Sonata Arctica is a Finnish power metal band from Kemi, Lapland, established in 1996.
Initially as a hard rock band under the name of Tricky Beans, members decided to change their name to Sonata Arctica as they switched to power metal. They also use some elements of symphonic metal, then, in their last albums, some elements of progressive metal>. The band's current lineup includes keyboardist and performer Tony Kakko, guitarist Elias Viljanen, bassist Pasi Kauppinen, keyboardist Henrik Klingenberg, and drummer Tommy Portimo.
In 2019, the group lists a total of ten studio albums, their latest being Talviyö, released in September 2019.
The creation of the group takes place in 1996 under the name of Tricky Beans. It is composed of Tony Kakko on vocals and keyboards, Tommy Portimo on drums, Pentti Peura on bass, and Jani Liimatainen and Marko Paasikoski on guitars. It is under this name that the group records three demos, Agreed Pamppers and Friends Till the End in 1996, then Peacemaker the following year. The band plays two times Jyrki Sähkösirkus , a popular show in Finland>. After the departure of Paasikoski and Peura and the arrival of a bassist, Janne Kivilahti, the band changed its name and became the Tricky Means in 1998. They record a fourth demo, Fullmoon , in 1999, a disc which allows the group to obtain a contract with Spinefarm Records>. Tricky Means then changes its name to Sonata Arctica.
