Sonata Arctica

Winterheart's Wild

Just a great CD, no other way to say it...

Review Score:

(10/10)
Winterhearts's Guild, at least to me, is a really funny record. I initially heard the band's work for the first time when my friend purchased the Victoria's Secret single (which is from this CD) and I was instantly hooked. Then when I heard Winterheart's Guild for the first time I didn't like much of what I heard. I then I purchased Ecliptica and Silence and was very pleased with those two records, at that time thinking Silence was the band's best work overall.

Then a funny thing happened. My roommate heard me playing Silence and thus, I got my roommate interested in Sonata Arctica as well. We then would cycle through all three CD's all day long on his big stereo. After listening to the CD's over and over again, I realized that I did in fact like Winterheart's Guild, actually quite a lot.

So in the end the Sonata Arctica CD held the most dislike for initially I now think is the band's best overall work. As for Silence, I now feel is the weakest of the band's three CD's (that's not saying much though, as Silence is still a great record).

Winterheart's Guild strength really lies in the variations and placement of the songs, not unlike Eclipitca. The track listing witches it up perfectly; you got a fast opener, then a slower mid-tempo song, then back into a fast and furious track, then back down again... it keeps you on your toes, which is where I think Silence fails.

Winterheart's Guild is also very different than the band's two previous releases as well. It seems the band has kept their roots and direction while adopting a more "edgy" feeling, which is especially apparent in the faster songs and vocals. At the end of the day, I think Winterheart's Guild is more of a "fun" record than Silence is which seems to have more of an "seriousness" and "deep reflection" vibe to it. I don't know, these are just my personal thoughts, and I'm sure all fans have their own views on this.

So in the end, if your a Sonata Arctica fan, this is pretty much a no-brainer of a purchase, but for those just beginning to explore this kind of music, there is really no better place start than here. However, and even though this my favorite SA release, you really should start with Ecliptica or Silence, than purchase Winterheart's Guild last. This is mainly due the fact you may not like Winterheart's Guild, but you still might like the band's other releases.

Only the best from our Finnish friends across the sea and up north!

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