SONATA ARCTICA don't say a word MICP-40004

Hushing the Silence: Sonata Arctica’s ’Don’t Say A Word’ EP (MICP-40004)

Today’s entry focuses on a concise but packed release from Finnish power metal stars Sonata Arctica. We are looking at the Japanese EP “Don’t Say A Word,” released on September 22, 2004, via the Avalon label (Marquee Inc.) with the catalog number MICP-40004. This particular copy includes the original obi strip.

Released around the same time as their acclaimed album “Reckoning Night,” this EP offered fans more than just the lead single. While it opens with an edit of the dark and driving title track “Don’t Say A Word” and includes the furious power metal anthem “Ain’t Your Fairytale,” the real treasure for collectors lies in the non-album cover songs.

The EP features two distinct covers that showcase the band’s versatility. First is a rendition of Depeche Mode’s synth-pop classic “World In My Eyes,” transformed by Sonata Arctica’s melodic metal style. Second is a cover of “Two Minds, One Soul” by the Australian melodic metal band Vanishing Point, a nod to their peers in the genre.

MICP-40004 is a fantastic item for completists. It captures the band during a creative high point, offering unique bonus material that demonstrates their ability to reinterpret songs from different genres while maintaining their signature high-speed, melodic sound. First pressings of this release also included an album cover sticker.