By Christopher J. Oatis 
There are two concerns most fans have when one of their favorite bands releases a new album. Will the new album be too experimental and move too far away from their style or it will be a clone of the previous album? Sonata Arctica’s Unia may seem to suffer from the latter to those who have heard the single “Paid in Full,” which has stylistic similarities to Reckoning Night’s single “Don’t Say a Word.” The rest of tracks on Unia disprove this theory, quickly.
Unia moves Sonata Arctica further into the progressive genre, but in a manner that should not disappoint powermetal oriented fans. Unlike bands that make albums that only display how they can jam out with no direction, Unia illustrates Sonata Arctica’s ability to compose an extremely complex album that is grounded in powerful vocals and catchy refrains that will echo in your head right after the first listen. The album has the ability to jump from a powermetal riff to acoustic guitars and back, without losing any momentum. With its complex nature, Unia has much to offer even after the first fifty plays; there is always something new catching your ear.
The album is full of varying vocal styles. Fans of Reckoning Night’s “Wildfire” should be comfortable with Unia, which utilizes a similar heavy vocal style on several tracks. Tony’s vocals rarely become static, however. The tracks have so many tone changes that there is seldom a moment when the songs become background music.
Tracks like “Caleb,” “The Vice,” and “The Harvest” are all beautiful examples of complex, full sounding music at its best. “The Vice” will have you head banging then hypnotically swaying your neck back and forth without even noticing the shift. These songs flow that smoothly and these tracks are just that excellent, songs you rewind and play again after the first listen.
“Fly with the Black Swan” is a perfect climax. It delivers a powerful metal sound with all the complex changes, motifs, and unorthodox instruments that have been present on the entire journey through this album. This song delivers the final exclamation point on the statement that a full progressive sound doesn’t have to be busy and overbearing to be complex.
Unia also delivers three memorable ballads. “My Dream’s but a Drop of Fuel for a Nightmare,” is another very progressive piece that rises out of soft vocals into a series of tempo changes and soaring guitar work. While “Under Your Tree” tends to be more of a simple ballad, it still maintains a melody that will stay with the listener. “Good Enough is Good Enough,” the album’s finale, tip-toes the listener towards Unia’s conclusion with an interesting series of string plucks and a catchy refrain. Unfortunately, the track is a very flat ending to such a diverse album. The entire time it played I was waiting for something to happen; nothing ever does.
While Unia doesn’t suffer from too many flaws, aside from its poor choice of a conclusion, there are some minor ones. “For the Sake of Revenge,” seems to just pass the time between “Paid in Full,” and “This Won’t Fade.” It has catchy lyrics and a somber tone that will get stuck in your head, but that may not necessarily be a good thing. “The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden” is another odd choice for this album. Voice distortions and a low recording level lead off this track with an awkward feeling that never abates. It has a style that might find a better home on an Evanescence album. “The Worlds Forgotten, The Words Forbidden’s” two minute length and odd style almost causes it to get lost between “The Harvest” and “Fly with The Black Swan,” which are clearly more powerful. It serves as an interlude at best.
Despite these minor flaws, the album is still a masterpiece. Unia is a complete album in every respect. Reoccurring motifs unite the tracks in a way that makes it hard for the listener to want to skip even less powerful songs; every pieces fits. Unia redefines the importance of album flow.
The album is an amazing composition on many levels. Beneath Unia’s powerful vocal styles and off beat changes, a second somber score plays just below the radar. Songs rise from and fall into haunting intros and outros played on unorthodox instruments and captivating keyboarding. This musical subplot is just a single reason of several why you will be listening to this album for a long time and still discovering something new with each play.