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Sonata Arctica > Songs of Silence - Live in Tokyo > Reviews
Sonata Arctica - Songs of Silence - Live in Tokyo

At the Height of Its Career - 100%

kluseba, September 13th, 2022
Written based on this version: 2002, CD, Spinefarm Records

My best advice to newcomers to the metal scene would be to ignore those who claim to be veteran fans and praise the eighties as the greatest decade of all time. Insufferable boomers with closed minds who hate any recent subgenre such as kawaii metal, nu metal, industrial metal and groove metal tend to describe creative power metal bands such as Sonata Arctica as flower metal or sometimes even use despicably homophobic slang to disgrace these bands that I certainly don't want to quote. The truth is that Sonata Arctica has released incredibly creative, emotional and energetic power metal albums, extended plays and singles in the beginning of its career that have stood the test of time for twenty years and counting. Some of those intolerable conservatives will claim that releasing a live album after only a few records is completely pointless while they probably have five expensive vinyl releases of Maiden Japan at home which already makes their point moot right from the start. As a matter of fact, Songs of Silence - Live in Tokyo shows Sonata Arctica in absolutely outstanding form and is highly entertaining from start to finish, no matter if you've picked up the international version with thirteen tunes or the Japanese double-disc featuring sixteen live songs and one studio recording. Some naysayers might point at this album and complain about the artificial look, failing to understand that the computer-generated style actually honours Japanese video game, manga and anime culture in a fitting way. Cultivated music aficionado, please read on!

Here are the elements that make this record stand out. First and foremost, this live album has an authentic, gritty and powerful production. The songs sound energetic, heavy and loud and while some of the cheers from the crowd might have been mixed a little bit louder to add some oomph, this release includes missed notes by the vocalist, slightly sloppy guitar sounds or the occasional missed beat by the rhythm section. Few live records make you feel as if you were standing right in front of the stage, just between the band that is playing its hearts out and the enthusiastic crowd that is getting louder with every single song. This live album is the real deal in this regard, so crank up the volume, let your neighbours enjoy the show as well and bang your heads relentlessly.

Up next, the Japanese crowd is absolutely outstanding. Every comment by Tony Kakko is greeted with applause, cheers and screams. The band's rhythm section is often accompanied by clapping and yelling. The catchiest choruses are sung along brilliantly even though most fans might rather attempt phonetical interpretations of what they are hearing than actually understanding the meaning behind all the lyrics. It doesn't really matter though because this enthusiastic crowd pushes the band to outperform itself and offer its best recorded live performance ever. It's certainly no coincidence that many Western bands actually record live albums in Japan because the fans from the empire of the rising sun give it all they have got and treat artists with much respect for offering an hour or two of welcome escapism from the challenging everyday life.

One also has to point out the band's excellent performance. Sonata Arctica's early material includes quite a few high-speed power metal tunes that take no prisoners. The band's drummer nails the fast-paced environmental anthem ''Respect the Wilderness'' so ferociously that you can't sit still as a listener and want to hit the repeat button right after the song's gripping conclusion. This song alone has more energy than some entire so-called extreme metal records. Flower metal? Try thunder metal because this song is going to blow you away! Another outstanding example for the fast, liberating and precise stamina of the drummer is closing up-tempo anthem ''Wolf & Raven''. Most drummers would feel much too exhausted to play such a pitiless tune at the very end of the show in a packed small location thousands of miles from home but Tommy Portimo nails this tune as if he had just come from a relaxed break from the sauna. Needless to say that this gentleman is one of the greatest drummers in the genre and thus also one of the most underrated ones in the entire metal scene.

Even metal fans often tend to overlook bassists if they are not band leaders and songwriters like Steve Harris. Marko Paasikoski however deserves much attention here. He manages to build excellent transitions between the drum play and the guitar play. In the faster sections, the bass guitar follows the drum patterns, adding to the energy, speed and volume of the overall band sound. In the calm or mid-paced moments however, the bass guitar grooves in the background while letting the lead guitar play its melodies, thus providing the rhythms for the fans to cheer, clap and move their hands. Poetically speaking, the bass guitar is the soul that keeps the different components of the band stuck together. All hail to thee!

Up next, one has to point out the aforementioned guitar play. It's hard to believe that the band only has one guitar player with Jani Liimatainen. He plays as many different techniques as three guitar players combined in Iron Maiden! He plays the rhythm sections with feeling, groove and precision. The guitarist nails the calm, dreamy and melodic parts while inviting the shivering fans to dream themselves far away. Last but not least, he pulls off several fast guitar solos, dueling harmoniously with the keyboard player and reaching a state of ecstasy in the band's most dramatic songs such as ''Full Moon''. Well done, mate!

Speaking of the keyboards, naysayers of yore might want to tell you that keyboards shouldn't be featured in metal bands. As you have learnt before, ignore the conservative routines of the wise old men and enjoy Mikko Härkin's fabulous play instead. He nails the introspective, longing and smooth sections in power ballads like the heartfelt ''Replica'', convinces in the atmospheric, cinematic and mysterious passages of progressive pearls such as ''The End of This Chapter'' and quickens up the pace in bangers like ''Weballergy'' as if his fingers were flying back and forth across the instrument like a magician. His stamina, technique and versatility command respect.

Last but not least, we have to talk about vocalist Tony Kakko. Boy, it must be challenging to sing with a skilled drummer firing away right behind you, the bass guitar beats making your heart run faster, the constant guitar attacks from the side and the loud keyboard patterns filling the hall with harmonious notes all the while the hundreds of fans are shouting their hearts out. And yet, the leader of the wolf pack delivers what might be the very best performance in his entire career. Emotional passages as in heartfelt power ballad ''Last Drop Falls'' will make listeners shed a tear while the versatile performance in ''The End of This Chapter'', featuring some whispering and growls, will take you on a dramatic voyage with many shifts and changes until high-speed anthems like ''Respect the Wilderness'' will make you gasp in anticipation as you wait for the moment when his voice might break while performing fast and high-pitched notes until you realize that it doesn't break because this artist simply outperforms himself. Once such a song is over, you have goosebumps all over your body and realize immediately that you have just witnessed an outstanding moment in the history of European power metal. Congratulations to the alpha of this talented pack of wolves!

There it is, dear metal friends, one of the greatest and most underrated live albums of the genre that is worth your attention, money and respect as it will provide hours and hours of enjoyment. The only acceptable alternative to purchasing this masterpiece would of course be to attend one of the band's concerts in person. However, you might only be able to attend a concert once in a while, especially since the beginning of the pandemic, while you can blast this timeless masterpiece here whenever you feel like it and put on your earphones when your boss pointlessly criticizes you, your friends mock your tastes in music or some unwelcome veteran wants to tell you about the dominance of American power metal. While you are immersing yourself into Sonata Arctica's magical world, all other pointless words become... Silence!

Yeah . . . I'm not really that impressed - 80%

OSheaman, July 21st, 2003

Live albums are hard to do. A lot of the great bands, including Iron Maiden have fucked up a live album before (Maiden's 11th Hour fucker was Rock in Rio), because on a live album there are no retakes, and even after it's all done, you still have to rely heavily on guys who do stuff like mixing and production. Sonata Arctica's performance is decent, but not spectacular, and whoever did the mixing obviously doesn't listen to metal, because he completely emphasized the wrong sounds at the wrong times, leading to a very sub-mediocre album.

Now, if you're a die-hard Sonata Arctica fan, stop reading this and go out and buy the damn thing. It doesn't completely blow monkey balls, and if Sonata Arctica owns your soul then that's all you need to know before you buy it.

The rest of you might want to wait for round two. This is not Sonata Arctica at their best. The audience is completely enthusiastic and is constantly chanting and cherring; in essence, it's every band's dream audience. Unfortunately, the band does not perform at the level of the studio albums. Ton'y vocals are choppy, and the high notes he hits without a hitch in the studio albums are barely squeaked out in the live verision. The guitar is almost completely inaudible, as the keyboards are at a very high volume, even when they're doing something that is obviously NOT THE MELODY, like playing whole notes or something.

As I said, it's not a total train wreck. The instruments are played well, and the setlist is great, playing out like a Best Of Sonata Arctica album, although there is a noticeable omission of the completely essential San Sebastian. There are also a few very cool parts in the album, including the performance of False News Travels Fast, the weird little piano ditty that leads into the opening of Full Moon (which is then played very well), Black Sheep, which sounds just like the studio version, and the very enthusiastic audience chanting during Wolf & Raven.

Buy it if you're a fan. You'll love it. If you're not that hot about Sonata Arctica, you will definitely not be falling in love with this flawed creation.

An expensive package. For diehard fans only. - 70%

Hattori, August 3rd, 2002

The idea of releasing a live album after only two studio albums is absurd. Of course, this live package is for serious, diehard Sonata Arctica fans only. Firstly, it's a stopgap live recording to whet fans’ appetites until the next studio platter. Secondly, if you are like me and want all of the bonus tracks, then you can only find them on the Japanese version. This means paying Japanese import prices (duh!). I paid $56 dollars for my copy, which despite being in Canadian funds, is still a lot of money.

The live tracks on the Successor EP were very poorly produced, especially the vocals. Thankfully, “Songs of Silence” has a crystal clear production. The performances are also fine and do justice to the studio versions. I've heard some complaints about Kakko's vocals, but I find that he gives a competent live performance. There are some spectacular vocal moments here, with my favorite being Kakko's really high and weird delivery of "The words they maim me" in album-closer, "Wolf and Raven." Kakko also uses his growling voice more often on this album, but not too much or in places where it doesn't fit.         

Because this live package was released after only two studio albums, both Ecliptica and Silence are well represented. Four songs from Ecliptica, and eight tracks from Silence appear on the main disc. You'll find favorites such as "Replica," "Wolf & Raven," "My Land," and "Sing in Silence."  I didn't think it was possible, but the crowd sounds just as into the songs as I am. Listen to the Japanese fans chant "Run away. Run away. Run away" in the chorus of FullMoon. The crowd participation coupled with that song's own strength make it a definite highlight. Another highlight occurs during "Kingdom For a Heart," when Tony sings “If I only had a hard on.” I almost fell out of my chair laughing. The first disc also features a live rendition of “Respect the Wilderness,” the Japanese bonus track for 2001’s “Silence.” For those, like myself, who don’t own the Japanese edition of “Silence,” the inclusion of “Respect the Wilderness” is an added bonus.

The three-track bonus disc features live performances of “Blank File” and “Land of the Free,” as well as a studio version of “Peacemaker,” an old “Tricky Beans” song that was previously available on the “Wolf and Raven” single. I’m honestly surprised that “Blank File” is featured as a bonus track, and that it didn’t make the first disc. Having to change discs whenever I want to hear that song is somewhat annoying. Unfortunately, two of my favorite Sonata Arctica songs, “San Sebastian” and “Letter to Dana,” don’t appear on either disc. There is enough quality SA material, however, to keep me happy in the face of such notable omissions.

Because of the timing and price of this release, “Songs of Silence” is for fans only. Those who aren’t familiar with the band would be encouraged to try either of their two studio albums first.  

Note: There is also a Finnish version of this album, but while it boasts beautiful computer-generated artwork, it does not include “The Power of One” or the entire bonus disc. Serious fans of Sonata Arctica, the only people who would be interested in this album in the first place, would probably want all of the bonus tracks, and therefore would not be interested in the Finnish edition.