Metal Reviews

Then by all means, keep listening^^

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mere_exposure_effect ?

Well here´s another one I must state my mighty opinion on..
(my first post being the supportive cry for justice on Winterborn topic)

Unia got me on the first listen and I was glad to go.. I was happy to hear that Paid in full was the most pop oriented song here, although a very good one. Winterheart´s guild was my favourite by SA before this one, followed closely by Reckoning night, but here Tony Kakko showed that he is able to compose something totally unexpected, exciting and mindbogglingly twisted, yet interesting music. In short, these songs awoke a great deal of interest in the very first listen, and succeeding listens revealed more and more about almost each piece... expections being Paid in Full and Good Enough... To me, this one is something like

95/100.

@ 95/100

An MR reviewer gave this 55? LOL.

This is indeed a very good album, more varied and interesting than Ecliptica that's for sure. Sonata's trademark (sweet sweet melodies driven by Tony's voice) are intact. I've got this on my MP3 player, and was doing some yardwork the other day thinking 'why does this get such bad press, it's fucking great!'.

Oh well, I guess since you would have to like listening to the same thing over and over to be a diehard Power Metal fan, I can see why someone wouldn't like it.

I could be laughing at Metalstorm laughing @ my 95/100, but i won´t, ´cos he (or she) seems to have been stating his/her opposite opinion to almost everyone who likes this one..

I just have to tell to you, Metalstorm, with all respect, that your opinion has been noticed. Many times already on this thread...

And to General Diomedes...
You see (and hear) these things the way I and my girlfriend do (except the fact that she doesn't like prog almost at all btw..), as we love Unia a lot and appreciate bands that won´t remake their old, although very good, albums again and again...

Little offtopic here, I love also Kamelot a lot, but Ghost Opera is a slight step down on their discography. To my ears, they seem to have been trying to keep their rightfully earned
success with it sounding too much like their previous one. Only the songs aren't as good. Still, I´d say GO is a solid 80/100... From Karma to The Black Halo they soared way above 90, evolving all the time...

And a bit more..
New Sonata album is on the way this coming autumn... If my memory doesn't fail me, Kakko has told it to sound something between the previous ones, not as complicated as Unia.. I hope the songs are still good 'though.
And Jani Liimatainen, who left (or got kicked) from SA after Unia, has been doing something interesting for Ecliptica and Silence lovers. Cain´s Offering is the group's name and the forthcoming album Gather the Faithful includes some of the best straightforward melodic power metal tunes i've heard in ages... Almost unbelievably beautiful melodies there. Timo Kotipelto's singing on it sounds somehow more enjoyable than in last 5 years or so... Maybe the melodies have something to do with that, but not everything..

over and out... for now

I agree with you somewhat with Ghost Opera maybe because a lot were spoiled with the classic and epicness of TBH and Epica but to me it's still a solid release from Kamelot.

Now both Kamelot and SA are going to release new albums this year so let's cross out fingers and hope they put out some good stuff.