Sonata Arctica - Unia
“Unia” is worth non-fans of metal checking out for the top tracks, but all metal fans should give the entire album a listen.
Review by Sirus

“Unia” is the newest CD from one of my favorite metal groups. Sonata Arctica takes their music to the next level and it’s awesome! One thing that should be said about this album is that the lyrics are a little harder to understand right off the bat than the average metal CD. Like all of the Sonata Arctica albums before it, there are only a handful of tracks that stand out enough to be memorable. While some of the tracks aren’t as powerful, they are still worth a listen for fans.

The first track, “Black and White” has a lot of oomph to it. The bass is great and just enough so that it doesn’t overpower. Tony Kakko’s vocals shine through on this and all the tracks on the CD. The organ in the background makes the song stand out from the other tracks on the CD. “Paid in Full”, the second track, combines piano with heavy guitar to make for a powerful song. It works as a song about love and about learning to understand oneself. “For the Sake of Revenge” takes a different direction from some of the other songs on the CD with its constant bass-heavy techno beat used from beginning to end. Still, the song is good but falls short of being great.

“It Won’t Fade” sounds like a ballad at first with its slower violins and female vocals but soon takes on a more metal tone with fast paced guitar. The best thing about “It Won’t Fade” is that it uses so many different styles throughout. The song starts out fast and gets slower towards the end. Similarly, the lyrics start out dark and become less morbid towards the end with the vocals changing intensity as well. “It Won’t Fade” ends up being one of the best songs on the CD. “Under Your Tree” is the emotional ballad of the album and almost reaches the level of some of Sonata Arctica’s previous powerful ballads. The song sends a powerful message about the pain that comes when one has to deal with the death of a loved one. The lyrics, more than anything else, really make the song as powerful as it is.

“Caleb” is by far my favorite song on the entire album. I love how the band decided to tell a story through the song and, while the beginning part gets a little cheesy after the first 20 listens, it drives the point home that this song is about a story. The lyrics make clear many truths about the human condition most listeners will know to be true while the vocals of Tony Kakko send a powerful chill down my spine. “The Vice” is a strange song with even stranger lyrics. But the song is short; before you realize it’s started, it’s already over.

“My Dream’s But a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare” is a strange song that is about as random throughout the middle as a nightmare can be. The lyrics were completely different from what they sounded like before reading the booklet. Still, the absolute randomness of the song makes it interesting enough that it should not be skipped. I really wished the song would have kept the slower style used at the very beginning for the entire song, although I recognize the symbolism of going from something peaceful and dreamlike to the random jumble of a nightmare. “The Harvest” is a bass heavy song with strange lyrics that manages to be catchy when you simply listen to the music.

“The Worlds Forgotten the Words Forbidden” is a short song that uses some strange effect to distort the vocals and doesn’t really do anything exciting. “Fly With the Black Swan” is a great song to showcase Tony Kakko’s great voice. The main melody of the song played on the guitar keeps it interesting even when the vocals cut out towards the middle. “Good Enough is Good Enough” is the album’s second ballad. While it is not as powerful as “Under Your Tree”, it still gives off the certain aura that a good ballad tends to. The US release of “Unia” comes with one bonus track, “Out in the Fields,” while the Japanese release of “Unia” has a second bonus track as well. “Out in the Fields” is better than the throwaway tracks on the album and comes through with some powerful imagery. The song is basically suggesting that death has no prejudice and no matter who you are, death will come at one time or another. The song brings out the power of Tony Kakko’s voice that I have grown to love.

“Unia” could have been a lot more if all the tracks were up to the quality of “Caleb”. I have loved Sonata Arctica for a few years now because of their long epic tracks like “The Power of One” from their Silence album which they still have yet to top. “Unia” has a few tracks that keep it from fading into mediocrity with so many different metal albums being released. If you aren’t a very hardcore metal fan, “Unia” is worth checking out for the top tracks but all metal fans should give the entire album a listen.

Top Songs:
1. Caleb
2. Under Your Tree
3. Out in the Fields
4. It Won't Fade

Final Score: 7/10