Time to dress warmly as winter is reigning in many parts of Europe, including Finland from where melodic metal titans SONATA ARCTICA deliver the perfect soundtrack for the cold season with the stormy opus “Clear Cold Beyond” (Out On March 8, 2024 Via Atomic Fire) stormy in the most positive way, of course. A fact that got cemented by select music journalists who could sneak an exclusive peek at the full record last month. Today, the quintet have unveiled yet another taste of their long-awaited new studio album which is due out on March 8, 2024 through Atomic Fire. Touching, emotional and with a tad of melancholy leading to an epic chorus, “A Monster Only You Can’t See” is a song about friendship and never leaving anyone behind and thereby the band’s ideal single choice for the current Christmas time.
Clear Cold Beyond contains 10 tracks reviving the band’s penchant for power metalesque tunes following their trip to acoustic landscapes during the pandemic. It is packed with strong songs and fuses the best of all periods of SONATA ARCTICA’s multifaceted work; From high-speed anthems such as “First In Line” and “California” to emotion-laden tracks such as “The Best Things” and the closing title track. This record offers something for each and every SONATA ARCTICA fan. The album’s artwork, reminiscent of their early works, was created by Niko Anttila and the band returned to mixing engineer Mikko Karmila (Finnvox Studios; Ecliptica [1999] – Stones Grow Her Name [2012]). Final mastering was handled by Svante Forsbäck (Chartmakers West; RAMMSTEIN, KORPIKLAANI, DELAIN, THE 69 EYES, DEATHSTARS etc.) who has also been part of other SONATA ARCTICA productions.
Watch their official video here:
Clear Cold Beyond Tracklisting:
01. First In Line
02. California
03. Shah Mat
04. Dark Empath
05. Cure For Everything
06. A Monster Only You Can’t See
07. Teardrops
08. Angel Defiled
09. The Best Things
10. Clear Cold Beyond
