Artist: Sonata Arctica
Title: “Closer To An Animal” (Single)
Label: Nuclear Blast Records
Release Date: 8/12/2016
Genre: Power Metal
Rating: 4/5

In a little over a month fans of those Finnish Metal sensations Sonata Arctica will get to enjoy the bands 10th studio album with “The Ninth Hour” which will come care of their longtime label Nuclear Blast Records. The band recently offered up a taste of the release with the first single called “Closer To An Animal” and here are some quick thoughts about the tune. The pacing of the tune is not your typical zooming melodies that we can occasionally find the band doing and its tempo while a little slower is still very steady. I think I can say it harkens back to the couple of years ago “Stones Grow Her Name” stuff if I could pick one out. That’s not a bad thing at all of course. Lyrically this comes across to me as an awareness piece where the band is telling us to be mindful of the Earth and its creatures around us. It’s not preachy at all of course which is very important to make mention of. We have truly come really far but at the same time we have not when it comes down to how we deal with the stuff that is actually important. I liked the chorus and feel in the live sense this will go over great.

I’m a longtime fan of the band and have been dedicated to their sound since the third album “Winterheart’s Guild” and should add that when I first listened to that one I went backwards to enjoy the other two. I’m very much looking forward to “The Ninth Hour” and think that Tony, Henkka, Elias, Pasi and Tommy will thrill us once again. The track is available for immediate purchase and download to your favorite device via the link below. Give it a shot if you cannot wait until the whole recording is out.

Track Listing:
1. Closer To An Animal

Official Website: http://www.sonataarctica.info