Stones Grow Her Name

Stones Grow Her Name is an ambitious work on which Sonata Arctica, while keeping melodic power metal’s speed as its foundation, boldly adds folk melody, acoustic elements and progressive modulation. It develops the experimental direction of the previous two albums into a more varied, open direction. While firmly keeping the former speed, its vigorous drive to create wholly different scenery in each song is clearly visible. A record where the band’s broad musicality shines. From the power of the catchy opener “Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)” and the drama of “Losing My Insanity” to a cut like “I Have a Right,” every song is engaging, while the humorous “Shitload of Money” and a cut like “Somewhere Close to You” convey the work’s fullness. Big, singable choruses and slightly experimental arrangement coexist, and the album has a distinctive sense of travel. A record on which, while stepping into a more varied, free expression, Sonata Arctica’s own melodic strength is not lost in the least. You can savor both the band’s change and its sure melodic sense at once. An engaging, ambitious work whose appeal is the flexible style, also taking in folk and pop elements — a record where the band’s breadth shines.