Unia Review
November 3, 2024
Album of the day #8. Sonata Arctica - Unia
Sonata Arctica is a band whose music can be divided into 3 areas: stereotypical power metal, complex and sometimes very confusing prog metal, and pure recycling metal where you can read almost all SA records from the last 15 years, except for the excellent comeback album, "Clear Cold Beyond". 2007's "Unia" belongs to the middle group's most questionable release, which puts your head on the wheel (in a good and bad way) with every listen.
Even though the previous album "Reckoning Night" was a bit more versatile, "Unia" was a jump into the deep end. The song material is unfortunately extremely uneven, and while there are masterpieces like "Caleb" and "It Won't Fade", there are also frankly quite terrible pieces. The production has been successful and of course the band still works at a high quality level. But the whole is not convincing and "Unia" has not become the band's best after many listens.
It's still not a bad album, and it's worth giving the piece a chance. Fortunately, the band improved their approach to prog-power and the next album "The Days Of Grays" is definitely the best of the band and the whole genre.
Climax: It Won't Fade, Caleb
Anticlimax: My Dream's..., The Worlds Forgotten..., Fly With The Black Swan
Sonata Arctica is a band whose music can be divided into 3 areas: stereotypical power metal, complex and sometimes very confusing prog metal, and pure recycling metal where you can read almost all SA records from the last 15 years, except for the excellent comeback album, "Clear Cold Beyond". 2007's "Unia" belongs to the middle group's most questionable release, which puts your head on the wheel (in a good and bad way) with every listen.
Even though the previous album "Reckoning Night" was a bit more versatile, "Unia" was a jump into the deep end. The song material is unfortunately extremely uneven, and while there are masterpieces like "Caleb" and "It Won't Fade", there are also frankly quite terrible pieces. The production has been successful and of course the band still works at a high quality level. But the whole is not convincing and "Unia" has not become the band's best after many listens.
It's still not a bad album, and it's worth giving the piece a chance. Fortunately, the band improved their approach to prog-power and the next album "The Days Of Grays" is definitely the best of the band and the whole genre.
Climax: It Won't Fade, Caleb
Anticlimax: My Dream's..., The Worlds Forgotten..., Fly With The Black Swan
Track listing (Songs)
| title | rating | votes | video | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | In Black and White | 5:04 | 87 | 12 | Audio |
| 2. | Paid in Full | 4:24 | 90.8 | 14 | Audio Music Video |
| 3. | For the Sake of Revenge | 3:23 | 86 | 12 | Audio |
| 4. | It Won't Fade | 5:59 | 95 | 12 | Audio |
| 5. | Under Your Tree | 5:14 | 88.5 | 12 | Audio |
| 6. | Caleb | 6:17 | 94.5 | 13 | Audio |
| 7. | The Vice | 4:09 | 80.5 | 12 | Audio |
| 8. | My Dream's But a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare | 6:13 | 77.2 | 11 | Audio |
| 9. | The Harvest | 4:19 | 87.3 | 13 | Audio |
| 10. | The Worlds Forgotten, the Words Forbidden | 2:57 | 73 | 12 | Audio |
| 11. | Fly with the Black Swan | 5:08 | 80.5 | 12 | Audio |
| 12. | Good Enough Is Good Enough | 5:32 | 85 | 12 | Audio |
Line-up (members)
- Tony Kakko : Vocals
- Tommy Portimo : Drums
- Jani Liimatainen : Guitars
- Marko Paasikoski : Bass
- Henrik Klingenberg : Keyboards
60 reviews
| cover art | Artist | Album review | Reviewer | Rating | Date | Likes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |  | ▶ Unia Review (2007) | 80 | Nov 3, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | Winterheart's Guild Review (2003) | 85 | Oct 5, 2024 | 0 | ||
 | | Reckoning Night Review (2004) | 90 | Jun 21, 2024 | 1 | ||
 | | Silence Review (2001) | 90 | Jun 17, 2024 | 1 | ||
 | | Clear Cold Beyond Review (2024) | 85 | Jun 15, 2024 | 6 | ||
 | | Successor Review (2000) [EP] | 85 | May 25, 2024 | 0 | ||
| | Unia Review (2007) | 85 | Feb 13, 2024 | 3 | ||
 | | Pariah's Child Review (2014) | 70 | Sep 13, 2023 | 3 | ||
 | | 60 | Jan 14, 2023 | 1 | |||
 | | Talviyö Review (2019) | 50 | Jan 20, 2022 | 1 | ||
| | Talviyö Review (2019) | 85 | Jan 2, 2021 | 1 | ||
| | Silence Review (2001) | 75 | Oct 30, 2020 | 2 | ||
| | Talviyö Review (2019) | 55 | Feb 28, 2020 | 9 | ||
 | | The Day of Grays Review (2009) | 80 | Oct 29, 2019 | 3 | ||
 | | The Ninth Hour Review (2016) | 85 | Oct 9, 2016 | 3 | ||
 | | Ecliptica Review (1999) | 95 | Apr 2, 2015 | 7 | ||
 | | 40 | Nov 8, 2014 | 7 | |||
| | Reckoning Night Review (2004) | 85 | Sep 20, 2014 | 1 | ||
| | Winterheart's Guild Review (2003) | 85 | Jun 11, 2014 | 1 | ||
| | Pariah's Child Review (2014) | 90 | May 8, 2014 | 4 |
Talviyö Review (2019)
BlueZebra 55/100Feb 28, 2020 Likes : 9
반복청취 후 리뷰로 변경합니다. 이 글을 쓰면서도 안타깝고 착잡한 심정입니다. 학창 시절부터 좋아하던 밴드의 커리어가 끝장난 듯 해서요. 저 외에도 국내에 이 밴드의 팬들이 많이 계셨을 것으로 생각합니다. 꾸준히 스튜디오 및 라이브 앨범이 라이선스가 된다는 것은 어느 정도의 판... Read More
NC Duality 95/100Apr 2, 2015 Likes : 7
Sonata Arctica 의 출발지는 1996년에 결성된 파워메탈밴드 Tricky Beans 이다. 이들이 밴드를 결성한 당시는 모든 맴버가 아직 성인이 아닌 10대 청소년들이였다. 비록 정규집을 발매를 할만큼 여유는 없었지만, 3년동안 여러가지 곡들을 커버를 하며 자신들만의 자작곡을 공개를 해나아가며 활동을... Read More
Stradivarius 85/100Sep 9, 2007 Likes : 4
이른바 '미친 데뷔작'으로 불리는 앨범들 중 한자리를 무지막지하게 꿰어찰 만한 작품으로, Children of Bodom과 마찬가지로 10대의 나이에 이토록 멋진 물건을 낼 수 있는 핀란드 메탈씬에 경외감을 품지 않을 수 없다. Stratovarius가 Destiny 앨범으로 마지막 진군을 끝낸 이후 그들의 아성에 유일하... Read More
Unia Review (2007)
Crimson아이똥 85/100Feb 13, 2024 Likes : 3
Avantasia가 3집으로 넘어가면서 1,2집의 스래시에 기반하였던 모습을 뒤로하고 헤비메탈적인 색채를 더했던 것처럼 Sonata Arctica도 이 앨범 Unia에서 변화된 모습을 보인다. (물론 이 앨범이 더 앞서 발매가 되었지만) Unia는 기존의 앨범들과 비교해 템포가 느려졌고 더 부드러워졌으며 더 심포닉... Read More
Unia Review (2007)
Redretina 90/100Feb 6, 2014 Likes : 3
어느 밴드나 기존의 노선을 버리고 새로운 것을 시도하면 호불호가 극명하게 갈리기 마련이다
SA 뿐만 아니라 COF, COB, In Flames, 밑에서 언급해주신 FA까지
기존의 스타일을 버린다는 것은 새로운 도전이자 어찌보면 무모하기까지 보일 수 있고
여러 분들의 리뷰처럼 기존의 팬들로 하여금... Read More
