Review Summary: A child in Arts & Crafts.
Comeback albums tend to exhibit a simple-in-premise, strange-in-realization quality. Call it deja vu, call it nostalgia; hearing new music replicate the past is, to say the least, curious. And considering Sonata Arctica have been a wayward act for the past 15 or so years, it could only mean their own comeback (from
Stones Grow Her Name) would win back old fans while giving diehards an album they could finally invest their full faith in.
Turns out it's not that simple. While
Pariah's Child reinstates many Sonata Arctica vitals, it's arguably their most inconsistent affair to date--impressive, coming from the group who conjured up 2007's
Unia. The comparison is appropriate, since
Pariah's Child indulges itself by borrowing various musical styles. This isn't limited to Sonata's own catalogue, either; "Half a Marathon Man" deceives for a minute before evoking the odd thought of Harley riders during its main riff. By comparison, "What Did You Do in the War, Dad?" plays out solemnly, particularly during a chilling chorus that illustrates how far soft-spoken vocals and subtle keyboards can reach.
As you can probably infer,
Pariah's Child is an irregular collection. Serious, comical and traditional tastes are all sampled within. Similarities to
Unia continue when considering the initial batch of tracks, which exemplify without exploiting. Conveniently enough, these are among the album's least interesting moments, though the painfully bland "Love" does them a favor by putting things into perspective. After tasting some winter wonderland notes in "Take One Breath,"
Pariah's Child frees up, eventually spawning the absurd spoken parts in "X Marks the Spot." Evidently, no one told the band to ditch their experimental ways. This doesn't apply so much to "Cloud Factory" and "The Wolves Die Young," however. Both singles competently serve as appetizers for the main feast, culminated in the ten-minute closer, "Larger Than Life."
Sonata Arctica have frequented above-average song length in the past, with "White Pearl, Black Oceans" being among their best. "Larger Than Life," unfortunately, comes short of utilizing its whole timespan. But don't suspect disinterest to ensue as it did on
Stones' two "Wildfire" tracks; "Larger Than Life" proves that
Pariah's Child isn't a cut-and-paste replicate of
Unia. Hendrik Klingenberg helms this particular song with grace, seamlessly transitioning through each section in a way that encourages repeated listens. This, more than anything, captures what passionate listeners will search for on a new Sonata Arctica album.
When pitching
Pariah's Child, patience and tolerance come to mind. Again, given the band, this isn't uncustomary. Yet after
Stones Grow Her Name stripped Sonata's land like a wildfire, one can't help entering sans generosity. Even power metal virgins are bound to respond with more than just skepticism. However, as with the seed it replants,
Pariah's Child demands time. And with time, the willing shall be rewarded.
