Although Sonata Arcticas sound is still dominated by fast guitar
solos, catchy keyboard melodies and Tony Kakkos unmistakable
vocals, a gloomy sense of world-weariness is creeping through their
new studio album The Ninth Hour. I am not a very religious person
at all, admits frontman and lyricist Tony Kakko. So I actually had to
study the background and different meanings, once I came up with
the title The Ninth Hour, which was meant to underline the fact this
is our 9th studio album.

The album was produced by Sonata Arctica and mixed by Pasi
Kauppinen, creating a typical yet refreshing sound that defines the
spirit of the band in the year 2016. After 17 years as a team, the
band have moved from classic power metal to more progressive
shores but went back to their initial roots on the last release Pariahs
Child.

The album itself is not particularly gloomy, I think. Our music has
mostly been happy sing-a-long stuff, but the lyrics never really fit
that mould. If you are familiar with my lyrics in the past, Id say we
swim in similar oceans. I deal with my worries about the state of this
planet, human greed, love, relationships, tragedy, death, but also
war and politics in semi-tongue in cheek fashion (I feel the US
elections are an endless chest of unbelievable wonders). Our
murder-ballad-saga continues AND an old, epic lighthouse related
tragedy now has a second part

Tracklist:

1. Closer To An Animal
2. Life
3. Fairytale
4. We Are What We Are
5. Till Deaths Done Us Apart
6. Among The Shooting Stars
7. Stars
8. Rise A Night
9. Fly, Navigate, Communicate
10. Candle Lawns
11. White Pearl, Black Oceans Part II By The Grace Of The Ocean
12. On The Faultline (Closure To An Animal)
13. Run To You (Bonus Track)