(Rated this album with 8 out of 10) Reviewed by
montegrano
from Sandston, VA United States
I had great expectations for this band, but for some reason they were not completely fulfilled. The music is top notch, no doubt, but it's nothing that hasn't been done before. I know this is not a new phenomenon, but there is great potential for this band, which they have yet to use to the fullest extent. Lyrical content (emotional lyrics) is nice because they shift away from the common dragons, sorcery, etc. topics that a lot bands sing about. Perhaps what made me a bit weary of this album is the sheer number of songs: around 13. I know it's good to have a lot of good songs, but I felt a number of these were fillers which could have been left out. One of the strongest songs on this album is Wolf & Raven, which has got to be one of my favorite songs ever; I absolutely love this song. All of this is not to say that the album is .... To the contrary. I think it's a great album, but their creativity isn't quite up to par yet. Perhaps with age will Sonata Arctica achieve the popularity and superior musicianship of country fellowmen Stratovarius.
