It is more formulaic, slightly less exuberant, and replete with one too many unexceptional songs that in the end bog down the overall listening experience. However, Silence is slightly less accomplished than its predecessor. By and large, Silence confirms the strong qualities of the Finnish combo: strong talent, a great ear for melodies and a touch of originality in a genre (that of power metal) that already at the time was in great need of fresh oxygen. Sonata Arctica’s debut album Ecliptica left a very positive impression on me so I was looking forward to listening to the Finnish band’s follow-up record released two years later in 2001. Thanks to progshine, adg211288 for the updates Buy SONATA ARCTICA - SILENCE music ('The Power Of One' track was moved to track number 14 on this release)

Re-released in October 2008 by Spinefarm in Finland and the UK with 3 bonus tracks: Nik Van-Eckmann / male voices (1, 4, 7 and 13)

Timo Kotipelto / backing vocals and spoken last line (3) Tony Kakko / vocals and additional keyboards

Sonata arctica silence is a sin