There are lots of bands that started their careers playing some determined style and after a couple of albums they radically changed it. The first example that comes to my mind is SONATA ARCTICA. Between 2004 and 2007, the band experimented a very deep transformation in its sound. They passed from the archetypical Power Metal to some kind of softer and lower sound.
Why did this happen? According to Henrik Klingenberg (SONATA ARTICA’s keyboardist), they simply got bored by playing the very same speedy stuff. Plus, the songwriting process gave them between six and seven “slow” songs, so they decide to not force the creative process.
This is how Klingenberg himself explained to auxportesdumetal.com when Unia was released:
After a while, everyone in the band was a little bit tired with the fast stuff. So we decided that we are still young enough to change. And if we had continued the same way we did before, we would have made one or 2 more albums and then splitted. The feeling we have from people is that Unia is very different and I agree.
And he added: “ I don’t think we’ll record a new «Ecliptica.
This was very sad for a lot of fans who grew listening the speedy songs from this band. However, should the fans tell the band what to do? Should the band change its style just because the people didn’t like it? I got to be honest, I don’t like this album, I find it very boring. I met the band right at this time. I loved their early Power Metal speedy stuff, and was looking forward to finally be able to know new songs; but it didn’t happen. So I thought, “well, maybe the next album will be faster”, and it didn’t happen neither.
Like me, there were manu fans who felt the same way. However the band never changed. And this is something very important. There is no use to do something if you’re not convinced of it. There are many good reasons why SONATA ARCTICA changed their style. Do those reasons made me change my mind? Of course not! I still find the latest albums very boring. But I can fully understand why they’re playing the way they are.
In my research, I found some very interesting answers by Tony Kakko who explained the reasons why they changed the course of his music. There were two that shocked me: he was not able to sing as high as before and, secondly, he just felt like change his style.
Kat Spencer and Chris Rigney from KUCI 88.9 in University of California asked Tony why he slowed down the songs in Unia. Here’s his answer:
The speedy music never was my thing. It’s something that we got really interested in, and got into it, and made a demo, and then we got a recording contract, and everybody expected us to do that kind of shit. And of course it was fun to do that kind of thing, but now we’re trying to find our own voice and own way of doing. There are bands that will always be faster than we are, and always do this power metalling better than we ever did, so it’s better if we just try to find our own way.
The next question is about the voice:
KUCI: On the new album, you’ve also used less of your higher range of vocals than in the past.
TK: Yes. This is my own range, really, ‘cause I have been doing silly things like straining my voice.
This was a little bit heartbreaking for me, when I read this for the first time. I mean, the singer of a band that I loved was saying that he hates singing the songs. Was everything a hoax? It felt like. Suddenly you realize the songs you loved were not performed with the feeling you thought they were. Anyway, after this collapse I could realize that at least he was being honest. Isn’t it that all about? That’s more important, I think.
The honesty should be the main motor in a musician. Whatever he feels like playing should be honest. Otherwise we would have a musician who is told what to play, like so many pop (and Metal) artist.
Henrik was very emphatic at this point when he answered an interview to metalreviews.com. He said:
When you start to do something to please other people, especially when it comes to music, I think you’re pretty fucked. Of course we appreciate that people like it but you have to start by pleasing yourself… If we make something that we cannot stand by, that we don’t believe in then it would be hell to go out on tour and play a hundred fifty shows of songs that we don’t believe in.
I don’t think there’s a debate whether the musicians owns anything to the fans. Of course they doesn’t. A musician plays music because feels like, not for the fans. For a musician should be exactly the same If plays for one person or for a million people, as long as enjoys the music he plays, everything will be in balance.
It doesn’t matter which are the reasons why a band changed its sound, as long as they believe in what they’re doing and playing. It doesn’t mean neither the people can’t talk about it. SONATA ARCTICA nowadays sounds very boring to me and I’ll keep saying it because that’s the way I feel; but I’ll never ask them to play the way I like and they don’t.