Night and the Silent Water” — This track is probably a good place to start the list, don’t you think? Whether or not people like it Opeth in the early ’90s helped redefine what we thought of when we think of metal, and while there are plenty of other songs one could choose, a track that stands out for everyone I know who loves Morningrise is “The Night and the Silent Water.” Also, this was from the early 90s, and has had a much more profound on metal than Tool, don’t you think? I sure as hell do. What a great career these gentlemen have had.

#48: Sonata Arctica – Silence – “San Sebastian” — Many have done Europower, but Sonata Arctica perfected the art. With easily the best power metal vocalist (at least in range and tone) in the business and with songs that are so poppy and ridiculous that it’s hard to get over them, it’s basically impossible to deny that this song is better than say, for example, second rate AC/DC tracks because only fucking idiots would vote for those for a top 50 list of metal tracks. And just listen to that guitar solo! It’s got “The guys at Gibson are douchebags” written all over it!

#47: My Dying Bride – Like Gods of the Sun – “The Dark Caress” — See one of the things that Black Sabbath and St. Vitus and the like spawned was this amazing thing called doom metal. From this, one of my favorite bands ever is My Dying Bride and the record Like Gods of the Sun and really any track on here could’ve been on this list, but I just love the riffing on here. Really, if you haven’t listened to much doom, this album is as good a place as any to start. And apparently not enough people have heard them, because despite their amazing output they somehow never end up on people’s “best of” lists.

#46: Sacred Reich – Surf Nicaragua – “Surf Nicaragua” — One of the most overlooked thrash bands of all time, Sacred Reich produced one of my favorite thrash albums, The American Way but of course it hit too late and was never really considered among the “classics,” until much too late. Certainly this is too much of a deep cut for a ‘best of’ list, right? I don’t think so. But actually, despite thinking that record is classic, it’s the track “Surf Nicaragua” from the EP of the same name that belongs on this list with all it’s thrash awesomeness and irony. These guys were dead on and cool as hell.

#45: Old Man’s Child – In Defiance of Existence – “Black Seeds on Virgin Soil” — Whether or not you like later Old Man’s Child there are few people who rip out riffs like Galder does, and this track “Black Seeds on Virgin Soil” is a fucking riffy song that deserves to be on this list, for sure. I hardly listen to OMC anymore, but I will always come back to this track as its definitely one of my favorite. And the guitar solo is like an old school trash solo over such a riffy and epic track. I love it.

#44: Metallica – Ride the Lightning – “For Whom the Bell Tolls” — Well, c’mon. These guys had to end up somewhere on the list. They have their uses and Ride the Lightning still lives on as a classic heavy metal record in my opinion. Oh, and get this, I think it’s way better than Master of Puppets. Apparently metalheads are fucking sheep. Wanna know what I think of Master of Puppets?

#43: Ozzy – Blizzard of Ozz – “Crazy Train” — Well, Ozzy did have one really solid record and it was his debut. And basically it’s Randy Rhodes that made this record so fucking good. I mean just going back and listening to this stuff, you have to admit that his stuff was so solid. And this guitar solo probably influenced heavy metal in ways that we’ll never understand. I’d go so far as to say that he was one of the first heavy metal guitarists who was more ‘heavy metal’ than blues rock, which is what makes this special. Still, there’s been a lot of awesome stuff after this. Just thought I’d point that out.

#42: Primordial – The Gathering Wilderness – “Coffin Ships” — One of the things that Primordial has that, for example Ozzy or Metallica never did, is thoughtful lyrics and a sense of atmosphere. Sure, this isn’t going to unite the masses into a buying frenzy and make stupid rockstars rich enough to drink themselves into stupors, snort ants or bite heads off of shit, but this is certainly one of the finest songs ever written and belongs on this list. Such an emotionally poignant song from such an incredible band.

#41: Agalloch – The Mantle – “In the Shadow of Our Pale Companion” — Once again taking on the more atmospheric and beautiful, Agalloch signaled the rise of the American northwest as a scene which has spawned a lot of music—like it or not—and is very prolific now. But Agalloch was at it first, and even if their sound (in my opinion) is derivative of early Ulver, it’s hard to find a metalhead who listens to real metal these days who doesn’t speak of The Mantle as one of the best records of its era and as being tremendously influential. And I’d say that this track is the band’s magnum opus.

The next list, 40-31 will be posted when I get the fuck around to it. [Edit: It can be read here. And Steel Druhm's can be read here.]

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 30-21
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 10-1
3. Steel Druhm’s Best Heavy Metal Songs of All Time 40-31

There was a time when melodic death metal was every breath I took. While it’s been a long time since that was the case, I certainly can say that I spent the late 90s and early 00s listening to my fair share of melodic Swedish death metal and loving it. But since then melodic death metal has kinda fallen off a cliff. This is partially due to the dawning of metalcore and the co-opting of Swedish thrash and death metal by hardcore kids, but I think it’s mainly because just like every scene after a while you start growing tired of the sound. Every new album that gets released gets a “Yeah, well, I’ve heard this before.” While there have been some notable melodic death metal records in the last couple of years—Barren Earth and Be’lakor come to mind—only the former has really stuck out as truly remarkable. That is until I checked out New World Shadows from Omnium Gatherum.

It should be obvious from the title, but the fundamental currency of the melodic death metal band is the fine line between addictive melody and technicality and extremity. This line is not easy to walk. While bands like In Flames were almost too melodic on their earlier stuff, there was still a feeling of extremity. That extremity was lost by, for example, Soilwork, who basically put form above function and began ham-fistedly shoving pop choruses into every song. Omnium Gatherum, on the other hand, walks this line with the balance of seasoned performers. Where other bands are tempted to throw in lots of clean vocals, New World Shadows sports very few, and yet, I can’t remember the last time I’ve heard such poppy melodies and song structures. Aside from the first and last songs on the record, which both end up at about 9:50 in length, the rest of this album is loaded with pop-laced melodies worthy of Stratovarius or Sonata Arctica, more than a death metal band.

Frankly, Europower is a lot of what I hear going on here. Because all of the melody is carried on guitars, there is a ton of stuff on here that sounds like it should be off a Nocturnal Rites record. The keyboards lace everything with their synthy sounds and yet, these guys can still break out Dark Tranquillity style progressive riffs with ease and flow into acoustic and melodic parts reminiscent of Amorphis or Opeth. Swinging 6/8 feel and whole note, simple melodic leads like in “Watcher of the Skies” are offset by Dark Tranquillity riffing like in “New World Shadows” and “Ego” (which is easily the best track on the record).

But while much of this material lends itself to easy references to other bands and other moments in time, there is something that is unique to Omnium Gatherum and that doesn’t feel derivative. It is true that they bear likeness to Barren Earth and Insomnium, and these couldn’t be better comparisons. However, the power metal tone that shows up in the guitars—particularly the solos are epic and outstanding, see “Nova Flame” and “An Infinite Mind”—and in the song-writing gives these guys a bit more of a unique feel, despite being on par with their Finnish contemporaries. And with only minor blemishes, like the main verse in “An Infinite Mind” which is a straight up Colony-era In Flames rip-off, and the wailing clean vocals in “New World Shadows” that sound more like Michael Bolton than I think most metal guys would be comfortable with, New World Shadows is certainly the better of most modern melodic death metal that I’ve heard.

While I’m not a seasoned listener of the band, I can say that given what I’ve heard of the band’s other material, I’d say this is definitely my favorite to date. Melodically, it’s better than its predecessor, and while it continues in the same vein, there’s more of a mournful vibe and doomy approach at times à la Barren Earth or Swallow the Sun—that combined with the pop sensibility makes New World Shadows a definite must have for the fan of melodic death metal.

Related posts:

1. Insomnium – One for Sorrow Review
2. Shadows’ Grey – Bonjour Tristesse Review
3. Netherbird – Shadows and Snow EP Review

As a young lad, my dear mother strove to teach me two important things: first, don’t be an angry metal boy/guy, and secondly, never judge others. Well, as an angry metal guy reviewing albums I’d say I’m a major disappointment, but I really can’t say that I’m as big of a disappointment as the meaning of the Finnish band Kiuas‘ name. Kiuas is a Finnish word that roughly translates into sauna stove or stove of sauna. So, in essence, this band is called… SAUNA STOVE? These guys lose Angry Metal Points™.

Despite the goofy name, Kiuas has been thrashing about since 2000 and its members hail from the Finnish extreme metal scene. Their previous platters have featured an intriguing, oddball amalgam of power metal infused with doses of folk, viking, black and death metal. Indeed, it is difficult to categorize Kiuas, which is to their credit as artists. Branding them as power metal simply doesn’t do them justice since they have so little in common with the Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Sonata Arctica, Weenie Happy Metal bands that have come to define that genre. Kiuas is not a happy sounding band and have opted to put the power back in power metal with crunchy, thrashing guitars and dramatic, aggressive vocals that run the gamut from clean to rough all the way to death metal roars.

Lustdriven is the band’s fifth crusade and marks a turning point in the band’s direction and approach. Gone are the death metal vocals and in their place is an increased emphasis on mood and melody at the expense of aggression. This is a less furious and speed oriented affair and sometimes that works very well while at other times it doesn’t. Things get off to a blistering and self-referential start with “KiuasAssault” (translation: sauna stove assault and all the awful images that may bring to mind). This is classic Kiuas complete with ripping guitars, pounding drums and aggressive singing and screaming from Ilja Jalkanen, who is an extremely gifted metal vocalist who does a lot of interesting things with his range and vocal dexterity. This is a great opener!

However, what follows the classic, ripping opener are several far weaker songs. “Cry Little Angel”, halts the forward momentum because of its painfully sappy  lyrics and mediocre chorus. While the gothic stylings of “Of Love, Lust and Human Nature” partially sets the record back on course, it, too, is followed up by other weaker tracks. It isn’t until track 8 that we get the blockbuster of the album in “The Quickening.” This is a brilliant metal song that shows what Kiuas is truly capable of. Powerful, epic, heroic metal that makes you want to lift the family war hammer and charge directly into hell. This one truly grabbed me on the first listen and when Ilja sings “I was scorched once by the fire, on one of those long trips to hell” I was ready to rock and rumble. And while the album closes out quite strong with “Summer’s End” and “Winter’s Sting,” which are both solid tracks that showcase Kiuas’s folk metal elements, none of the other tracks quite measured up to the mighty standard of “The Quickening”.

Overall, this is a solid album by a very talented band with what is likely a bright future ahead of them. Sadly, I cannot say Lustdriven is as strong as 2008’s The New Dark Age and there are several songs I wish were left on the recording studio floor. However, as the album marinates inside your head, it does get better and better and fans of top notch musicianship and powerful music are encouraged to seek this out for a listen. Check out “The Quickening” if nothing else because this song is an early candidate for metal song of 2010 and should not be missed. Bring back the death vocals next time boys and rethink that damn name!”

Related posts:

1. Serenity Dies – Hacksawcracy Review
2. Children of Bodom – Relentless Reckless Forever Review
3. Kalmah – 12 Gauge Review

In any case, the record includes some pretty badass power metal in the vein of Stratovarius, old Sonata Arctica, and well, you know: Eurometal. There are some serious highlights on here, particularly the track with “Dawn of Solace,” which despite bad lyrics is ridiculously catchy and awesome. But there are some pretty bad tracks too: “More Than Friends” is a serious joke, it’s hardly a good song and Timo’s vocals really just give it a deathly pall. “Into the Blue” shows that power ballads are still alive—but seriously on life support and should probably have it pulled.

You a fan of old school Sonata Arctica and miss it? Well, Cain’s Offering has bested both Strat and Sonata Arctica this year as far as solid power metal releases go—but honestly it’s no Reckoning Night.

Related posts:

1. Sonata Arctica – The Days of Grays Review
2. Thanks!
3. Stratovarius – Polaris

Epica is a symphonic power metal/gothic metal band from the Netherlands that has really taken the scene and the world by storm since their founding in 2002 due to the amazing voice of their mezzo-soprano vocalist (who also happens to be a hotty, there are no coincidences in metal) Simone Simons and the epic *cough* nature of their music. Design Your Universe is the band’s fifth album, and honestly, the first one I’ve ever sat through assuming the band would be like a mix of old Theatre of Tragedy and Nightwish.

So, I guess the best way to describe Epica is as a mix of old Theatre of Tragedy and Nightwish.  Every track on this album is heavily orchestrated, bombastic and saturated with huge choirs and vocals.  The music is pretty much your standard orchestrated female-fronted metal, except a bit heavier due to the death metal side of the band, which is definitely a welcome change from a lot of these bands that seem to be afraid to actually have anything heavy in their music.

No, Epica is not afraid of much of anything.  It’s almost as though they don’t have any shame or self-insight.  There’s no one in that studio going “do you think this is too much?”  No, this record is pretty much a balls-to-the-wall, over-the-top example of what you can do if you have 256 tracks on every song!  And honestly, it’s pretty good for a few reasons.  Let’s take the most obvious (and red-headed) aspect of the band to focus on first: the vocals.  Often a make-or-break aspect of modern power metal and symphonic metal bands, Simone Simons is definitely a serious talent.  Able, unlike other divas, to wander between poppy sounding smooth vocals and operatics, Simone pretty much wanders the range throughout the album delivering her parts with a sincerity and force that few other vocalists can muster.  In a lot of ways, she really carries this album.  While the music is pretty interesting, it is her vocals and melodies that draw me back to the album time and again.

On the other hand, there are some pretty cheesy lyrics on this thing and vocal approaches as well.  On the 13 minute Kingdom of Heaven, even God shows up to scream at someone “NO! You must continue!”  I’m surprised these guys didn’t call in Fabio from Rhapsody of Fire to cheese it up a little bit more for them.  Yes, it’s that bad.  But aside from a few moments like that, and some lyrics that completely lack subtlety (including a rant about martyrdom at one point), I really enjoyed the vocal approach, which honestly goes hand-in-hand with the excellent musical approach. (Also, for you die-hard Sonata Arctica fans, keep your … ears out for Tony Kakko the track White Waters, where he croons a duet with Simone.)

Part of the melodramatic aspect of Epica means that Design Your Universe has a penchant for hugeness that I just can’t resist.  Sure, they try to convince the listener of their extreme existentialism in any way they can, but at the same time they deliver sickly sweet melodies vocally (and sometimes on the guitar, or in the orchestra) and then they layer the hell out of it!  Some people don’t like this, but this approach has always appealed to me.  Sure, bands can go overboard with it, but for whatever reason one just accepts that Epica can’t do without it.  Of course, this approach also lends itself to a much more dynamic approach to music, which allows the band to go into softer, more subtle pieces well.  In a word, they’re … epic.

Design Your Universe picks up where Lost Horizon left off with it’s theme (“I SEE THE WORLD THROUGH MY FATELESS EYES!!!”), but it is deftly executed and will definitely appeal to the fan of symphonic metal.  Those of you who don’t like chick-fronted bands might find some things you like in here with the death metal stuff, but all-in-all, this band is definitely for the fans of Therion, Trail of Tears, Leaves’ Eyes and so forth.  But honestly, since Nightwish‘s masterpiece Once, this is easily the best symphonic female-fronted band I’ve heard.  But take that for what it is.

Related posts:

1. Diabulus in Musica – Secrets Review
2. Sirenia – The Enigma of Life Review
3. Into the Moat – The Design

—-

AMG: The biggest news besides you guys having a new album is that this record is being recorded with a new guitarist by the name of Elias—how’s that going?

Henkka: Well, it’s going pretty well. I mean, he doesn’t feel so new for us because he started playing on the tour with the last album and then he joined the band during the last tour. So he’s been in the band now for two years, I think even more, you know, three years. So, you know, of course it was a new experience to work with the new guy in the studio and he’s just been, from day one, a really easy going, mellow guy and it’s just, I mean, he’s really easy to work with. He’s open-minded to whatever we can throw his way and he can actually play anything that comes into your head so that always helps.

AMG: Has it been weird working in the studio without Jani and with Elias?

Henkka: Well, the way we work nowadays is that we pretty much rehearse together and then everybody records wherever they feel like, so we usually record at different studios anyway. So, I didn’t see him in the studio at all because he lives 4 hours south from here so he was recording in his home town and then just sending us the files. The rehearsels were a little bit different when Jani wasn’t here, but it’s kind of, I think it would’ve been much more difficult if he had just joined the band straight at the beginning of the recording process. But we played the whole last world tour with him which was almost two years, and we spent so much time together before so it wasn’t really awkward or it didn’t really seem that weird at all.

AMG: With the writing then, since he’s been touring with you guys before this, does any of that happen on the road? Or do you guys come back from tours and then go into your own separate corners and then Tony comes back with songs? Or, how does that work?

Henkka: Tony writes all or most of the music, so whenever he’s home he writes stuff when he feels like it. Of course, on the road, I don’t think he gets anything done. I think nobody else gets anything done either. I mean, on tour it’s uh.. well, during the first days you can kind of have your energy and kind of do something reasonable but then pretty soon when you’re just sitting in the bus days in and days out the only energy you have is on stage and outside of that we turn into this fucking amoebas or something and you just sit there and pick your nose and play PlayStation or something. At least for me it’s really hard to get anything creative done on the road. So with this album, it was like we did the tour and then in the beginning of December last year, and then the rest of us had two months off while Tony was finishing up, he had some songs left already that he had written before. He wrote songs for a couple of months and then we got together and started rehearsing. That’s pretty much how it works.

AMG: How long is the rehearsal process?

Henkka: This time we got I think 5 or 6 weeks of rehearsing. But, we had some days off in between as well. And when we rehearse we like to work like normal people, we like to work Monday to Friday and then have the weekends off, so you can go home and reflect on things a little bit. And usually Tony almost never has all the songs ready when we go into the studio. It’s always like during the rehearsal process we have like maybe two-thirds of the album where we knew what was going to happen and then when we we’re in the studio you get this e-mail that’s something like “Yeah, this is something I made last night” or something like that, so.. it’s always like that with him because uh, well, he doesn’t need time he just needs a deadline. [laughs] So that’s how it works.

AMG: So what kind of say do you guys have in the process? Do you get to experiment?

Henkka: It depends from song to song, I mean. Some stuff, some of the demos are really rough and we have to work on it a lot to get it to work. And then some songs it’s just like, we listen to the demo and at the first take it’s like “hey, this is pretty great as it is.” Usually it’s more small things here and there that we change, and of course for me and Elias there’s always solos to play and those are never written by Tony fortunately. [laughs] I’m dreading that that moment is going to come actually.. “Hey I have this great solo for you to play,” and then I think that’s going to be a no-go.

AMG: But didn’t Tony used to write all the keyboard stuff?

Henkka: Yeah, actually, we work in a way that some of the tracks we take straight from the demos especially if it’s a song he hasn’t changed around that much because he’s been recording it at home and so on this album some stuff we took directly from the demos and some stuff he sent over to me and I used my magic mouse hand to fix his piano playing and stuff. Some stuff he played and it’s like “hey this is really great, but it doesn’t quite work,” you know, so I played it again. It depends you know if there’s like a piano part that needs to be sensitive or something like that he doesn’t always pull it off then I might go in and play it again. It’s a balance that we’ve been trying to figure out for two or three albums, I think this one we are pretty close to finding the perfect balance, like taking the stuff that I do well and the stuff that he does well and combine that. And, of course, for me I have to rehearse a whole lot of stuff when we go on the road because I have to play it all at the end of the day anyway so.. As long as you keep your mind open and don’t let your ego get in the way, then it’s OK and he comes up with a lot of really great stuff and it would be stupid not to use it.

AMG: You play on a keytar, do you record on one?

Henkka: Uh, no, no I don’t. I don’t know, I haven’t actually even tried. It’s like when you jump around a lot on the stage and stuff it’s quite hard to play… especially when you’re recording everything has to be really exact and I prefer to play a normal keyboard, it’s just so much easier.

AMG: Do you just use the keytar on stage because it’s better for live shows then?

Henkka: Yeah, I think so. It looks better, it’s more fun for me. I don’t have to just stand in the corner, but of course every once in a while I get a headache because you have to figure out how to play stuff with one hand that you did in the studio with two hands. Of course, I use a normal keyboard as well because when you want to play piano stuff on the keytar it’s really too hard. I’m too lazy for that, so for me it’s just a live tool to make the live show a little bit more interesting.

AMG: So more specifically about the new album, the name, The Days of Grays, where does that root from?

Henkka: Actually, we had another name, but again it was too dark. It would have suited maybe a death metal band, and then I think Tony was playing World of Warcraft or something with his friends and chatting on the Internet and he was saying “Yeah, we’re having so much trouble coming up with the name.” We actually had a brainstorming session one day when everyone was hung over and we only came up with really shitty ideas. So I… I think one of his friends suggested it and they were just talking and he said “what about this,” and he came in and gave said “Well, this could be it,” and we were like “Yeah, this is it.” It was more luck than anything else.

AMG: I have to ask before I say anything about it because I did a promo copy, but what album would you compare this to, as far as the Sonata Arctica discog is concerned?

Henkka: I can only choose one right? I would say it’s something in between Reckoning Night and Unia. I’m not sure that’s a statement I really would like to say, but if I had to compare I’d say that you can find most elements on the new album on those records.

AMG: Mm hmm, ’cause it seems like you guys have moved a little bit back towards faster but you’re not really doing that Silence-era material. Has that been an organic change or is that intentional? Are you sick of it? Finding it monotonous? Or that Tony is just writing more progressive music? What happened there?

Henkka: Well, I think it’s maybe a combination of all of the stuff that you just said. Unia for us was the most different album that we ever made and that came at the point when everybody was sick of this super fast thing and we wanted to try something more interesting and Tony said he was having trouble writing these fast songs. We said, let’s just roll with it and see what happens so for us that was an album we really had to make for ourselves. A lot of that stuff shines true on this album as well, but there is never any intention to go back, I think, there was never an intention with any album to go back so I think OK, maybe it has some elements from the past but we’re just heading in some other direction now. It comes pretty naturally, and also when we tour for a couple of years a lot of things change during that time, and that goes into the writing process from Tony and of course the arrangements that we do. That means that the next one is going to be again something different. We really don’t knock anything out before or have like a band meeting “like, the next album should be like this or like that,” we just roll with it and see what happens. I think the main thing is that it mostly depends what Tony comes up with.

AMG: You said that Unia was sort of a record of necessity. So, how did your fan base, not necessarily the hardcore fans, but the more peripheral fans react to it?

Henkka: We got a lot of new fans with that album, a lot of people said that they didn’t like Sonata before but this one was really good, of course a lot of people did not like it as well because they would like us to do Silence 10 times over and that’s fine. I understand that but for us, to keep ourselves motivated and interested in this business we have to keep the music interesting as well. We got quite a bit of mixed reviews but all-in-all we came out ahead and we’ll see what happens with the next one of course. For us it was not our main concern, our main concern was to make an album that was interesting for us and hope that people like it and a lot of people did like it. That’s how it goes sometimes.

AMG: Speaking of new fans, you guys have toured the US a lot over the last 5 or 6 years, I think more than probably any other Finnish band. In fact, I’m trying to think of other Finnish or European bands that have toured so fiercely… I think Dimmu Borgir toured like nuts over there for a while, or Opeth has toured like crazy too. Why have you done that? Are you trying really hard to break into the American market and has it worked?

Henkka: Well we are trying really hard, but I think there’s still a lot of work to be done. The States are really big and there’s still not that many people who know us. So far people show up at the show and it’s been great, we really haven’t had to play that many shows that are like “oh, there’s not that many people” you know, but there’s a lot of ground to cover and we’ll be going back I think two or three times with this album as well and see what comes out of it. I just got hooked up on that other Finnish bands thing, I think Nightwish has toured the US now quite a lot and Children of Bodom, at least at some point they were there really much.

AMG: That’s true, I saw Children in 2000 and I’ve seen them probably a half dozen times since then too…

Henkka: I think it’s the kind of market where you have to go back and back and back and then maybe something comes out of it, but so far it’s going well in the respect that we don’t really make that much money, but we don’t lose money so we can actually go there and tour and we stay alive. We are going to continue to go back and we will try to work it for the next few years and see what happens.

AMG: Yeah, that’s cool, and you guys are touring with Dragonforce coming up here, right?

Henkka: It’s coming up this fall.

AMG: That’s going to be a big deal…

Henkka: Yeah, I think so. I think they’re doing pretty well there, so I hope we’re going to get a lot of new fans from that crowd as well. But with these things you never know until afterwards, you know. We met the Dragonforce guys when we were playing, uh.. well, we’ve met them before as well but, we met them last year in Japan and…

[Funny story, this is where Henkka's cell phone dies.. yay! Technology!]

Ok, we were talking about the Dragonforce thing, right? Yeah, I don’t know at what point you lost me, yeah.

AMG: Yeah, you said you met them in Japan.

Henkka: Alright. Well anyway we met in Japan and had some beers and they were like “yeah, it’d be really cool if you guys would tour with us in the States” and we were like “Sure, of course.” But that happens a lot you talk to people when they’re drunk and nothing comes out of it, you know? But then a few months later we got an e-mail from management, and they said “Hey, do you wanna support us” and blah blah blah, and we were like “Sure, of course we do!” And it fit with our schedule as well, the album is coming out just before or during the tour.. so yeah, I have big hopes for that tour.

AMG: And then you’re headed to Europe after that and probably to Japan of course?

Henkka: Yeah, we’re doing a headlining tour in Europe for 5 weeks before Christmas, and then we have a Christmas break and then we’re doing an Asian tour with China and whatnot, and ending up in Japan before we head home.

AMG: So, are you guys as huge in Japan as it seems?

Henkka: I don’t know how huge we are these days because you know, when I joined the band we were really huge in Japan, but I think it’s getting a bit smaller with Unia there was… I don’t think they liked that album that much over there. [laughs] Because they really, really want the faster and older stuff. But still we’re doing pretty well there and we’re playing sold out shows, but we’re not like really huge we’re not playing in the Buddakan or stuff like that. [Laughs]

AMG: Well, that’s crappy.. [laughs]

Henkka: No, it’s still OK. We’re still playing clubs for 1,000, 2,000 people so it’s totally cool, it’s nothing to complain about.

AMG: Yeah, so it’s nothing to complain about.. [more laughing] Exactly.

Henkka: No, no no.. absolutely not!

AMG: So, switching topics a bit, did you guys get a strong reaction to the whole situation with Jani?

Henkka: Uh, yeah. Somewhat yeah, a lot of our fans were like “Hey, why did this happen?” and blah blah blah blah blah and I think, I don’t remember exactly what we said in our statement at the time, but I think it should have been made clear that this was something we couldn’t do anything about. It’s basically pretty hard to have a guitar player without a passport who can’t travel anywhere. And he was really messing his life up and not, uh… I mean, he was dodging the phone for like 3 or 4 months, so it’s impossible to work with somebody if the situation is like that. Originally the thing was like, we said like, “OK, you get your shit together and Elias is covering for you and you get your stuff done and when you’re ready you come back.” But then we still couldn’t get ahold of him and he wouldn’t answer the phone and then we were on tour with Elias and at some point we just had to say, “Look, if you’re not making this effort this is not going to work out.” So.., but I think partly he did not want to be in the band anymore but he just couldn’t manage to tell us that. That I think could have been one of the reasons that he let everything slip through his hands and go, you know, at least some statements that I read by him later.. he seemed like he didn’t want to be in the band, but just couldn’t say it out loud or something like that. Of course it was a difficult time for us, we were in the middle of recording an album when these things started to happen. Then we got the album ready and then it was a total disaster and we had shows booked for like one or two years ahead and we had no guitar player and so for us that was a pretty chaotic time for the band, but I think we got through it and things are way easier with Elias. I mean, I just got off the phone with him to call you, so.. It was a really… there were really a lot of problems and a lot of stuff that I won’t go into and that we didn’t tell the public because it wouldn’t have been fair, but basically…the tip of the iceberg is something that people know and that was eventually what led to the situation where we chose to fire him.

AMG: Yeah. [Silence] Yeah.. I think I’ll just let that lie..

Henkka: [Laughs] Yeah, well.. to get back to your question, we got reactions of course, but I think ultimately people understand that we are making a living off of this we can’t just have somebody fuck it all up. And also, I think the last couple of years people saw Elias live and then you know there was no discussion.

AMG: That’s fairly common though, I think it’s pretty common for a band to upgrade with a guitar genius once somebody else has left, you end up getting somebody who can play everything PLUS some..

Henkka: Yeah, well with the music that we play we cannot afford to take a crappy guitar player.

AMG: Totally.. so, now for something completely different.. Have you ever been in a knife fight?

Henkka: A knife.. What?? [Laughs]

AMG: Well, it’s just the standard Swedish stereotypes of Finns.. that they’re drunk and violent. So I had to ask… [laughs]

Henkka: Yeah?

AMG: Yeah, so you’ve never been in a knife fight?

Henkka: Yeah.. well, once. [Laughs] We’re not that violent, but we’re drunk OK.. And things happen in the dark hours.. and sometimes you actually remember what happens, but most times you don’t and it’s, I think, all for the better..

AMG: Yeah, actually I was going to ask apropos Finland.. Why do you think it is that Finland has become the center of a lot of metal that’s coming out these days.. it seems like for a while it was Norway and Sweden and now that’s tapered off, but Finland is a hot spot right now.

Henkka: Yeah, well, it’s really hard to say. We get that question a lot and it’s always difficult to answer it. But I think that there have always been a lot of bands in Finland and there’s been pretty good bands, but it’s not until recent years have we actually gotten the business side of it with managers and record labels and so forth, up to the level that they could actually get the bands exported to other countries. And now with that, now that we have professional managers, we have book agents and whatnot then the bands who actually do know how to play and do something interesting, they now have a chance to get abroad and get on the map so people find them. And that was a problem before. And I think maybe that’s at least one of the reasons that bands get out from here. It’s really hard to say, and I think in some years it might shift, it’s going to be Sweden again or Norway again and I think it’s just how it goes. We are enjoying our time in the sun that’s for sure. I have no idea how it happened, I’m just happy to be a part of it.

AMG: OK, but there are a couple questions I have about live shows… first, why do you guys insist on doing medleys?

Henkka: We do it mainly because we don’t have time to play all the songs that we would like to play and then of course, it’s getting harder and harder with every album because there are so many songs to choose from. So instead of you playing just one song or two songs, we play one medley and we can fit a lot of songs in there and cover a lot of ground with a shorter amount of time. Of course, it’s not the ultimate decision I think the best decision would be to play three hour shows, but that’s a little bit much. I don’t know know if we’re going to play a medley on this tour, but we’ve been talking about it.. because there’s always.. you know, I want to play some songs, Tony wants to play some songs, Elias wants to play.. well, he’s pretty much OK with everything [laughs]. But this guy wants to play this, and that guy wants to play that, and I don’t like this song and somebody else doesn’t like that song, so uh, the medleys are basically a compromise. Also for us it’s interesting, instead of playing Replica for the thousandth time we play Replica with something else. Yeah it’s a hobby of ours, every once in a while.. It’s interesting for the fans as well, especially the hardcore people who have heard most of the songs anyway for them to spot “Hey, that’s from that song and that’s from that song,” and you know, for me personally I’m a bit fan of Rush and they always did these medley things and I thought as a fan I really enjoyed that, so..

AMG: I understand that, I’ve been an Iron Maiden fan for my entire life and the thing that always kills me about them is that they never play deep cuts. They always play the same damn 20 songs… Have you ever considered doing a tour where you play deep tracks, like songs that would be cool for hardcore fans but are not, you know.. Full Moon?

Henkka: Yeah, [laughs] oh, that’s a good example. That’s uh, on the last tour we were playing White Pearl, Black Oceans… and we’re still going to be playing that one live I think, and of course, sometimes we’ve thought about that and of course there’s always going to be one or two, or maybe more songs that we play that are going to be a bit more odd or a bit more special, but to make a setlist just with the weird songs might just be a little bit too much. Then, of course, some songs we’ve tried and if they don’t work then we just scrap it.. Maybe on some songs we’ve gone a little bit too far with the vocals and keyboards, and then if you want to make it work live you have to use a lot of backup tapes and shit like that and you can get lost in that kind of jungle. Definitely, we try to do something other than Full Moon as well.

So, that was SUPPOSED to be the end, but then we got talking about partying.. Of course, what unites metalheads more than beer (Metal? Nah.. it’s the beer)? Unfortunately it didn’t get recorded, but I started asking about the comment where he was saying that they just sit on the bus and play PS2.. so that is, “is the partying while touring going down” he started saying “Well, we always say…”

Henkka: … we won’t drink so much on the next tour.. we’re always bloated and tired anyway. [laughs] I think the worst one for me was The Reckoning Night tour, it got basically totally out of hand, yeah. I’m surprised that me, and I won’t say any other names, but I was not alone in that boat, some of us were pretty fucked up during that whole two year period. But uh, luckily we managed to do all the shows and not screw up. But it was.. uh, yeah. I think you have to take it to a point where you realize yourself that this is too much and then you cut back. But of course, after the show we usually drink. But maybe it’s not so out of hand as it used to be… earlier.

AMG: Yeah, they always say that being in a band is like being in a relationship..

Henkka: Yeah, it’s just five guys.. [laughs]

AMG: .. but it’s one of those things like, you have to get old and boring sometime, right?

Henkka: [laughs] Yeah, exactly. Also, I think if we continued at the pace that we used to do with the partying stuff, if we continued in that way.. I think I would be dead in 10 years. We would like to continue to work after that as well. [laughter abounds] But, uh, we were just away for a week and played two shows and got pretty wasted on both nights so.. yeah, we are trying to cut back, we are trying and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t..

AMG: Sounds like you guys need an Alcoholics Anonymous counselor on the bus or something..

Henkka: That sounds like a pretty OK idea. [laughs]

Related posts:

1. Sonata Arctica – The Days of Grays Review
2. Ed Warby / The 11th Hour Interview
3. Interview with Mary Zimmer from Luna Mortis

I’ve been a big Sonata Arctica fan for a long, long time.  One of the first records I ever reviewed in my entire reviewing career was Silence, which by many is still considered to be the band’s finest record.  I loved it, and I was instantly hooked by the band’s sweet hooks, tightness and particularly the vocal stylings of one Tony Kakko.  The music was just technical enough to make me feel superior to all the people who were listening to Nu-Metal, but poppy and feel good were the other traits that I loved about the band.  I’ve always described it as “driving music.”  You know, hit the open road, go as fast as you think you can get away with and blast Sonata Arctica at top volumes while you barrel down the highway into the amazing summer day.  Sound familiar to your experience?  I hope so, because that’s the angle I’m starting from.

Sonata Arctica is not that band anymore.  By admission, according to Henrik (keyboards), they were “bored as fuck” with that sound, which lead them to producing Unia, an album which did not sit well with many of the traditional Sonata Arctica fanbase.  Unia was a much more plodding album, more progressive I’d say, but lacking a lot of the catchiness and addictive speed that defined the band for so many years and for so many of their fans.  The Days of Grays is definitely not classic Sonata Arctica, but the good news is: it’s a grower.

Unlike old Sonata Arctica this record doesn’t rip out the door, but instead it creeps up on you with a long intro and the track “Deathaura” which begins with female vocals.  The sound is still heavy and keyboard-laden, but despite that the  slowness and chuggy riffs that still dominate this album, the speed has started sneaking back in, adding balance while satisfying a lot of my urges for catchy, speedy, poppy Sonata Arctica.   While the only true throwback to the older sound is “Flag in the Ground,” the tracks don’t disappoint.  Tracks like “Juliet” and “Zeroes,” walk on that fine line and with just a little bit more speed could probably have fit onto Winterheart’s Guild or Recknoning Night.  And, of course, this is Sonata Arctica, these guys are real pros and every track on here is perfectly performed, produced and constructed.  These guys do what they do, no matter what it is, convincingly.

But there is a reality to face for most fans.  Sonata Arctica has gone prog.  The thing that really stood about this whole album for me is that they’re getting a little weirder, a little more subtle and more musically advanced.  The melodies sometimes seem off, just enough for you to know that’s intentional (like the beginning “The Dead Skin”), things are layered like crazy and the music is far more linear than it was.  The movement away from the nearly schlager formula tracks to these subtle, well-composed and interesting movements should be fully encouraged by everyone who likes to see bands develop.  Sure, these guys aren’t as fun anymore, but they’re so much better musically now.  The question is whether or not that’s enough.

For me, I want a balance between these two things—that is, between the subtle, musically interesting stuff and the musical happiness that embodied Sonata Arctica for me.  The Days of Grays strikes a pretty good balance on that front, making it both an interesting and fun record to listen to.   But as far as I’m concerned, they really nailed that balance with 2004′s Reckoning Night, which is my favorite album of theirs for that very reason.  I respect what the band is trying to achieve with The Days of Grays, and it’s well done… But, sorry guys, couldn’t you add a couple more fast songs?

Related posts:

1. Things You May Have Missed: Cain’s Offering – Gather the Faithful
2. Interview with Henrik from Sonata Arctica
3. Thanks!

I just want to say that things have been going really well here.  I’ve been consistently getting a flow of visitors, and I hope that these things continue picking up.  It seems like I’m getting lots of Germans on here (Wie gehts!?), and I hope that I can continue getting a worldwide audience.  That’s the goal—appeal to everyone who can read it (and even those who can’t, thanks to everyone who translates my posts in Google).

Weekly Recommendation: Watch for the new Vader record, I was fucking blown away.  More info coming soon, but let’s just say it’s everything you’re looking for in death metal: balls-to-the-wall, short and sweet and groovy as hell.  Will not disappoint.

Fleshgod Apocalypse – Oracles
Vader – Necropolis
Fen – The Malediction Fields
Sonata Arctica – The Days of Grays
Amorphis – Skyforger
Æthereal – Through Inhuman Eyes
Cobalt – Gin
Burial Ritual – Tower of Silence
Behemoth – Evangelion
Suidakra – Crógacht
Crimfall – As the Path Unfolds…
Born Under Sirius – Born Under Sirius
Luna Mortis – The Absence
Anathema – Hindsight
Shining – VI/Klagopsalmer
Sigh – Hangman’s Hymn

Related posts:

1. Angry Metal Guy’s Playlist
2. Angry Metal Guy’s Playlist 6/21 – 6/27
3. Angry Metal Guy’s Playlist 6/28 – 7/04