Sonata Arctica: Ecliptica - Revisited: 15th Anniversary Edition

Ecliptica remains one of the best melodic power metal debuts and one that I still do enjoy a great deal, recorded by the Finnish group Sonata Arctica some fifteen years ago. The band have now re-recorded this album with their current line-up, only two members of which appeared on the original, that is vocalist Tony Kakko and drummer Tommy Portimo. A move that is sure to give long term Sonata Arctica fans mixed feelings much like their releases since the excellent Reckoning Night. Honestly I was not over the moon when first reading about this release, as I really didn't see the point or any need for a new version of Ecliptica when the original remains just fine as it is. This may be a worthwhile exercise if Ecliptica had been released with ordinary sound quality or the songs were well below par, which was not the case on both counts.

So after listening to Ecliptica – Revisited: 15th Anniversary Edition has my opinion changed? If you have the original I really find this to be a non essential purchase, and myself I still prefer the version they debuted with. Yes Sonata Arctica does have years of experience behind them in comparison and their performances are impressive as they were on the original. Vocalist Tony Kakko's English pronunciation has improved but a large part of the originals appeal was the fact that back then they were a new band, and any slight vocal imperfections added to its charm. There's also a cover of the Genesis song "I Can't Dance" which sounds so far out of place on such a metal album it's not funny, and was hardly one of Genesis's best numbers to begin with. The Japanese version of Ecliptica – Revisited: 15th Anniversary Edition has the lively metal track "I'm Haunted" instead which is far more suited. I have decided not to give this album a rating as the original to me is a 4.5/5. But this new take just still seems completely pointless, and I don't want to mark down a classic that features so many addictive songs like "Blank File", "Full Moon", "Replica" and "UnOpened".

See more about this release on our recent YouTube show!

Track Listing
1. Blank File
2. My Land
3. 8th Commandment
4. Replica
5. Kingdom For A Heart
6. Fullmoon
7. Letter To Dana
8. UnOpened
9. Picturing The Past
10. Destruction Preventer
11. I Can't Dance (Bonus Track)

Added: November 1st 2014
Reviewer: Scott Jessup
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 3065
Language: english

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