SONATA ARCTICA play the Grove of Anaheim Dec. 4.

Ah Finland. Land of the north, land of light. Land of the long summer days and equally long winter days of darkness. A land that seems to spawn really good metal music, claiming home to numerous great metal bands including Sonata Arctica, who stop at the Grove of Anaheim on Dec. 4.

The five member power melodic metal band has headed to North America to support the release of their latest album, The Ninth Hour. To access this album, head over to their label, Nuclear Blast Records at http://nuclearblast.com//theninthhour.

Sonata Arctica’s distinguished sound comes from uniquely blending the band members various influences. Visit the bands’ web site http://sonataarctica.info/ for an introduction to each member and their respective favorite artists. Evident are the musical aspirations to artists such as Metallica, Whitesnake and Slayer. There are also threads of guitar masters such as Joe Satriani and metal guitar god Alex Skolnick. Their riffs and beats are blended with keyboard tones, harmonizing vocals and thoughtful lyrics.

The collaboration of this quintet is very apparent. Guitarist Elias Vijanen throws in delicious solos and melodic twists to the solid drum beats provided by Tommy Portimo. Tony Kakko (Vocals, Keyboards) succeeds at vocal synergy with Henrik Kingenberg (Keyboards, Vocals), while managing the keyboards. Everything is tied in with the solid bass licks of Pasi Kauppinen.

Forming in the late 90’s Sonata Arctica started out as Tricky Beans. A few lineup changes and albums later, we reach the current incarnation. The group continues to be relevant today, as their lyrics seem to be searching for a greater meaning. Titles such as “The Truth is Out There” and “In Black and White” paint a picture of a band seeking a greater meaning of life.

Curious? Take a peek at Sonata Arctica in concert. They have put together a great show with Leaves’ Eyes, a German – Norwegian symphonic metal band and Ominium Gatherum, a Finnish melodic death metal band as openers. You won’t want to miss this show with this amazing talent!

VANCOUVER SLEEP CLINIC play Bootleg Theater Nov. 29; photo Yoshino

Seems like all good things come out of Australia. Vancouver Sleep Clinic fronted by Tim Bettinson, singer, songwriter and producer, is no exception! They are currently on a North American tour with a scheduled appearance at the Bootleg Theater Nov. 29. This is a show you do not want to miss!

The tour coincides with the release of their highly anticipated single, “Someone to Stay”, from their forthcoming debut album. Bettinson described the inspiration for the song on their Facebook page, “the song was written while I was living in LA, where I was hit hard by the amount of brokenness and helplessness I saw on the streets of such a wealthy and prosperous city.”

Vancouver Sleep Clinic got started back in 2014 with its self-released Winter EP, on SoundCloud. The single, which Bettinson describes as “music to fall asleep to”, quickly became a hit and went viral with 30,000,000 streams, launching them into the spotlight.

Bettinson went on to receive attention and assistance from the legendary producer AL Shux, who has worked with high profile artists such as Jay Z, Lana Del Rey and Alicia Keys. Bettinson said of Shux, “Al brought everything to life. When I started envisioning the album, I knew I wanted it to be very progressive and draw from different genres. I come from folk and instrumental music, and what I wanted was something more like hip-hop and R&B. So when I brought my demos to Al, he really understood what I wanted to do. I wanted to make big statements, and he helped make that possible.”

The ethereal, dreamy tunes of Vancouver Sleep Clinic are reminiscent of great artists like Coldplay and the late Elliott Smith. With the caliber of Vancouver Sleep Clinic’s music, It’s easy to imagine them participating in a future Grammy Award session.

At the core of the group’s music is their deep commitment to social activism. Bettinson spent time volunteering in Cambodia and the Philippines and taught English in rural orphanages. Directly influenced by the environments he’s lived in, Bettinson carefully crafts his lyrics to express his hopes and dreams for positive change in the world. Through its music, Vancouver Sleep Clinic hopes to awaken a larger awareness in people looking for a deeper meaning.

Come soothe your mind and heal your spirit with Vancouver Sleep Clinic. Lo Moon and MTNS open.