Sonata Arctica May Be the Hardest Working Metal Band Around ~ and the Results Certainly Pay Off
Finnish melodic metal titans Sonata Arctica will unleash their new studio album The Ninth Hour through Nuclear Blast on October 7th, but to keep fans happy ‘til then, yesterday they released their second single (available for purchase in digital format here) and a video clip teaser for the song “Life,“ the entirety of which will be revealed next week.
“I tried desperately to have at least one positive, uplifting song on this album and maybe this is it. I always struggle writing positive lyrics, that’s the thing. We’ve been called ‘happy metal’ many times because of the melodies and so on, but lyrics are usually something that do not walk the sunny side of the road. They contrast the music. ‘Life’ anyway, is telling people to find good things in life, find the things hurting and causing harm and replacing them with positive things with help of friends. Go out and be together with people, share experiences, live. I know it’s a dumb thing to say, but life is better alive,” shared Tony Kakko.
Once again, Sonata Arctica produced the upcoming album themselves and called on Pasi Kauppinen to mix it; the goal was to create a recognizable yet revitalized sound that defines the spirit of the band in the year 2016. Staying true to a musical identity formed over the years while remaining committed to having it evolve is no easy task, but it is one that Sonata Arctica has does masterfully and will no doubt be appreciated by both longtime fans and those just discovering the band.
Below is the full track list for The Ninth Hour, which you can order in your favorite format here.
01.Closer To An Animal
02. Life
03. Fairytale
04. We Are What We Are
05. Till Death’s Done Us Apart
06. Among The Shooting Stars
07. Rise A Night
08. Fly, Navigate, Communicate
09. Candle Lawns
10. White Pearl, Black Oceans Part II – “By The Grace Of The Ocean”
11. On The Faultline (Closure To An Animal)
Want a little more? Well, you’re in luck!
Official Lyric Video for “Closer to An Animal”
Album Trailer Part I
Album Trailer Part II
Album Trailer Part III
Right after releasing the new album and returning from a European tour with label mates Twilight Force, Sonata Arctica will be back in the US and Canada for a headlining tour with Leaves’ Eyes and Omnium Gatherum. Confirmed dates for the 2016 North American Tour are:
11/06/2016 The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
11/07/2016 The Fillmore – Silver Spring, MD
11/08/2016 Upstate Concert Hall – Clifton Park, NY
11/09/2016 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
11/11/2016 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
11/12/2016 Webster Theater – Hartford, CT
11/13/2016 Club Soda – Montreal, QC CANADA
11/14/2016 Mavericks – Ottawa, ON CANADA
11/16/2016 Dallas – Kitchener, ON CANADA
11/17/2016 Park Street Saloon – Columbus, OH
11/18/2016 Token Lounge – Westland, MI
11/19/2016 Altar Bar – Pittsburgh, PA
11/21/2016 Rave – Milwaukee, WI
11/22/2016 Mill City Nights – Minneapolis, MN
11/24/2016 The Exchange – Regina, SK CANADA
11/25/2016 Dickens – Calgary, AB CANADA
11/26/2016 Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB CANADA
11/28/2016 The Venue – Vancouver, BC CANADA
11/29/2016 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
11/30/2016 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
12/02/2016 Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
12/03/2016 Brick by Brick – San Diego, CA
12/04/2016 The Grove – Anaheim, CA
12/05/2016 Club Red – Tempe, AZ
12/06/2016 Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
12/08/2016 Gothic Theater – Englewood, CO
12/09/2016 Granada – Lawrence, KS
12/10/2016 Trees- Dallas, TX
12/11/2016 Cine El Rey- McAllen, TX
12/13/2016 Alamo Music Hall- San Antonio, TX
12/14/2016 Scout Bar- Houston, TX
12/16/2016 House of Blues- Lake Buena Vista, FL
12/17/2016 The Masquerade- Atlanta, GA
Now’s the time to order the album and clear the date Sonata Arctica will be playing a venue near you…and make sure to keep up with the band via these links:
Check out what Nuclear Blast has going on, too ~ and speaking of Nuclear Blast, they are now officially the world’s largest independent heavy metal label ~ congratulations!