Silence

Silence is a fulfilling second album on which Sonata Arctica’s speeding fast rhythm, flowing beautiful keyboards and Tony Kakko’s soaring high vocals bind at extremely high density. It makes the style established on the debut more powerful and refined. The songs, while speeding, never lose their melody, and the drive heading toward the choruses is extremely strong. A record where the band’s sure growth can be felt. From the development from the opening intro to “Weballergy” and the dramatic classic “The End of This Chapter” to a cut like “Black Sheep,” every song is engaging, while cuts like “Last Drop Falls” and “False News Travel Fast,” and the popular “Wolf & Raven,” singing of a wolf, convey the work’s fullness. Behind the flashy, gorgeous technique, there is surely beautiful melody tinged with sorrow. A record whose beautiful union of overflowing speed and deep sentiment is the band’s own sure appeal. It greatly advances the early style from the debut and solidifies its position. A powerful, engaging masterpiece announcing the fullness of Finnish melodic power metal — a record inscribing the band’s leap.