RSS Feed


SONATA ARCTICA Release Ninth Studio Album ‘The Ninth Hour’
October 7th, 2016

Kemi, Finland-based melodic metal group Sonata Arctica issued ninth full-length studio album The Ninth Hour on October 7th, 2016 through Nuclear Blast Records.

The majority of recording sessions took place at Studio 57 in Alaveteli, Finland, once again, with sessions beginning seriously during mid-April 2016 at several home studios around Finland. The Ninth Hour was produced by the band themselves, and mixed by Pasi Kauppinen.

Vocalist Tony Kakko issued the following statement: “We aimed to create another melodic, beautiful, surprising Sonata Arctica album… Did it turn out that way? I surely think so. But maybe I should leave that for you to decide!”

The track listing is as follows:

01. ‘Closer To An Animal’
02. ‘Life’
03. ‘Fairytale’
04. ‘We Are What We Are’
05. ‘Till Death’s Done Us Apart’
06. ‘Among The Shooting Stars’
07. ‘Rise A Night’
08. ‘Fly, Navigate, Communicate’
09. ‘Candle Lawns’
10. ‘White Pearl, Black Oceans Pt.II – By The Grace Of The Ocean’
11. ‘On The Faultline (Closure To An Animal)’
12. ‘Run To You’ (digipak bonus track)

Sonata Arctica’s line-up is as follows:

Tony Kakko (vocals and keyboards)
Elias Viljanen (guitar)
Pasi Kauppinen (bass)
Tommy Portimo (drums)
Henrik Klingenberg (keyboards)

Directed by Ville Juurikkala, a music video was filmed for the track ‘Life’. In addition, official lyric videos were created for the songs ‘Closer To An Animal’ and ‘We Are What We Are’. All three clips can be viewed below.

Eighth studio record Pariah’s Child was released in March 2014.

Promotional photograph by Ville Juurikkala.