For the Sake of Revenge

I can't understand how people cannot see the enormous amount of flaws this has for being a live DVD (from the reviews found under the Live Album version of FTSOR). I don't own many DVDs, but in all of them you can see the band really put a big effort to sound as better than ever and try tu fuck up as least as possible.

I love Sonata. They made all killer albums, a lot of amazing beautiful melodies, solos and vocal lines, with top-notch musicianship. But the best thing is the feeling that all this things together produce in a song. And that is definitely not conveyed in any of the songs played live. Why? Because they are more focused in doing comedy that playing their songs 100% correctly. How?:

-A lot of guitar and keyboards solos are modified as "live versions", probably to "not play the exact thing that is in the album". I tell you, every time I am expecting a solo and it is replaced by a different version is a total dissapointment. They will never come up with a better solo than the one recorded in the album.

-Tony does the same with his lines all the fucking time and again many beautiful meolodies are lost or broken. Some times its probably out of need because he knows he won't be able to hit a high note. Like when instead of singing all the words together he shouts word by word like he needs to take a breath between words.... By now this is classic of Tony singing live... but it sucks.

-Apart from this concious modifications, some keyboard solos are not played perfectly just because this guy has to pose playing the solo while kneeling in the stage and leaning backwards as a rockstar guitar player. I feel they loose much of their original greatness.

-Then there is the greatest fuckup of all time when Tony forget his line at the begining of Replica. Very bad. I mean, bad enough to film another concert another day. But hey, they already released Songs of Silence Live in Tokyo, why would they fear releasing this DVD with its many faults.

-Backing vocals: Janni, Marco and Henrik have microphones and many times they put their mouthes on to sing some backing vocals. But they are barely heard. Maybe this gets a little better towards the end, but anyway another very big flaw.

Apart from all this the tracklisting is tricky and deceptive: Track 3 is "Fullmoon, extract from "White Pearl, Black Oceans". I know it says extract, and they play the main melody a couple of times with the whole band, and then just Henrik. But this song is in my opinion ine of the best of Sonata. And playing just a melody a couple of times is a big dissapointment. Track 16 is "Gravenimage". Another great song, too bad they only play the first verse only. Then Track 20 named "Outro" is just a melody of "Draw me" played while they leave. So the real last song is this "Vodka song". Very bad decision to end it like this. And the concert is much shorter than one would expect for 20 tracks.

Again I say they forgot their two best songs: "White Pearl..." "The Power of One".

The conclusion is: This is just seeing them play live some worse versions of the songs in their albums. Its nothing special, as many bands who release DVD's try to make.

If you want to see an awesome concert by a Finnish band, who is not as popular and has not as big production as Sonata, try Ensiferum's "10th Anniversary Live".

Sonata do not disappoint with this one: 20 tracks on the DVD (counting the intro), 15 on the CD (from the same concert) as well as some mildly amusing drunken hijinks captured on camera by various inebriated band members make this package good value for money as well as highly entertaining and well put-together.

The sound is reasonably sharp although Jani's guitar sounds a tad less punchy (but no less audible) than it does on the studio releases but his solos are razor-sharp and fun. The bass is all but lost in the mix but then, that's how it is on the albums. Henrik's keyboards are spot-on and Tommy's drums are as solid as a rock providing an unshakeable backbone to the proceedings.

Tony's vocals are on top-form as he romps and frolics about the stage, seemingly unable to hide his glee from the crowd. The man is not what you would call a 'moody' frontman; his apparent joy in his music a refreshing change from singers who look like they're having a fucking miserable time on stage.

Indeed, the rest of the band seem to be having just as much fun as they blaze through a near-flawless set containing killer cuts such as 'Broken', 'Black Sheep', 'Sing in Silence' and the anthemic 'Don't Say A Word'. There are a few classic tracks absent from the set-list which I'm sure a lot of fans would have liked to hear ('Weballergy', 'Silver Tongue', 'Wolf And Raven' to name but three,) but there isn't a bad song on there and any fan would do well to get this CD/DVD set or, better yet, go and see them when you get the opportunity.

Here's hoping they come back to England some time soon.