Pariah's Child

Pariah's Child is a work on which Sonata Arctica again foregrounds speeding powerful rhythm, gorgeous keyboard color and beautiful melody tinged with sorrow. After several works that moved into an experimental direction, it is a long-awaited record on which the band powerfully regained the speed and lyricism of melodic power metal, its origin. The songs, by no means relying on speed alone, make the lift of their choruses and guitar solos stand out all the more by taking a large gap between stillness and motion. From the power of the speeding popular opener “The Wolves Die Young” and the drama of “Running Lights” to a cut like “Cloud Factory,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Take One Breath” and “Blood” convey the work’s fullness. A fantastical, beautiful air and human, earnest emotion intersect, and the album holds both warmth and a sure tension. A record that beautifully re-grasped the band’s native appeal, continuing from the early days, with a more mature expression. Though a return to origins, it has a sure depth cultivated over a long career, not ending as mere nostalgia. An engaging, fulfilling work that powerfully re-presented Sonata Arctica’s melodic essence — a record concentrating the band’s appeal.