"Flag in the Ground" | ||||
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Single by Sonata Arctica | ||||
from the album The Days of Grays | ||||
Released | August 26, 2009 | |||
Recorded | Tico-Tico Studios, 2009 | |||
Genre | Power metal | |||
Length | 4:06 | |||
Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
Songwriter(s) | Tony Kakko, Tony Kakko, | |||
Producer(s) | Sonata Arctica | |||
Sonata Arctica singles chronology | ||||
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Alternative Cover | ||||
Alternative Cover | ||||
"Flag in the Ground" is the second single from Sonata Arctica's album The Days of Grays . The single was only given out to the winner of the Flag in the Ground Fan Art Contest which had prizes of several merchandise of the band for first place and runners-up,second and third. The song reached number 3 on the Finnish record chart. [1] The melody in this song is sampled from "BlackOut",a song in the Friend 'till the End demo from the band's early years as Tricky Beans.
Singer Tony Kakko commented:
"On behalf of the whole SONATA ARCTICA, I would like to thank all of you, who sent artwork suggestions for our promotional single "Flag In The Ground"! Fantastic!
The range of different ideas and styles was staggering and our decision was far from easy. I think at the end we all had our own personal favorites!
But there can be only one! In this case one winner, one 2nd and one 3rd.
So we actually had to build an extremely complex voting system to come up with the winner and even then it was not all that easy.
And honestly, I think you are all winners, and you should think so too. You worked hard to complete the artwork in extremely limited time frame.
And you did it. Ovations.
As I am writing this message, I still only have the artwork jpg's with different names and no idea who is behind which work.
Just so you will know; if the winner happens to be my mother, it is simply because her work was THE BEST!
Without any drum rolls, behold! The mighty winner! The best of the best of the best!
Thank you people! See you on tour!”
~Tony – Sonata Arctica." [2]
Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current line-up consists of drummer Tommy Portimo, lead singer Tony Kakko, keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg, guitarist Elias Viljanen and bassist Pasi Kauppinen. All the musicians of the band's history except Portimo also acted as backing vocalists.
Ecliptica is the first full-length album by the power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released in 1999 through Spinefarm Records in Europe and through Century Media in the United States. It is the band's only album featuring bassist Janne Kivilahti. In 2016, vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter Tony Kakko described the album as "like the extension of our demo, we didn't know what we were doing so that reflects on the album and makes kind of cute if you will."
Silence is the second full-length album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica, released in 2001 through Spinefarm Records. It is the only studio album to feature keyboardist Mikko Härkin, and the first album with original member Marko Paasikoski, who returned to the band the previous year. Stratovarius lead singer Timo Kotipelto sang guest vocals on the album.
Winterheart's Guild is the third studio album by the power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released in 2003 through Spinefarm Records. In a 2014 interview, vocalist, keyboardist and songwriter Tony Kakko said inspiration for writing "The Ruins of My Life" came from the film Braveheart. In 2019, he would refer to the album's recording process as a "nightmare" because he only had "two or three" songs ready when the band went in the studio.
Unia, released on 25 May 2007, is the fifth full-length studio album by the power metal band Sonata Arctica, following the album Reckoning Night. The first single from the album was "Paid in Full", released on 27 April 2007. This is also the last album that features Jani Liimatainen, who was later replaced by Elias Viljanen after the album was released.
Successor is an EP by Sonata Arctica, released through Spinefarm Records on 7 August 2000.
For the Sake of Revenge is a live album and DVD recorded by the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was recorded at Shibuya AX, Tokyo, Japan on 5 February 2005. Along with the CD there is a DVD in stereo and Surround 5.1 sound, which also includes Finnish commentary track by the band, Misplaced Cameras On Tour, a biography, discography and some photos.
"Silent Jealousy" is a single released by X Japan on September 11, 1991.
"Paid in Full" is a single by the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released on 27 April 2007. The single is from the album Unia and features a cover of Gary Moore's "Out in the Fields". The album art also includes Sonata Arctica's new logo design.
Fire-Hearted is the third studio album by metal musician Elias Viljanen as solo artist. The album features Marko Hietala and Tony Kakko on vocals. Also contributing is Jari Kainulainen on bass, Henrik Klingenberg on keyboards and Mikko Sirén (Apocalyptica) on drums. The album was out in June 2009. The song "Last Breath of Love" with Marko on vocals can be heard on Elias' Myspace together with the title-track.
The Days of Grays is the sixth full-length studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. The album was released in South America on 8 September 2009, on 16 September in Finland, 18 September in Europe and 22 September in North America through Nuclear Blast. The special edition of the album includes the album along with an orchestral CD as a digipak.
"The Last Amazing Grays" is the first single from Sonata Arctica's album The Days of Grays, released in Finland exclusively on August 26, 2009 via Nuclear Blast Records. It features the video edit of the song "Flag in the Ground" which is the first video from the album. The song was ranked third on the Finnish record chart.
Reckoning Night is the fourth full-length studio album by the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica, as well as the first to feature keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg. The track "Don't Say a Word" continues the so called Caleb saga, a series of songs that started on Silence's "The End of This Chapter" and is continued on Unia's "Caleb", The Days of Grays's "Juliet", The Ninth Hour's "Till Death's Done Us Apart" and Talviyö's "The Last of the Lambs".
Stones Grow Her Name is the 7th full-length studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released in Finland on May 16, 2012, in Europe on May 18, 2012, in North America on May 22, 2012 and in Japan on May 23, 2012. It was the last album to feature longtime bassist Marko Paasikoski.
Live in Finland is a live album and DVD recorded by the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. Live in Finland was recorded at Club Teatria in Oulu, Finland on 15 April 2011 during "The Days Of Grays" World Tour, and was released on 11 November 2011. Along with the CD, there is a DVD in stereo and Surround 5.1 sound, which also includes Finnish commentary track by the band, making-of videos, two documentaries, photos, and music videos. The DVD's cover was created by Xabier Loebl.
The Land of New Hope is the first full-length album by Timo Tolkki's Finnish metal opera project Avalon. The album was released on May 17, 2013 in Europe and May 21, 2013 in the US.
Pariah's Child is the eighth studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released on 28 March 2014 by Nuclear Blast. It is the first Sonata Arctica release with new bassist Pasi Kauppinen, who replaced Marko Paasikoski.
Don't Say a Word is Sonata Arctica's fourth EP released on 30 August 2004 through the label Nuclear Blast.
The Ninth Hour is the ninth studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released on 7 October 2016 by Nuclear Blast.
Talviyö is the tenth studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released on 6 September 2019 by Nuclear Blast.