Music Reviews - S
Sonata Arctica - Unia
Review added July 13/07.
Few progressive metal groups can boast the sheer talent of the Finish band Sonata Arctica - great melodic sense, a delightful lead vocalist, excellent musicianship.
It is thus a shame that on the preceding album, Reckoning Night, the band which gave us wonderful near-masterpieces such as Silence and Winterheart's Guild (and to a somewhat lesser degree, Ecliptica) fell prey to the epidemic temptation to trade in dynamics for relentless loudness. Compelling melodies and vocal performances found themselves buried in dense mixes, compounded by brickwall limiting.
Thankfully, with Unia the band pulls back a fair bit from that direction, albeit not enough. Through much of the album, the vocals are still a bit too buried in the mix, and the dynamic range remains considerably narrower than SA's fine earlier albums.
Still, this is more imaginative and musical than its predecessor. Make no mistake: for those fond of a heavy edge to their melodic prog, Unia is an enjoyable (albeit dark) album - but less so than it could have been.
3 1/2 stars.
Stencil Forest - Opening Act (2004)
Review added July 20/07.
It is said that good things come to those who wait. Stencil Forest's debut album was mostly recorded between November 1981 and October 1982, a bonus track was recorded in 1992, and the CD was finally released in 2004, more than two decades after it all began.
One might think that such a journey would betray a certain datedness, but even if the lead vocals (Doug Andresen) may seem a bit reminiscent of a bygone era, Opening Act largely avoids sounding like it is stuck in the 80s. (Ironically, with its Police vibe, perhaps the song that sounds most "80s" is "Five by Five" - the bonus track from 1992!)
Musically, this is an AOR album that dabbles a bit in progressive rock. Aside from Frank Cassella's Mellotron contribution, a hint of the latter is offered in a mini-epic, "The Pandemonium Shadow Show," stretching out to 8:48. Still, Stencil Forest is less instrumentally indulgent than most classic prog....
Sumptious vocal harmonies; smart, likable arrangements; an almost understated musicianship in service of the songs. What's not to like?
My favourite track: "Crossroads." The keys remind me of Drastic Measures-era Kansas, the guitars thunder - but above all, the melody and the vocal rendition are fantastic. On the other hand, it leads into the rollicking "Looking Back," which reminds more of the original classic (Steve Walsh) Kansas. Nicely done. And then there's the recent acoustic version of "Just a Fantasy," with its sumptious guitar. Curiously, it doesn't appear on the CD cover, although it's noted in the insert.
For those who love melodic AOR, Opening Act hits all the right notes.
4 stars.
