Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA will enter the studio in late September to begin recording their new album for an April 2014 release. Vocalist Tony Kakko has written around 50 songs for the follow-up to 2012's "Stones Grow Her Name", with plans to track and mix the effort over a three-month period.

Regarding the musical direction of SONATA ARCTICA's next CD, Kakko told Soundi that he has come up with some "diverse and versatile" material this time around, and that "at least the slower and heavier stuff will find its place on next record." The band is planning to make a slightly heavier and "more metal" album than "Stones Grow Her Name", which was certified gold in Finland for sales in excess of 10,000 copies. Kakko also revealed that he has composed a 10-minute song for the new SONATA ARCTICA LP, but he wasn't sure if the track was going to make its way onto the finished product.

Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA have parted ways with bassist Marko Paasikoski. Says Marko in a statement: "I have come to a situation in my life where being a part of a touring band is not an option for me anymore and it's time to explore other things. "I wish to thank all the fans and my bandmates for all the good times, great shows and adventures that we have had over the last decade. The memories from this time will stay with me forever but at the moment I don't have the motivation or the passion that is required to be in the band so it's better for all parties involved that we go our separate ways. I wish all the best for the guys." Added the remaining members of the band: ""We understand Marko's decision and this is, of course, a thing that we have talked about during the last tour. We appreciate Marko being a stand-up guy and finishing up the 'Stones Grow Her Name' world tour. Thank you, Marko, for all these years and best of luck and fortunes with your future endeaveurs. We'll miss you, bro. "Our new bass player is Pasi Kauppinen (SILENT VOICES, ex-REQUIEM, WINTERBORN). We've known him for many years and he has mixed both our DVDs as well as recorded parts of our last three studio albums. He will join the band starting with the upcoming album.
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Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA will release their eighth studio album, "Pariah's Child", on March 28 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

Comments SONATA ARCTICA vocalist Tony Kakko: "As always, it's pretty hard coming up with a name for the new baby. I tried to approach it from many angles; how this is our eighth album and how easy it would be to abuse that fact. All the symbolism of figure eight, eternity and so on. But that just did not feel right, as it's been done so many times. Then I started to think how we'd in ways abandoned our 'totem animal,' the wolf and all what comes with the territory.

"As the music on the album is bowing more towards the 'old' SONATA, meaning more power metal-style elements and wolves in many of the songs in one form or another, it was clear we need a wolf on the cover. An abandoned wolf. A pariah. Or pariah's child, actually. The new generation to bring the old logo back."

SONATA ARCTICA last August parted ways with bassist Marko Paasikoski and replaced him with Pasi Kauppinen (SILENT VOICES, ex-REQUIEM, WINTERBORN).

The band will launch a European headlining tour in support of "Pariah's Child" on April 10 in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

Says SONATA ARCTICA keyboardist Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg: "It's been a while since we last toured Europe, so I'm very happy that we can announce our first tour with our new album.

"Since the album will be out in March 2014, we don’t want to waste any time but will head out for a full European tour.

"The whole band is really looking forward to play some new songs for you and introduce our new bass player, Pasi, for all our fans. He's a monster live, you'll see."

Je c/c mon avis sur le disque

Donc y a de bonnes choses, les morceaux rapides sont sympas, par contre ce n'est pas un retour aux sources, c'est heavy et rapide mais ce n'est pas du speed métal, mais y a du chiant, les titres calmes, les ballades sont cul cul au possible et franchement dispensables, c'est du bon boulot, çà reste au dessus de la mêlée mais ça donne l'impression qu'ils ne se sont pas cassé le cul pour le faire ce disque