Album Retrospective: Unia

now playing: Sonata Arctica - In the Dark

Sonata Arctica's fifth studio album, Unia ("Dreams"), dropped in May of 2007 and proved immediately divisive among American and Finnish fans alike. The album marked a potentially unsettling change of sound from power metal with progressive influences to what some billed as "pretentious" straight-up progressive metal. Additionally, the cover art debuted a new logo for the band; the previous one had remained unchanged for eight years. This would also be the last album original guitarist Jani Liimatainen would play on: Some complications involving the Finnish military arose, and the band decided to go on without him, taking Elias Viljanen in his place. Understandably, fans had several reasons to be displeased with this album.

I was not one of them. I distinctly remember calling "Good Enough is Good Enough", the closing track, "absolutely perfect". Featuring Tony Kakko on vocals, Henrik Klingenberg on piano, and a string quintet, the minimalistic ballad is a fantastic way to bring the listener down from the sheer sonic power of the rest of the album. The album opens immediately with a strong guitar riff in the vindictive "In Black and White", which would become the standard concert opener for the next two years (and, I would imagine, for some time to come). "Paid in Full", the first single, follows quickly as a ballad with an edge and a strong bass line. Before long, the album swings back into vindication with this album's wolf song, "It Won't Fade": The wolf pack described in the lyrics is a metaphor for the band, and the stray left of the litter is Liimatainen. It seems almost cruel to make him play guitar on this track, but emotion brings out the best playing in everyone, a point clearly made as Kakko switches between clean vocals and screaming over top of angry guitar lines and gentle piano.

As I mentioned in my review of The Days of Grays, "Juliet" is the conclusion of a story. Unia's sixth track, "Caleb", is the beginning, detailing the childhood of the stalker in a progressive, 4/4-to-6/8 crowd-pleaser with a guest choir and a spoken introduction. After that point, the album descends further and further into prog, culminating with "My Dream's But a Drop of Fuel For a Nightmare". The track is six minutes of deliberately nonsensical lyrics and instrumental virtuosity that builds from bass, piano, and vocals to a combination of instruments that can barely be enumerated. Sitting down and listening to the instrumental version of this track (a bonus track limited to the Japanese edition), I was blown away. This is my first response to anyone who claims that Sonata lost their touch with Unia.

However, for as impressive as many of the tracks are, some still don't quite settle well with me. "Under Your Tree", the main ballad of the album, has a melody too similar to "Victoria's Secret" (off Winterheart's Guild, 2003) for my liking and strikes me as downright boring. It's easily my least favorite Sonata song in their entire repertoire. I also feel that, in his effort to write something new, Kakko dropped the ball in "The Harvest", which uses the lyrics "once planted plastic grapes / the harvest of a lifetime / real bad wine" in complete sincerity. It's a shame, as the rest of the song is really quite good -- I've certainly never heard a metal band use a bouzouki before. I just can't get over those lines. Despite all that, Unia certainly isn't a bad album. I think the sensationalist reactions about the stylistic shift and all that were largely unjustified. I would, however, call the album weak. I believe they were trying to make a bold change in their genre and bit off more than they could chew. Fortunately, all the imperfections were ironed out with the release of The Days of Grays, and I (for one) welcome our new power-prog overlords. It goes to show that if you're going to dream, dream big. B

Album Review: The Days of Grays

now playing: Sonata Arctica - Deathaura

You know, for how much I talk about how awesome Finnish power metal is, this is the first official time Sonata Arctica's gotten a mention on this long-dead blog. What a way to kick things off again, huh? Sonata's sixth studio album, The Days of Grays (Nuclear Blast), hit shelves in America today and I am more than ready to give it the review it deserves. And you know what? Come back every day this week for another Sonata Arctica album review.

It's been two and a half years since Sonata Arctica's divisive and controversial fifth album, Unia. The band took the progressive elements they'd been experimenting with for a few years and kicked them into high gear, culminating in an avant-garde explosion of sound with calliope and Hammond organs joining the regular lineup of bass, guitar, keyboards, drums, and vocals. Fans were not particularly happy, but I can save that explanation for another day. The Days of Grays retains the progressive elements of Unia, but brings along a darker tone, something more sinister and not quite heard of from this band until now. While their previous albums have opened with loud, heavy, hard-hitting tracks, "Everything Fades to Gray" is stripped down to the barest elements with nothing more than piano and strings (and the occasional tympani for effect). Orchestration is heavy on this album all around, in fact; four of the 13 songs feature strings, while the Finland-exclusive two-disc version contains seven completely orchestrated songs.

Just as the listener is getting comfortable, in comes "Deathaura", an eight-minute, multi-part suite showcasing guest vocalist Johanna Kurkela's gentle entry and the band's trademark thunderous sound only seconds later. This is guitarist Elias Viljanen's first opportunity to shine, having been added the band shortly after the release of Unia, and I am proud to say he does not disappoint. From there, the album transitions to "The Last Amazing Grays", the requisite "wolf song" and the first single. Despite the grim feelings the orchestrated bridge may convey, the message remains hopeful. Immediately following is the second single and easily the happiest song on the album, "Flag in the Ground". I can already see crowds of people singing along to this song, a triumphant anthem for love and the future.

Skipping ahead to the second half of the album, "Juliet" reminds the listener that vocalist and songwriter Tony Kakko is a terrifying person. Meant to be the end of a story introduced in their second album, "Juliet" details a stalker, having finally found his love, poisoning himself and expecting her to do the same. When he discovers that she is still alive as death overtakes him, he promises to come back as a ghost and haunt her until the end of her days. "As If the World Wasn't Ending", a few tracks later, seems to take the quote "let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die" to heart. A man has inadvertently caused the end of the world and spends the song pleading to his love to pretend that they aren't going to die, to enjoy the time they have left together. A darker tone indeed.

Of course, ten years of music haven't dulled Sonata's sense of experimentation. "Zeroes" applies various vocal effects and takes a more political tone, both of which are rather unexpected from a band that's been billed by some as "gay wizard metal". The chorus of "The Dead Skin" mentions human dismemberment (albeit as a metaphor). And then there's "The Truth is Out There", which -- yes, Virginia -- involves alien abduction.

Overall, The Days of Grays is an inventive album and an interesting exploration of just how far one band can push the definition of power metal. My major criticism is the average length of the songs; I fear touring with Nightwish may have influenced the band for the worse. Nothing drags, to be sure, but I fear for the commercial success of the album when half the tracks come in over 4:30. But pithy criticisms aside! I'm glad to see they're putting Viljanen to good use, as he certainly has the chops. Bassist Marko Paasikoski is further up in the mix in nearly every track, which I appreciate as a bassist. It seems others appreciate it, as well: The album sold in excess of 15,000 copies in Finland on the first day of release, reaching gold status in what must be record time. The brightest colors might fade to gray, but at this rate, Sonata Arctica most certainly will not. A-

You can buy The Days of Grays from Sonata Arctica's website. The band is currently touring the USA and Canada with Dragonforce, so be sure to check out the tour schedule and pick up tickets to the show nearest you.

What I Can't Stop Listening To: Picture Me Broken

now playing: Picture Me Broken - Live Forever

Oh, hey, I actually have a blog. Yeah, so much for regular updates, I guess. What with my own flighty nature and an actual job getting in the way, I haven't had a lot of time to get out and discover new music, much less write posts about it. However, thanks to my good friend Jordan Munson, I do have some actual content. This is going to be a bit different from my standard WICSLT posts; it's more of a single-artist showcase than anything else.

Picture Me Broken is a quartet of high school kids from Redwood City, CA. Don't let their age fool you, though; these kids can seriously rock. They were recently invited to play the Warped Tour on June 27th, and not without merit. One listen to their big song, "Dearest (I'm So Sorry)", and it's clear that their comparisons to both Paramore and Scary Kids Scaring Kids are not without merit. I haven't heard guitar work like this out of a modern rock band in a long time. It's a real breath of fresh air. But that's not the only thing they offer. Layla Allman does triple duty, giving infectiously singable lyrics next to passionate screams and just a touch of synth for taste. In "Dearest" and "No Shame" most notably, the use of keyboards during the breakdowns just fits; she knows what she's doing.

Nick Loiacono, guitarist, brings another welcome surprise to the table in "Dead Serious", a bit of a stylistic departure into the pop-rock side of things and what I predict will be a runaway hit. The song features a bona fide guitar solo, which is an element all but forgotten in most modern music today. Loiacono shows impressive chops through their entire body of work. If it weren't for Allman's voice, I'd be hard-pressed to believe "Blind" and "Dearest" are by the same band. This is aided by the versatility of bassist Austin Dunn, who understands that not every bass line needs to be the root for three minutes. What interludes he takes are few, but they're evident and they work. And let's not leave the rhythm section out of it; with Eric Perkins on drums, switching from double-bass breakdowns to more standard classic rock rhythms effortlessly (again, listen to "Dearest"), the whole outfit really comes together.

Picture Me Broken is currently working on releasing their first EP, still untitled. While you wait, you can check them out on OurStage and give them your support by voting for them in the monthly contests. If that's not your scene, you can also find them on MySpace and Twitter. They might only have a few songs so far, but I'm picturing good things in Picture Me Broken's future.

100-Word Reviews: ZOMBIES! ALIENS! VAMPIRES! DINOSAURS!

now playing: hellogoodbye - Baby, It's Fact

This is the way May begins; not with a bang but a whimper. I really dropped the ball on this one, guys. I've been feeling ill lately (I'm pretty sure it's not swine flu), and that's compounded by the new job I just started (not music-related in the slightest) that's giving me hours wherein if I'm not working, I'm sleeping. I am still working on the Bamboozle review, slowly but surely; I hope to have that up by Wednesday or Thursday. Let's try to get things rolling again with a 100-Word Review.

hellogoodbye's ZOMBIES! ALIENS! VAMPIRES! DINOSAURS! is both the best-titled and the cutest album I've ever reviewed. Not "cute" like Cute is What We Aim For; legitimately adorable. From track one straight through to track eleven, every song is a catchy little ditty that could easily be used to describe any number of young love scenarios. Swinging back and forth between upbeat dance and slow ballad, the songs on this album show that hellogoodbye had a good thing going. The keyboardist and drummer split in late 2008, leaving founder Forrest Kline stranded, but far from hopeless. Check it all out here.

What I Can't Stop Listening To: April 2009

now playing: Concrete Blonde - The Sky is a Poisonous Garden

First and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone who helped spread the word of the events at the TLA. I'll be keeping an eye on the situation, but as I said, I don't really think anything is going to come of this, unfortunately. Philadelphia police officers have been getting away with things like this for years. To speak of less somber things, the end of the month brings us What I Can't Stop Listening To once again. If you missed it last month, I am still providing a direct download of the songs mentioned in this article. Disclaimer: I have no vested interest, monetary or otherwise, in providing these links outside of exposing the readers of this blog to new music. I have acquired everything I provide legally and encourage others to do the same. With that said, here are the five songs I can't stop listening to for April 2009.

05) Silversun Pickups - There's No Secrets This Year

I've already written about Swoon earlier in the month, so I won't have much to say for this track. I will say that the chorus of this song is one that always finds its way back into my head no matter what I'm doing. I also enjoy the way the track slows down and blends into the style of the following track, "The Royal We", and it's for that reason that it feels almost wrong not to include it as well. Alas, you only get one from me. You know how that could be solved? Go out and buy Swoon at Amazon or iTunes today.

04) Guns N' Roses - Catcher in the Rye

To be honest, I doubt I'll ever understand anyone who says they dislike Chinese Democracy because it sounds too unlike Guns N' Roses' previous work. It's been 15 years in the making; of course it's not going to sound the same. What it does sound like is good, solid music that too many people are going to overlook for one reason or another. Let this power ballad help change your mind. The guitar is still incredibly strong without Slash, and the rest of the band is just as powerful; even, hard as it may be to believe, Axl himself, who still sounds as he did in GnR's heyday. If you don't have Chinese Democracy already, pick it up on Amazon or iTunes.

03) Styx - Queen of Spades

Putting this song in the article is pretty much pure self-indulgence. Styx manages to hit almost every single one of the thematic elements I love in songs: Lethal women, gambling, spiders, concept albums, power ballads, and guitar solos. I am a simple man with simple pleasures in my music. Pick up Pieces of Eight (featuring this, "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)", and "Renegade", among others) on Amazon or iTunes. And don't forget to get your tickets to the Can't Stop Rockin' tour, featuring Styx, REO Speedwagon, and .38 Special.

02) My Chemical Romance - Famous Last Words

Back when I was shakily learning how to drive, I relied on music to help calm me down. Jack Off Jill's Clear Hearts Grey Flowers shared rotation with The Black Parade, but it was singing along with Gerard Way that finally got me comfortable behind the wheel. And yes, My Chemical Romance might get a lot of flak from... well, everyone, but this album is surprisingly strong as a concept album. I disagree with Way deciding to bleach his hair for the tour, but they can't all be perfect. If you feel like hunting down the special edition, Amazon can hook you up; otherwise, the CD alone can be found on Amazon and iTunes.

01) Concrete Blonde - Probably Will

This song off 1994's Still in Hollywood is strange for Concrete Blonde. The driving bass lines and aggression that initially drew me to the band are gone; instead, this song is stripped down to three-chord guitar, minimal drums, and vocals. It may seem strange that a song like that would be considered an anthem of rebellion, but the line "they will only make us stronger if they try to keep us still" proves that rebellion can have any kind of backing band as long as the lyrics are strong. Still in Hollywood also features live tracks, alternate takes of songs, and covers of Jimi Hendrix, Nick Cave, and others. Their cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing" is superb. You can pick up this album on Amazon or iTunes.

You can download all five of these songs here (36MB).

May is going to start with a bang, as I'll be attending the Bamboozle in the Meadowlands way up in north Jersey. We had little luck with the Ghost Hounds' Vintage Trouble this month, but maybe we'll see it in May. Finnish power metal band Stratovarius also has Polaris coming out in the middle of the month, but you won't have to wait that long for a review. Until next time, keep your eyes on the skies.

Police Brutality at the TLA

I promise not to use this blog as a soapbox often, but I just found out about something reprehensible that happened at the Theatre of the Living Arts in Philadelphia last night. The Bamboozle Road Show, featuring We the Kings, Forever the Sickest Kids, the Cab, mercymercedes, and Valencia, was just finishing up last night when several police officers showed up and attacked members of the bands. Brendan Walter of Valencia writes:

Tonight at the Bamboozle Road Show I witnessed the worst case of police brutality I’ve ever seen. I’m not sure of the exact story of what happened, all I know is that I walked downstairs and was ready to leave the venue only to see Chris V being pushed back into the venue (from the alley) by 3 cops with billy clubs. They were screaming and pushing him to the ground, threw him down onto a glass bottle that he hit his head on, split it open. He was bleeding everywhere and they still continued to beat him with clubs. They would not stop, even when he was compliant. Everyone was screaming for them to stop, I just could not stop yelling, I was so angry. I wanted so bad to have us all go over and pull them off of him, but no one could or we’d be next. Finally they stopped and dragged him outside after a pint of blood left his head and was all over the stage of the TLA. After everything was calmed down a bit, I saw my good friend Ian Planet being shoved inside, slammed into a brick wall, his cell phone thrown across the room and his face shoved onto the concrete floor all because he wanted to go outside and finish his job. The same happened to T-Fair right out back as well.

In a thread on the AbsolutePunk.net forums, a member of mercymercedes mentions receiving several tickets and being aggressively shoved against a car. MySpace Video has footage of the interior of the club during the incident, found here (warning: language and blood). Additionally, two people present outside have posted YouTube videos hosted here and here (with language warnings on both).

I'm not certain if anything can be done about this now (I have my doubts that the officers involved will face any retribution), but I thought it best to spread the word.

This post was compiled with help from BuzzNet.

Album Review: Oxytocin

now playing: Concrete Blonde - Probably Will

If you'd told me that a bunch of developers from Harmonix, the company responsible for Rock Band and the first two Guitar Hero games, were going to make a hip-hop/electronica album, I would have laughed in your face, then gone to see what the internet was saying about it. In fact, that is exactly what I did before running across Oxytocin, a 40 minute continuous mix of hip-hop and electronica tracks from eleven Harmonix developers, including members of That Handsome Devil and BQEZ. The best non-musical part is that it's being released on the internet for free in its entirety.

This may not entirely come as a surprise, but I do not listen to hip-hop, so it's difficult for me to judge this album against others in its genre. However, listening to some of the tracks, I find it hard to put this album into one definitive genre, which is both logical and for the best. Rob Lynch's "Cathode Ray" reminds me very much of Anamanaguchi, whereas "Do It For Me" by Nay brings me back to the happy hardcore heyday in the early 90s. "Subway Tale", crafted by M-Cue and Tarashi, definitely makes me think Gorillaz above anything else. To put it quite simply, even if it is a cliche, this album does have something for everyone. I went in not expecting to like it in the slightest, but I nearly stumbled upon a strange mix of Poe and Jack Off Jill with Ligery and Inner Dialogue's "Perfect", spoken poetry backed by synth and beats. Before I even knew the song was coming to an end, it was transitioning seamlessly into "Blow Away" by Patrick Balthrop, a song that would fit perfectly in a trance club's rotation.

I suppose with the diversity of the musical spectrum already covered, my only other comment would be on the fantastic production of the album. Even with songs that fall under incredibly different genres and styles, the mixing remains consistent and in some cases imperceptible. I suppose that's to be expected in a group with six sound designers and two producers, but it's still very impressive. The people responsible for Oxytocin set a goal to make a project that "wasn't rock based", and with just one listen of the album, it's clear that they met this goal. With all the rock bands Harmonix produces (Bang Camaro and the Sterns, to name two), it's easy to overlook those musicians that don't fall under that heading but still have just as much talent as their conventional counterparts. If Oxytocin is a way to test the waters, I'll definitely be keeping my eye on the website to see what else they've got planned. At any rate, it's obvious that Harmonix can produce more than just quality video games. A

Keep your eye on Oxytocin's homepage to follow news on what's to come and download the album in its entirety. While you're there, check out the individual blogs and Twitters of the members and clear your schedules for a couple of shows in June with all eleven getting together to perform live.