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. It was the last album to feature longtime bassist Marko Paasikoski. In a 2014 interview about the album's successor Pariah's Child, vocalist and songwriter Tony Kakko referred to it as "a rock album than anything else", comparing it to the more back-to-the roots sound of the 2014 band's release. 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.
Song information
Regarding the song "Cinderblox", Kakko stated: "Somewhere Close to You" was originally written for a possible solo release by Kakko, but ended up on the album. "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
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 " "I Have a Right" "Alone In Heaven" and "Somewhere Close to You" respectively.
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"
Pekka Kuusisto - violin at "Don't Be Mean", "Cinderblox", "Wildfire, Part:II - One with the Mountain" and "Wildfire, Part:III - Wildfire Town, Population: 0"
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 StatesBillboard 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!"
