Sonata Arctica continue the tradition of their Finnish contemporaries, like
Stratovarius and so on, and offer a bunch of interesting solos and melodies on
Ecliptica.
Sonata Arctica have proven earlier that they do have the skills and potential to make an exceptional heavy metal album, although here they seem to have chosen the easy path. Nevertheless, hit songs such as "Blank File" and "Unopened" will satisfy the "everyfan" of heavy metal, and as a debuting band,
Sonata Arctica are not bad. ~ Antti J. Ravelin