Concert: Sonata Arctica Unia 2007 Tour with Epica (or the curious power-gothic cocktail)

Well, it's time for returning to metal chronicles because of the Epica and Sonata Arctica joined tour; I will try to write the review in a smaller lack of time with the concert, but for now, I must write about two concerts before the following will begin :D


Chronologically, the Epica & Sonata Arctica tour is the first; in a few days I will write about the awesome Gamma Ray & Helloween's Hellish Rock 07-08 world tour. But now, let's begin with theis strange, but also well-sounded (and also high awaited!!!) metal performance, courtesy of Nuclear Blast (really, the three involved bands have bind their compositions with this producer... curious thing, knowing overcoats that Nuclear Blast was in 2007 its 20-year existence celebration :P).


* Part I: Ride the Sky; a correct metal band, but not fully compatible with my preferences...

I've always thought that, when a first-role band is in tour, its supporting bands are in a seeming musical mood (e.g.: Visions of Atlantis for Epica); even for joined tours, it seems to be reasonable that the metal styles of the bands will be similar (e.g.: Stratovarius and HammerFall)... but since I'm fan of metal concerts, I've been able to see that it's not true... it's not the first time I've seen this rare stuyle mixings (I'm remembering now the Saratoga ---hard rock with power metal--- tour with Ebony Ark ---gothic metal with progressive feelings---), but it will never stop giving me a nice surprise :)

But before these two great metal bands, Ride the Sky made their appearance in a unusual correct timeline on the scenario for preparing us for the night. The performance of the new band of Uli Kusch (ex-Helloween and ex-Masterplan well-known drummer) was correct, and offered us some songs of their first opera prima called New Protection for half an hour, where songs like Silent War or Prince of Darkness (my favourite ones from the album) sounded very well in my ears.

I must admit that I don't like its symphonic-rock style very much, much closer to hard rock than to metal at its own, but the show was plenty of action and all the audience enjoyed it a lot :)

Ride the Sky setlist (about 1:00:00):

• Not available (so sorry...)
  

• Pros: The connection of the band with the audience; people enjoyed very much with Uli and the rest of the members of the band.
• Cons: This is not deffinitively my favourite metal style :P
• Best Track: The Prince of Darkness.

* Part II: Ladies and gentlemen... Epica in its splendor!!!!

Only a few months before, I could enjoy a free 2-hour Epica concert in Cambrils, at the Hora Dels Peluts 15-year celebration Festival, with Stravaganzza and Epica as primal guests. There Epica gave us three exclusive performances of their upcoming album, The Divine Conspiracy, with the songs Indigo, The Obsessive Devotion and Fools of Damnation (in my opinion, the best tracks in the album, sharing this category with Death of a Dream and Living a Lie).

But in the concert I'm trying to review, Epica had already released The Divine Conspiracy; hence, the concert had to focus the songs on this album (the best one of the three metal albums of the band by far).

And it occurred. Without forgotting their high-acclaimed songs of their previous albums, a real festival of last album songs was passing through my ears. Obviously, the concert began with the precious intro Indigo, joined with the potent The Obsessive Devotion. Simone and Mark were specially inspired during all the concert, although at the beginning the Mark's micro didn't work well and it was difficult to hear his grunts and screams :( what a pity, because The Obsessive Devotion sustains its agressivity in Mark's voice... But in the middle of the song (that means, after 3 minutes and a half XD) the micro worked well :P weeeeeee!!



Subsequently, Sensorium entered the scene, their first classical song with Cry for the Moon, also performed in this tour :) The crowd became crazy, specially a strange geek with long orange hair that was headbanging and jumping and screaming like a silly boy... oops, it was me!!!! XD I'm a big fan of Epica, I've been present in all concerts they have made in Catalonia (6 in 3 years, if I'm not wrong... :S). During the concert, a classic song sounded: the most Rhapsody-esque Epica song: Quietus!!



I've mentioned the great performance of the singers, Mark and Simone, but I can't forget the impressive new drummer of the band, Ariën van Weesenbeek (yes, I've done a copy&paste from the official Epica website :P), initially as a last-album-recording-member while the band was finding for a full-time member. I'm very happy for the Ariën's decision of joining Epica!!!! He's a drummer crack!!!! You only have to listen his incredible capabilities in Menace of Vanity and Fools of Damnation, the two both performed in this concert too... I have no words for describing this... simply incredible!!


The final song of the concert, as previsible, was their awesome ten-minute-long Consign to Oblivion from their second album, called as the song. A splendid gothic end for an entire-hour concert, too much short for me, but I was glad for the well-chosen setlist. As you will notice within the next part (the Sonata Arctica one), this was, with no doubt, the best part of the concert.

Epica setlist (about 1:00:00):

1. Intro: Indigo
   
2. The Obsessive Devotion
   
3. Sensorium
4. Menace of Vanity
   
5. Quietus
   
6. Cry for the Moon
   
7. Sancta terra
8. Fools of Damnation
   
9. Consign to Oblivion
   

• Pros: everything!!Cons: only one hour!!! I want a Epica tour!! A pitiful illness for Simone provoqued that the Barcelona concert of February the 15th was postposed :S Health for Simone, please!! Metal needs this beautiful girl... :P
• Best Track: Indigo + Obsessive Devotion, because I can't imagine a better Epica concert beginning for now :) Violins, cellos, choir, operatic melodic lines, dark grunts, fast drum double bass... wooooooooooooooooooooooow oh my gooooooooood!!!
  

* Part III: Sonata Arctica and its irregular setlist :S

With the Razzmatazz 1 room in an exploding grade, the generally most awaited band finally appeared: the finnish Sonata Arctica!! After my poor experience with this band (in 2004, with Nightwish with aboutother 10.000 persons and with Tony in loss of voice), I was very expecting for this concert, but I couldn't enjoy it very much 'cause of its irregular setlist. Obviosuly, this tour was about its last album, Unia, and this is really not their best album (it's my opinion).

Because of this, the first two songs weren't very impressive for me. However, the audience enjoyed so much the entire concert, so I think I'm the strange one... but well, I'm used to feel in this way XD Being sincere... I only like four songs of Unia album, and only two were performed in the concert, so, in my opinion, the concert grows its quality only when the old classic songs sounded, like Victoria's Secret or 8th Commandment or San Sebastian.

Well, le'ts go now with two curious things in this concert :)

1. the intro song was the piano opening of Tim Burton's Corpse Bride o_O simply amazing!!!! Danny Elfman is really a great musician and score composer!!! And the vision of Tony Kakko playing an imaginary piano full of emotion was a good chance XD
2. during the concert, the showman Tony (always the singer... the rest of the band members were too much shy :S) builded a virtual drum with us, the audience: he divided the crowd in three instruments, the bass, the snare and cymbal (I was a snare!! XD), and following his indications, all together performed an incredible version of Queen's We Will Rock You. Amazing, with no comments XD

As I said previously, the concert was very irregular, but the final part was as good as I expected!! Before the already classic Vodka Song, they performed powerfully their two most acclaimed songs the last recent years: the hymn-like Don't say a Word and the stratovaric song, The Cage!!!! With the double bass beyond the sound barrier XD



Globally, Sonata Arctica offered me a strange concert, but considering the poor quality of their last album, the concert could be worse :) I hope the next album will be at least as good as Reckoning Night!!! Go on, guys!! You are able to be the fastest finnish band again!!! :)

Sonata Arctica setlist (about 1:30:00):

1. Intro: Corpse Bride OST
   
2. In Black and White
   
3. Paid in Full
   
4. Victoria's Secret
   
5. Broken
   
6. 8th Commandment
   
7. Tallulah
   
8. Full Moon
   
9. Caleb
   
10. Black Sheep
11. It won't fade
12. Gravenimage
13. San Sebastian
14. My Land
15. Don't Say a Word
16. The Cage
17. Outro: Vodka Song
    

• Pros: the showman Tony Kakko, and the major sound quality of all the concert
  
• Cons: it's normal 'cause a tour is the visit card for a new releasing, but the songs of Unia were so poor in my opinion. And there were so much songs people wanted and they didn't perform, like Letter to Danna or Wolf and Raven.
• Best Track: With no doubt, Don't say a Word; I adore this song!!!!!

Well, poor mortals, that's all for now!! In the following days I will write about the Hellish Rock tour by Helloween with Gamma Ray as very very very very very special guest :) Pay attention to this blog, and remember... cruelty moves the world, love is only the gear pedal...