Sonata Arctica – The Days of Grays
Nuclear Blast Records

Rating:

In my opinion, Power metal is one of the best styles of Metal you can find and one of the bands that has been a round for a while to represent that style is Sonata Arctica. In their newest/sixth full length release entitled The Days of Grays, Sonata Arctica continues to represent the Power metal style as well as continuing to add some of the Progressive metal style just as they have in some of their other newer releases. One thing I really like about this album/band is the fact that the vocals of singer Tony Kakko really fit well with the music made by the rest of the band. Power metal bands are under a lot more critique by me since I love the style so much and since it’s hard to find really great vocalists to make the band whole. Sonata Arctica has no problem with the combination of music and vocals, and The Days of Grays is only one piece of proof. Getting more into the tracks, the one track that really jumped out at me as a favorite track is “Flag in the Ground” (Track 4), but that certainly doesn’t mean the rest of the album is bad. In fact, some of the other tracks I would recommend listening to for a great listening experience are: “Zeroes” (Track 6), “No Dream Can Heal a Broken Heart” (Track 9), and “Everything Fades to Gray (Full Version)” (Track 12) (Everything Fades to Gray (Full Version) is the “full version” because Track 1 is an instrumental version). Each of these songs brings different elements of the bands talents to help create a great album. Overall, The Days of Grays is an album I would certainly recommend to any Progressive metal and Power metal fans as well as anyone looking to get into either of those two styles and expand their metal arsenal.

Echoes of Eternity – As Shadows Burn
Nuclear Blast Records

(4.5/5)

For years, Heavy metal has been a male dominated style of music, but Progressive metal band Echoes of Eternity is one of the many bands out today that are proving that there is certainly a place for women in Metal. Echoes of Eternity’s place amongst the ranks has been proved through the release of their newest full length album As Shadows Burn. Combining several different styles of Metal, As Shadows Burn‘s 9 tracks nearly jump through the speakers as you listen to them with a subtle “epic” feel behind the pounding combination of double bass drums, Death metal style blast beats (used occasionally), and the speed of the guitar riffs behind the beautiful voice of Francine Boucher. The outcome is nothing short of incredible. Now, as great as each track is on this album, there are a few I have to make mention of for a good example of the album’s overall power: “Ten of Swords” (Track 1), “Descent of a Blackened Soul” (Track 5), and “Funeral in the Sky” (Track 9). Each of these tracks portrays the diversity used by Echoes of Eternity to make their mark on the Metal world. Overall, These tracks combined with the other 6 tracks make As Shadows Burn a great record I would recommend to Progressive metal fans as well as Power metal fans and even some Symphonic metal fans. All in all, it’s a great album for your Metal arsenal!