SONATA ARCTICA
Get ready: london’s gonna get a full face full of power metal epicness this december
You’ve spoken about trying to replicate your live sound in your new album, Talviyö. Why did you want to do that? tony Kakko (vocals): “we have always been praised that we sound so great live but told there’s something lacking in the studio albums: a feeling we weren’t able to reproduce. But i think we’ve managed to get there with mikko [tegelman, producer] and the way he approached recording and wanted to start the whole thing. we actually played the drums and bass live in the studio so the rhythm section is live and not always on a click track. so it’s warmer, maybe a little more ‘bassy’ in that way, and more organic.”
did it feel different recording this way?
“Yeah. i wasn’t there when the guys were recording the basic tracks, but of course it gave the whole album a more ‘bandlike’ feel. it gave us back something we had 20 years ago when things were done like that; we’d go in live in one room and everyone played together. we’d drifted away from that with technology as now you don’t even have to see the people you’re recording with. however, a lot of bands seem to be doing similar moves lately with a 70s-style approach to production like ghost and greta Van fleet, and it’s really pleasing to the ears. the human factor is important.”
more than 1,000 shows into your career, do you ever get bored of playing certain songs live?
“on a long tour, yeah, however a song like Fullmoon is fun every time, although we have done it a thousand times. it’s not something that we would listen to at home but it’s always fun to play as it gets such a great singalong response.”
What are your highlights of playing the UK over the years? “the last show we did in london was incredible but i have one gnarly awful experience. one of the first times we played the UK, it was such a nightmare, we actually had to fire our sound monitor guy after the show!”
Are there any bands on your bucket list to tour with?
“some bands i’d love to tour with are pretty much impossible to make happen. i’d love to do anything with Queen, my biggest influence. we could create a setlist that would maybe function well… if Queen would be willing to support us, ha!”