Stones Grow Her Name

Stones Grow Her Name is the 7th full-length studio album by Finnish power metal band Sonata Arctica. It was released in Finland on May 16, 2012, in Europe on May 18, 2012, in North America on May 22, 2012 and in Japan on May 23, 2012.[2][3] It was the last album to feature longtime bassist Marko Paasikoski.

Stones Grow Her Name
Studio album by
Sonata Arctica
ReleasedMay 16, 2012 (Finland)
May 18, 2012 (Europe)
May 22, 2012 (North America)
May 23, 2012 (Japan)
RecordedNovember 2011 at Studio 57, Nedervetil, Finland (bass, drums, hammond)
January and February 2012 at Kakkoslaatu Studios (lead and backing vocals, additional keyboards)
January and February 2012 at Sonic Pump Studios (trumpets, saxophones, acoustic guitars, viola caipira, banjos, violin, double bass, additional backing vocals, violin)
January 2012 at Tico Tico Studio, Kemi, Finland (double bass)[1]
GenreHeavy metal, power metal, symphonic metal
Length53:16
LabelNuclear Blast
ProducerSonata Arctica
Sonata Arctica chronology
Live in Finland
(2011)		 Stones Grow Her Name
(2012)		 Pariah's Child
(2014)

In a 2014 interview about the album's successor Pariah's Child, vocalist and songwriter Tony Kakko referred to it as "a rock album [more] than anything else", comparing it to the more back-to-the roots sound of the 2014 band's release.[4] Yet in a 2019 interview promoting the band's then new album Talviyö, Kakko said Stones Grow Her Name marked "some kind of maturity point for us", citing him becoming a father for the first time as an influence.[5]

Song information

Regarding the song "Cinderblox", Kakko stated:[6]

"As you might figure, it started out as a... joke. Me fooling around with this banjo sound I came across. Wrote a riff which turned into a song. And when we then decided it's gonna be recorded for this album all we had to do was to find someone to play the banjo. We did! [...] This is the one song that still makes me smile every time I hear it."

"Somewhere Close to You" was originally written for a possible solo release by Kakko, but ended up on the album.[4] "Losing My Insanity" was originally written by Tony Kakko for Ari Koivunen's Fuel for the Fire. The final two tracks, "Wildfire, Part: II - One With the Mountain" and "Wildfire, Part: III - Wildfire Town, Population: 0" continue the story introduced in "Wildfire" from Reckoning Night.

Track list

All tracks are written by Tony Kakko.

No.TitleLength
1."Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)"3:23
2."Shitload of Money"4:52
3."Losing My Insanity"4:03
4."Somewhere Close to You"4:13
5."I Have a Right"4:47
6."Alone in Heaven"4:31
7."The Day"4:14
8."Cinderblox"4:03
9."Don't Be Mean"3:17
10."Wildfire, Part: II - One With the Mountain"7:53
11."Wildfire, Part: III - Wildfire Town, Population: 0"8:00
Total length:53:16
European and North American Bonus Track[7]
No.TitleLength
12."Tonight I Dance Alone"3:27
Total length:56:43
Japanese Bonus Track[8]
No.TitleLength
12."One-Two-Free-Fall"3:49
Total length:57:05

Tour Edition

On October 24, 2012 a special 2 disc "Tour Edition" of the album was released in Japan to commemorate the band's appearance at the Loud Park Festival. The first disc contains the standard Japanese version of the album with "One-Two- Free-Fall" serving as the bonus track. The second disc features acoustic versions of "Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)" "I Have a Right" "Alone In Heaven" and "Somewhere Close to You" respectively.[9]

Personnel

Guest artists[1]
  • Mika Mylläri - trumpet on "Shitload of Money"
  • Sakari Kukko - saxophone on "Shitload of Money"
  • Peter Engberg - acoustic guitar, viola caipira and banjo on "I Have a Right", "Alone in Heaven", "The Day", "Don't Be Mean", "Cinderblox" and "Wildfire, Part:II - One with the Mountain"
  • Timo Kotipelto - additional backing vocals on "Only the Broken Hearts (Make You Beautiful)", "Shitload of Money", "I Have a Right" and "Alone in Heaven"
  • Lauri Valkonen - double bass at "Cinderblox" and "Wildfire, Part:II - One with the Mountain"
  • Pekka Kuusisto - violin at "Don't Be Mean", "Cinderblox", "Wildfire, Part:II - One with the Mountain" and "Wildfire, Part:III - Wildfire Town, Population: 0"
  • Anna Lavender - spoken parts on "I Have a Right"
  • Mikko P. Mustonen - Orchestration on "Wildfire, Part:III - Wildfire Town, Population: 0"

Additional personnel[1]

Charts
Chart (2012) Peak
position
Canadian Albums Chart 79[10]
Hungarian Albums Chart 13[11]

On June 1, 2012 the following chart positions for the album were announced on the Sonata Arctica website.

Finland 1

Hungary 13

Switzerland 21

Germany 24

Austria 29

Sweden 37

Norway 39

France 54

Italy 72

Netherlands 72

Canada 79

Belgium 79

Spain 97

Sweden Rock Charts 5

Canada Rock Charts 7

United Kingdom Rock Charts 9

United States Billboard Heatseekers Chart 9

The following message from Tony Kakko regarding sales of the album in North America was posted as well "North America! Awesome! Our best ever 1st week sales with Stones Grow Her Name! Thank you so much! Feels good to hear this kind of news from the other side of the great puddle. Especially now, when the times are what they are... You guys rock! Sure hope to get all the tour plans ready as soon as possible, so we can announce out next great North American adventure. See you guys hopefully soon! Miss ya! Cheers!"[12]

References
  1. "Sonata Arctica: Making Of 'Stones Grow Her Name' Part 2 (Video)". Blabbermouth.net. 16 April 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
  2. "SONATA ARCTICA - "Stones Grow Her Name" album details released!". NuclearBlast.de. Retrieved February 23, 2012.
  3. "Sonata Arctica Unveil Details and Album Art from "Stones Grow Her Name"". SMNNews.com. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  4. Sabrina, Elise (25 February 2014). ""In the early days, Sonata Arctica was called Happy Metal. I wondered what the fuck it was all about, because all the lyrics was really dark."". Metal Chest of Wonders. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  5. Giffin, Brian (3 September 2019). "SONATA ARCTICA // A Little Understanding". Hysteria Magazine. Hysteria Media PTY LTD. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  6. Wojtek, Gabriel (May 2012). "Sonata Arctica interview with Tony Kakko". Noizz Eater. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
  7. "SONATA ARCTICA Stones grow her name". NuclearBlast.de. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
  8. "Stones Grow Her Name Japan Release". Marquee.co.jp. Retrieved April 17, 2012.
  9. http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=MICP-20003
  10. http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Charts/ALBUMS.html
  11. "MAHASZ – Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége". mahasz.hu. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
  12. http://www.sonataarctica.info/site07/index.php?s=1&l=uk&nid=212&n_xID=212&ntop=0
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