Sonata Arctica - Stones Grow Her Name

Sonata Arctica used to be a name synonymous with fast power metal and incredibly high-pitched vocals. But after the release of the album Unia that was no longer a fitting description. The band had partly reverted to their arena rock origins when they went by the name Tricky Beans. All bands go through changes, but many fans tend to prefer the familiar. Yet, in the end I their new sound to heart, at least on Unia. But by the time the the Days of Grays album was released I had stopped caring for their musical direction.

This latest release has been out for a long time; but since I am an avid fan, I felt I wanted to share my thoughts on it. Is it a re-connection with an iconic sound i feel they abandoned? The answer is, neither a clear yes or no.
But, make no mistake, this is not a return to Ecliptica. The first two tracks are rock-anthems, not bad songs. but a stark contrast to Sonata Arctica's usual themes of dazzling story-telling. On track number three; Losing My Insanity styles of old shine through. A simple catchy chorus and jumpy steady chug guitars leading the way. Completed with a tandem synth and guitar solo.
The remainder of the album has Tony Kakko's trademark melodramatic story-telling, but he is playing it safe with the song-writing. This is radio-friendliness almost all across the board. It's a pleasant easy-listen without any bumps.
A couple of quirks are to be found on the album, though. A notable crossbreeding of genres in the song Cinderblox where banjos and american folk music blends with heavy metal. Another is the haunting message at the end of the album which is relevant to today's environmental problems.

All in all, Stones Grow Her Name is not at all a bad album. There's good music to be found here. But, I can't shake off the lingering feeling of disappointment about the band direction away from their metal roots. But, on the other hand, getting more of the same would get dull in the end. We are treated with hints at the past with sequels to the song Wildfire, but all in all it's doubtful we will ever get a solid power metal album from Sonata Arctica again.

Will I listen to this album again?:

The older albums have a vastly higher priority