SONATA ARCTICA Lets Fans Design Cover Artwork

Finnish melodic metalers SONATA ARCTICA have launched a fan contest where people can design the cover artwork for the upcoming promotional single to the song "Flag In The Ground".

Commented vocalist Tony Kakko: "Now here's your big chance to make an impact to the whole music industry! Or at least all SONATA fans! Create a cover for our promotional single and have your artwork printed on a cardboard for promotional use like radios, clubs etc.

"The song is called 'Flag In The Ground', which also going to be our video song. It's an uplifting story about a young couple fighting their way to freedom and their own land in North America back in early 1800s.

"Join the race, have fun, create us a cover art work and win! Do it today!

The winning artwork will be the cover of the "Flag In The Ground" promotional single. The winner will also get tickets to an upcoming SONATA ARCTICA show as well as an opportunity to meet the band. The second- and third-prize winners will get signed SONATA ARCTICA items.

The artwork can be sent to: SonataArctica@nuclearblast.de

Specs:

Format: JPG
Res: 300 dpi
Colours: RGB
Size: 20 x 20 cm

The deadline for this contest is August 10, 2009!

SONATA ARCTICA will release its new album, "The Days Of Grays", on September 18 in Europe and September 22 in North America through Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

Limited 2CD Digipack:

01. Everything Fades To Gray (instrumental)
02. Deathaura
03. The Last Amazing Grays
04. Flag In The Ground
05. Breathing
06. Zeroes
07. The Dead Skin
08. Juliet
09. No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart
10. As If The World Wasn't Ending
11. The Truth Is Out There
12. Everything Fades To Gray (full version)

Bonus Track:

13. In The Dark

Bonus CD: track listing to be announced

CD Jewelcase:

01. Everything Fades To Gray (instrumental)
02. Deathaura
03. The Last Amazing Grays
04. Flag In The Ground
05. Breathing
06. Zeroes
07. The Dead Skin
08. Juliet
09. No Dream Can Heal A Broken Heart
10. As If The World Wasn't Ending
11. The Truth Is Out There
12. Everything Fades To Gray (full version)

Check out the album artwork below.

SONATA ARCTICA keyboardist Henrik "Lance" Klingenberg previously described the band's new material as "a bit darker and maybe not so complex as [2007's] 'Unia'. Nevertheless, it's definitely not a back-to-the-roots album with fast power metal. All the trademark SONATA stuff is on there, solos, lots of singing some slower songs."

SONATA ARCTICA will play a handful of headlining dates prior to and at the end of their North American tour with DRAGONFORCE. These shows will be the only SONATA ARCTICA headlining gigs until next spring.

Recorded and mixed at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, "Unia" — which was certified gold in Finland for sales in excess of 15,000 copies — landed on the following international album charts: Finland - #1; Japan - #7; Sweden - #27; Germany - #35; Switzerland - #40; Austria - #62. The "Paid in Full" single also secured the #1 single position in the band's native land.