Himmelkraft – Himmelkraft

Label: Reaper Entertainment Release date: Friday, March 7th 2025

Himmelkraft – something like heavenly force, or force from the sky, the term “Himmel” can refer to both in German. For us German speakers maybe a bit of a strange name. But who is behind it? No other than Tony Kakko, the well-known master mind we’ve already known for many years from Sonata Arctica. But Himmelkraft is something entirely different. And then again not different. Tony’s voice is unmistakably Tony, well known to us. But that’s about it when similarities to Sonata are concerned.

The whole atmosphere, the album cover and the music is a whole lot darker and more mysterious than what we know from Sonata Arctica. The writing style of the band name and title reminds of WW1, and exactly that is obviously the goal, as this is the time frame of the story told in the song material. Stampeding rhythms that remind almost of industrial metal. Some songs sound a bit similar to each other, but it seems, this is intended? Anyways, the album tells us a story, these are not some unrelated songs, but each is a part of a bigger something. You cannot press this album in just one genre, you find aspects from lots of different genres, and that exactly makes it more interesting.

This is not that kind of album that sweeps you off your feet on the first run. You have to let it simmer, wait for taking effect on you, and then listen to it again. Than let it simmer again, and listen to it again. It is refreshingly different, and I would definitely recommend it.

Bandwebsite

Tracklist:
1. The Pages of History (Opening)
2. Full Steam Ahead
3. Uranium
4. Paika
5. Fat American Lies
6. Dog Bones
7. When the Music Stops
8. Gorya
9. There’s a Date on Every Dream
10. Crystal Cave
11. I Was Made to Rain on Your Parade
12. Deeper

Melanie Kircher