SONATA ARCTICA: Winners Of 'Flag In The Ground' Artwork Contest Announced

Finnish melodic metallers SONATA ARCTICA recently launched a fan contest where people could design the cover artwork for the band's promotional single for the song "Flag In The Ground".

The contest has now come to an end and the group has picked its personal favorites.

The winning piece was created by Simo Heikkinen (Finland). Second-prize winner was Dilyana Delcheva (Bulgaria), while the third prize went to Rodrigo Larreteguy (Argentina).

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.

Commented singer Tony Kakko: "On behalf of the whole SONATA ARCTICA [band], I would like to thank all of you, who sent artwork suggestions for our promotional single 'Flag In The Ground'! Fantastic!"

He added, "The range of different ideas and styles was staggering and our decision was far from easy. I think at the end we all had our own personal favorites! But there can be only one! In this case one winner, one second and one third. So we actually had to build an extremely complex voting system to come up with the winner and even then it was not all that easy. And honestly, I think you are all winners, and you should think so too. You worked hard to complete the artwork in extremely limited time frame. And you did it. Ovations."

The single "Flag In The Ground" will have its premiere on the band's MySpace page on September 4.

In other news, SONATA ARCTICA's October 13, 2009 concert has been switched from the Rex Theater in Pittsburgh to the Ches-A-Rena in Cheswick, Pennsylvania — approximately 11 miles from the original venue. All tickets will be honored for the new location.

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.

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)

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."

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.

Winner:
 

Second-prize winner:

Third-prize winner: