Reckoning Night

Reckoning Night is the fourth album on which Sonata Arctica, combining high-speed speeding keyboards, sharp guitar and soaring singing, further deepens dramatic power metal. A record that can be called one culmination of the early golden-age style. The songs move dizzyingly, yet their choruses always place strong, memorable melody, never losing the emotional axis. A record on which the band’s mature ability is fully displayed. From the powerful drive of the opener “Misplaced” and the dramatic popular “Ain’t Your Fairytale” to the catchy classic “Don’t Say a Word,” which became one of the band’s biggest hits, every song is engaging, while cuts like “Blinded No More,” “My Selene” and “The Boy Who Wanted to Be a Real Puppet,” themed on a puppet, convey the work’s fullness. In particular, “Don’t Say a Word” became a signature song. A record on which not only speed but quiet, beautiful introductions and phrases tinged with deep sorrow are used truly effectively. Uniting outstanding technique and rich songcraft at an extremely high level, it further deepens the band’s sure narrative. A powerful, engaging masterpiece capping early Sonata Arctica’s golden age — an essential record for fans.