''Unia'' ( en, Dreams), released on 25 May 2007, is the fifth full-length studio album by the

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...

band

Sonata Arctica Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup c ...

, following the album ''

Reckoning Night ''Reckoning Night'' is the fourth full-length studio album by the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica, as well as the first to feature keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg. The track "Don't Say a Word" continues the so called Caleb saga, a series o ...

''. The first single from the album was " Paid in Full", released on 27 April 2007. This is also the last album that features

Jani Liimatainen Jani Allan Kristian Liimatainen (born 9 September 1980) is a Finnish musician, songwriter and backing vocalist, currently a member of melodic death metal band Insomnium. He is the former guitarist and one of the founding members of the power m ...

, who was later replaced by

Elias Viljanen Elias "E.Vil" Einari Johannes Viljanen (born 8 July 1975) is a Finnish musician from Tampere, Finland, known for being the guitarist for Sonata Arctica since 2007. Viljanen joined Sonata Arctica in spring 2007 in order to replace Jani Liimataine ...

after the album was released. The album was mixed at Finnvox Studios, and mastered at Cutting Room Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. The album was also released as a limited edition noble book in 7" size (1000 copies), exclusively available via mailorder from Nuclear Blast records. The limited edition came with a differing track listing and bonus tracks "To Create a Warlike Feel" and "Out in the Fields".

Sound and themes

Unia is darker and more aggressive than

's earlier work, with mid-tempo songs, more inclusion of 7 string guitars and a minimal amount of solos. It has been described as a significant "turning point". Vocalist Tony Kakko has once admitted that ''Unia'' being released just after ''Reckoning Night'' "was probably a shock to many people". He also described it as "a liberating experience. From there we took slowly some other direction". Commenting further on the album, he also stated: Drummer and founding member Tommy Portimo said that Unia "brought many good things. I think our band needed that little shaking. ..That album felt very natural. Although we realized it was very far from what we were before. But it was just a natural shaking." The track "Caleb" continues what the band refers to as "the so-called Caleb saga", a series of songs that started on ''

Silence Silence is the absence of ambient audible sound, the emission of sounds of such low intensity that they do not draw attention to themselves, or the state of having ceased to produce sounds; this latter sense can be extended to apply to the c ...

'''s "The End of This Chapter" and is continued on ''

'''s "

Don't Say a Word ''Don't Say a Word'' is a 2001 American psychological thriller film starring Michael Douglas, Brittany Murphy and Sean Bean based on the novel ''Don't Say a Word'' by Andrew Klavan. It was directed by Gary Fleder and written by Anthony Peckh ...

", ''

The Days of Grays ''The Days of Grays'' is the sixth full-length studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. The album was released in South America on 8 September 2009, on 16 September in Finland, 18 September in Europe and 22 September in North Am ...

'''s "Juliet"; '' The Ninth Hour'''s "Till Death's Done Us Apart" and ''

Talviyö ''Talviyö'' (Finnish for "winter night") is the tenth studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released on 6 September 2019 by Nuclear Blast. Background and recording The album was produced by the band and Mikko Tegelman ...

'''s "The Last of the Lambs".

Track listing

Personnel

;Sonata Arctica *

Tony Kakko Toni Kristian "Tony" Kakko (born 16 May 1975) is a Finnish musician, composer and vocalist. He is known as the vocalist, primary songwriter, and creative lead of the band Sonata Arctica since 1996. Biography Kakko was born in Kemi, Finland and ...

− vocals, additional keyboards *

− guitars, acoustic guitars (on tracks 11, 14) *

Marko Paasikoski Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup ...

− bass guitar *

Henrik Klingenberg Henrik "Henkka" Klingenberg (born 21 October 1978) is a Finnish keyboardist, keytarist and singer. He joined the Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica in late 2002 and currently resides in Kemi, Finland, when not on tour. Keyboardists he has ...

− lead keyboards, hammond organ, piano (on track 2) *

Tommy Portimo Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from the town of Kemi, Finland. Created as a hard rock band named Tricky Beans, they later changed to Tricky Means and finally to Sonata Arctica, when they shifted to power metal. The current lineup ...

− drums ;Additional personnel * Selestina Choir on "In Black and White", "Under Your Tree", "To Create a Warlike Feel" and "Caleb" conducted by Tarja Vanhala. *Acoustic guitars, Bouzouki, Chromaharp, Cavaquinho and Q-chord on "They Follow", "Under Your Tree", "The Harvest", "It Won't Fade" and "Fly With the Black Swan" by Peter Engberg. *Finnish vocals in "To Create a Warlike Feel" by Jarkko Martikainen *Opening narration in "Caleb" by Milla V *Vocals, "whatevergod..." ("Caleb") and backing vocals, "just passion and rage" ("In Black and White") performed by Starbuck. ;String orchestra on "Good Enough Is Good Enough" * Tuomas Airola − cello * Elar Kuiv − violin * Kati Niemelä − violin/viola * Anna-Leena Kangas − viola * Oskari Hannula − double bass * Bowed string instruments arranged and conducted by Tuomas Airola.

Charts

Certifications

References

{{Authority control Sonata Arctica albums 2007 albums Nuclear Blast albums