SA's Unia

[Cheiron]

I really like this album. I feel like the song writing is very strong. This band is becoming one of my favorites. I don't quite understand the complaints that some people have with this album. I feel that it stands on its own pretty good. In my top 5 for the year so far.

(My top 5 being .. .in no real particular order - Therion, Sonata Artica, Threshold, Chris Caffrey, DreaExpected albums to be good - Second Sky, Nightingale, TSO, Metallica (yeah I know!), Guns N Roses (YEAH I FRIGGIN KNOW!), Evergrey, Judas Priest, Opeth, Paradise Lost, Odin's Court (2007 right guys??)m Theater)


My expectation for #1 is TSO - Nightcastle.

Albums lingering and could move around - Dimmu Borgir, Vintersorg, Symphony X, Type O Negative, Megadeth, Redemption, Naglfar, Rush

Albums I need to still listen to - Candlemass, Dark Tranquility

 

[See You In Hell]

I bought the CD the day it was available and am also enjoying it quite a lot. Some songs I loved immediately while a few others are growing on me. All things considered I think Unia is a good release and I am looking forward to Sonata Arctica's tour later this year (going to see them twice actually).

 

[woosta]

I can't call the songwriting "strong" until I hear hooks that make you remember the songs. I don't hear that here. I only heard that once on the last cd. I'm beginning to worry a little bit.

 

[Braxil]

I was a bit underwhelmed with this disk, but I did like the fact they've dropped the idea of writing boring songs that sound vaguely similar to their old stuff (see: Reckoning Night) for the most part. This is a good new direction, but in my opinion the songwriting is just not up to par yet.

@Cheiron: Get that new Dark Tranquillity album asap.

 

[BlackRoseMetalHeart]

The album is growing on me, but I still feel that it is lacking something. I've loved every other Sonata album up to this point and have actually been avoiding listening to the previous albums because I'm afraid that I will never like Unia if I compare it too closely to albums like Silence, Ecliptica, and Reckoning Night, which I love so dearly.
This album feels more progressive to me, mainly in the song structures and in the vocal arrangements - so it took me a bit to get used to Unia, which in my opinion is pretty different from everything they've done in the past.
Still... I like it and I'm hoping that, like other albums that have not grabbed me upon first listen, this one will shift to the category of "amazing" once I hear some of the songs live.

 

[rms]

Saddened with this release, SA went largely downhill imo.

Manegarm, Naglfar, Dark Tranquility, Turisas, Ensiferum, Redemption, Symphony X are all top releases as well.

 

[manowarfan1]

Just picked it up last night (along with the new ozzy, I know, but hey I'm an optomist). Was planning on jamming it at work today but only got to hear a couple of tunes before all hell broke loose (some of it in a good way) - I havent really fallen in love with any of the previous albums but there was always something good and something that showed promise of things to come. Hopefully I will like this one, I like the live dvd that came with for the sake of revenge - so hopefully these tunes will at least translate well in a live setting.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Threshold, Second Sky, Nightingale, Opeth, Odin's Court)

Symphony X, Rush

Candlemass, Dark Tranquility

these fuckin own all over Unia. Such a shame too because they were on a roll until now.

LOL If TSO releases anything this decade. Sadly, because Nightcastle would probably be their best effort.

 

[adaher]

It's certainly a good album, but I hope they don't do their next few albums like this.

Too many bands think that they have to be different, so they ironically do their albums different in the exact same way for like ten years.

Unfortunately, this album sounds like they purposefully wanted to be a bit chaotic and experiment with different sounds rather than just writing good songs and letting them evolve and grow. In a short conversation I had with Roland Stoll at PPVI, he said, "It's the little things we do that make it progressive."

It almost seems like Sonata wrote some songs and then went back and made them weirder and more chaotic just so it wouldn't sound like what they'd done before.

 

[booB]

I recently received a CD order in the mail, and along with it, I got some promo items. One of these was a circular drink coaster, with the Sonata Arctica - Unia artwork on it. I wonder what Nuclear Blast is trying to tell us about this cd?

 

[DAVETHEMETALGUY]

i got coasters from Dimmu and Blind Guardian, i think CM/NB got a good deal on them this quarter....

 

[SkiBumMSP]

I finally managed to get a copy of this album at Best Buy just this past weekend.

Personally, I friggan love it! I guess I just don't understand what the complaints about it are either. I think the song writing and musicianship is excellent. Hooks? I don't need no stinkin' hooks! Friggan "Caleb" is certainly memerable enough for me! Oh yeah, this is definitely by far their most complex and technical album (and I have all of Sonata Arctica's albums, including having seen them twice live - and add two more this fall - at Jaxx and then again immediately afterwards at ProgPower). It did take me a listen or two before I really got into it, but it seems that everytime I listen to it more, I really been liking it that much more. Also, certainly helps to listen to this one a good audio system as well. I even got the vinyl version on order!

 

[Kenso]

i like the cd alot, its definitely better than reckoning night.

its great they are keeping their sound and going in a new direction, but of course new directions always = controversy, so all this was expected.

i really enjoy the first track on the cd, i dont think this is album of the year or anything, or their best, but its definitely a strong release.

 

[kunphyooshus]

I got Unia this weekend and I like it. They definately take the sound they developed in Reckoning Night and build upon it, which does make it quite a bit different than earlier stuff, like Ecliptica. I'm really surprised at the people that like Reckoning Night but not Unia, because this seems like a fairly natural extention of the work they did in REcknoning Night. I wouldn't mark Unia as my favorite SA album, but it's certainly a good, solid album, one that I enjoyed on the first listen (I didn't have to warm up to it like some people). "Good enough is Good Enough" might just be my new favorite SA ballad. Not to mention the cover of "Out in the Fields" completely rocks. Those Finnish bands sure know how to cover Gary Moore!

Nate