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SONATA ARCTICA Release Eighth Studio Album ‘Pariah’s Child’
March 28th, 2014

Kemi, Finland-based melodic metal group Sonata Arctica issued eighth studio full-length album Pariah’s Child on March 28th, 2014 through Nuclear Blast Records.

The outing was cut and produced by Sonata Arctica at the group’s own Studio 57 in Alaveteli, Finland.

Vocalist Tony Kakko issued the following statement: “As always, it’s pretty hard coming up with a name for the new baby. I tried to approach it from many angles; how this is our eighth album and how easy it would be to abuse that fact. All the symbolism of figure eight, eternity and so on. But that just did not feel right, as it’s been done so many times. Then I started to think how we’d in ways abandoned our ‘totem animal’, the wolf and all what comes with the territory.

“As the music on the album is bowing more towards the ‘old’ Sonata, meaning more power metal-style elements and wolves in many of the songs in one form or another, it was clear we need a wolf on the cover. An abandoned wolf. A pariah. Or pariah’s child, actually. The new generation to bring the old logo back.”

Pariah’s Child marked the first studio album to feature bassist Pasi Kauppinen (Silent Voices / ex-Requiem / ex-Winterborn), Kauppinen additionally overseeing the record’s mix. Previous bassist Marko Paasikoski had parted ways with Sonata Arctica in August 2012.

The track listing was as follows;

01. ‘The Wolves Die Young’
02. ‘Running Light’
03. ‘Take One Breath’
04. ‘Cloud Factory’
05. ‘Blood’
06. ‘What Did You Do In The War, Dad?’
07. ‘Half A Marathon Man’
08. ‘X Marks The Spot’
09. ‘Love’
10. ‘Larger Than Life’

Produced by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, a music video was filmed for the track ‘The Wolves Die Young’ in January at Sibelius House in Lahti, Finland. And as well, a music video was recorded for the composition ‘Love’. In addition, an official lyric video was released for the song ‘Cloud Factory’.

In its first week of release, Pariah’s Child landed at position one in Finland, at position 13 in Switzerland, at position 16 in the Czech Republic, at position 30 in Austria, at position 31 in Germany, at position 52 in the Netherlands, at position 78 in Spain, and at position 127 in the United Kingdom.

Seventh studio record Stones Grow Her Name was released in May 2012.