Sonata Arctica
Webster Theatre
Hartford, Connecticut
February 1, 2008
Tony Pijar
While Sonata Arctica is a formidable, popular act in Europe, they are somewhat unknown here in the US…or so I thought! The Webster Theatre holds around 1,000 people at full capacity and I must say that it was damn close to full. Perhaps their popularity will pave the way for other Euro acts to make a stop in the States. We were truly fortunate to witness these soon-to-be-stars given that their US tour is apparently only eight days long before they jet off to Canada and South America. This was the first night of their brief US tour.
As Metallica blared through the PA, the rising chant of ‘Arctica…Arctica’ almost drowned out “Enter Sandman”. The lights faded and a soothing classical piece filled the room. Vocalist Tony Kakko, guitarist Elias Viljwen and the rest of the band positioned themselves and then launched into “In Black and White” from their latest album “Unia.” Kakko is a more than adequate front man who possesses an excellent voice that compliments the band’s music perfectly. Viljawen, too, is an accomplished guitarist who has mastered the Van Halen tapping technique to the tee, but thankfully does not overdue it. The songs aired from “Unia” – “Paid in Full”, “For the Sake of Revenge”, etc, carry with them a more sophisticated, richer sound than found on previous releases, and it was exemplified on the live front. The mid-paced Pretty Maid-ish songs balanced the break-neck speedsters. A wonderful evening of Euro power metal with classical leanings.
