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 lineup 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 on bass, 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.
Omnium Gatherum is a six-piece melodic death metal band from Finland, founded in the autumn of 1996. Although the band mainly follows the path of the melodic death metal genre, much of their work shows strong influences from progressive metal, especially their later albums. Their music is influenced by Gothenburg-style bands such as At the Gates, In Flames, Dissection, Dark Tranquillity, but also Iron Maiden, Death, Anathema and Megadeth among others.
Hawthorne Heights is an American rock band from Dayton, Ohio, formed in 2001. Originally called A Day in the Life, their lineup currently consists of JT Woodruff, Matt Ridenour, Mark McMillon, and Chris Popadak.
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 guitarist Jani Liimatainen, who was later replaced by Elias Viljanen after the album was released.
Trophy Scars, is an American experimental rock band from Morristown, New Jersey, United States, with blues and psychedelic influences. Trophy Scars began as a post-hardcore group but has since embraced broader genres.
"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.
Mikko Härkin is a Finnish power metal keyboardist, who has performed with Sonata Arctica and Kenziner.
Elias "E.Vil" Einari Johannes Viljanen is a Finnish musician from Tampere, Finland, known for being the guitarist for Sonata Arctica since 2007. Viljanen joined Sonata Arctica in spring 2007 in order to replace Jani Liimatainen, who left the band in August 2007 to fulfill his civil duties in Finland. The decision was only made official on 8 August 2007, but Elias Viljanen had been known to replace Liimatainen in concerts during the spring and summer tour. Viljanen cites Kiss, Metallica, Slayer, and Whitesnake as his musical influences.
Gather the Faithful is the debut studio album of Finnish power metal band Cain's Offering, an all-star project started by former Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen. It was recorded in 2009 in different studios in Finland and was released on 22 July 2009 in Japan via Avalon. On the band's website the band stated that they're "right now concentrating on the following European/US release, which most likely will be end of August" and that they're "in negotiations with a well-known label, and will soon be able to announce the deal and tentative release date." The album was mixed by Jimmy Westerlund in Los Angeles, Hollywood and mastered by Eddy Schreyer at Oasis Mastering, Los Angeles, Burbank. On 25 June the band announced that their debut album will be released on 28 August in Europe and on 11 September in the USA by Frontiers Records.
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.
Skeletons is the fourth studio album by American rock band Hawthorne Heights, released June 1, 2010. It is their first and only album to be released through Wind-up Records, and is also the first release since If Only You Were Lonely to employ screamed vocals, with guitarist Micah Carli adding limited vocals into select tracks on the record. The album was produced by Howard Benson. The album peaked at #50 on the Billboard top 200 albums.
Powerglove is an American instrumental power metal cover band. They are known to play metal cover versions of classic video game themes. The band is named after the Power Glove, a NES controller accessory.
Triosphere is a Norwegian heavy metal band from Trondheim, created in 2004 by singer and bassist Ida Haukland, and guitarist Marius Silver Bergesen. They are defined by their heavy metal sound emphasising their power metal-like melodies and choruses, while also featuring progressive elements. Bergesen is the composer of all instrumental parts, with Haukland acting as lyricist, and composer of the vocal parts.
Eyes of the Dead (EOTD) is a heavy metal band from New Haven, Connecticut. They are signed to indie label Black Picket Fence Records. Formed in 2004, EOTD has recorded and released three full-length albums, two EPs, and one single. They have toured throughout the northeastern and midwestern areas of The United States, opening for many different national touring acts, such as: The Absence, Agnostic Front, Anthrax, Carnivore, Dark Tranquility, Destruction, D.R.I., Dying Fetus, Emperor, Exodus, Goatwhore, God Forbid, Immolation, Job For A Cowboy, Krisiun, Last Chance To Reason Misfits, Misery Index, Motograter, Mushroomhead, Opeth, Revocation, Six Feet Under, Sodom, Sonata Arctica, Soulfly, Suffocation, Testament, Thy Will Be Done, Unearth, Warbringer, Winds of Plague, and many others.
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.
Talviyö is the tenth studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released on 6 September 2019 by Nuclear Blast.
