Sonata Arctica have re-recorded their 1999 debut album, Ecliptica – even though keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg admits the idea felt “weird” at first.
The new version, entitled Ecliptica Revisited: 15th Anniversary Edition will be released via Nuclear Blast on October 24.
Klingenberg says the idea grew on the Finnish outfit when they considered that, from the current lineup, only singer Tony Kakko and drummer Tommy Portimo appeared on the original work.
He reports: “We’re definitely not trying to rewrite history. The original Ecliptica is the starting point of this band, and a very special album with a certain feel of innocence and enthusiasm. That can’t be recreated since we’re not teenagers any more.
“The new version is more of a tribute and an update on how the songs sound when played by our current lineup. We wanted to stay true to the original as much as possible, and not turn it into a project where you couldn’t tell which song was being played.”
Ecliptica Revisited includes a cover of Genesis’_ I Can’t Dance_ as a bonus track, while _Kingdom For A Heart _will be released as a single next month.
The 1999 original was their only album to feature bassist Jabbe Kivilahti, who appeared alongside Kakko, Portimo and guitarist Elias.
Tracklist
Blank File
My Land
8th Commandment
Replica
Kingdom For A Heart
Fullmoon
Letter To Dana
UnOpened
Picturing The Past
Destruction Preventer
Bonus track
- I Can’t Dance (Genesis cover)
